Sjo Begins Holiday With Duke Ellington The Met Will Be Alive With Seasonal Tunes

Once again, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra takes a look at the holiday season through the eyes of Duke Ellington. The Duke’s retake on the music from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” is worth a listen, to be sure.

Actually, the best way to get the full effect would be to catch the real thing by the Spokane Symphony and Alberta Ballet one night, then head off to The Met Saturday with that music fresh in your head. That way you’ll know precisely how far Ellington takes it.

He definitely turns the music topsy turvy with funky and fanciful titles like “Toot Toot Tootie Toot” for “Dance of the Reed Pipes” and “Sugar Rum Cherry” for “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Too bad the SJO won’t have dancers.

Other Ellington numbers on the program include “Battle Royal” and “Fluerette African,” a Latin number about which SJO director Dan Keberle says, “You wouldn’t think it was Ellington.”

Other hip takes on the holidays include Ralph Carmichael’s arrangements of “Good King Wenceslas” and “Once in Royal David’s City,” done for Stan Kenton’s Christmas album in the ‘60s. Newer material comes from L.A. Big Band leader Tom Kubis, whose charts for this year include “O Christmas Tree” and “We Three Kings.”

“One Very Hip Nutcracker” will be presented Saturday at The Met at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17.50 for adults; $15.50 for students, seniors and military, and $14.50 for Jazz Society members, available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.