The Harlem Nutcracker

David Berger and The Sultans of Swing (Artist), Duke Ellington (Composer), Billy Strayhorn (Composer), David Berger (Composer), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, David Berger, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (November 26, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Such Sweet Thunder
• ASIN: B00003L8M6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,977 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nutcracker that swings, December 14, 1999

By 

Louis Gudema (Newton, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Harlem Nutcracker (Audio CD)

My family saw this performed live at The Brooklyn Academy of Music last year. My five year old daughter enjoyed it more than the classic version we had seen on stage just a few weeks earlier. We were very disappointed to find there wasn't a soundtrack CD out, but now there is. This is an excellent recording, by the same band that was performing at BAM. Outstanding.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Setting the record straight on Billy Berger's arrangement ., May 2, 2006

By 

M. Fraker (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Harlem Nutcracker (Audio CD)

As I understand it, Billy Berger was commissioned by the choreographer Donald Byrd, who wanted to create an evening-length ballet called Harlem Nutcracker. (As you may know, Tchaikovsky composed two scores -- a full-length Nutcracker, which is used in the evening-length ballet, and a shorter Nutcracker Suite. Ellington's jazz arrangement is of the shorter "Suite.") Donald Byrd used all of the original Ellington music, and commissioned Berger to fill in around it to create an evening-length work. (For the record, I have never met Billy Berger, though I do know Donald Byrd.) Thank you.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars buy the original please, December 14, 2005

By 

R. Barics "rob_b" (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Harlem Nutcracker (Audio CD)

david berger's entire career is almost completely based on transcribing other musician's genuis - most notably Duke Ellington. to any of those who think that these are new "jazzy" arrangements of the nutcracker you should be interested in picking up the original, scored and arranged by Ellington and Strayhorn on a CD entitled "Three Suites". dont get me wrong - his band is good and he has some very accomplished musicians - but c'mon now - you really need to go with the Duke on this one.