March 19, 2019

20,000 Vinyl LPs 174: Shorty Rogers ~ The Swingin' Nutcracker

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vinyl LP album back cover  detail
Illustration by Frank Page 
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®


The Nutcracker Suite, a selection of eight numbers from the ballet, The Nutcracker, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (link below), was first performed on March 19, 1892, In St. Petersburg, Russia. The original production of the ballet was not a success; the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from it was. The complete Nutcracker has enjoyed tremendous popularity since the late 1960s.  
         
What better way to commemorate this event than with a 1960 interpretation of the Suite by jazz great, Shorty Rogers (link below) who titled his version, The Swingin' Nutcracker?     
      

vinyl LP album cover 
Illustration by Frank Page 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


The personnel for the recording was an astounding array of great jazz talent: Joe Mondragon on bass, playing drums Frank Capp and Mel Lewis, with Lou Levy and Pete Jolly on piano. The sax section was enormous: Art Pepper, Bill Holman, Bill Hood, Bill Perkins, Bud Shank, Chuck Gentry, Harold Land and Richie Kamuca. The trombone section included Frank Rosolino, George Roberts, Harry Betts and Kenneth Shroyer. Conte Candoli, Jimmy Zito, Johnny Audino and Ray Triscari filled out the trumpet section.     


 
vinyl LP album back cover  detail
Illustration by Frank Page 
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
 

The Swingin' Nutcracker was recorded for RCA in three sessions—one with a sax quintet and two with a big band. All of the arrangements are by Rogers. Of course, none of the music was the traditional rendering of the original 1892 version (links below).          


vinyl LP album cover  detail
Illustration by Frank Page 
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®


My favorite cut, entitled Six Pac, is Rogers' interpretation of Trépak, one of a set of ethnic dances in the ballet; perhaps my favorite because it was the section I danced in, the one and only time I was in a production of Nutcracker. At just over 2 minutes its tempo is VERY presto, and it's a REAL "nut cracker" to perform (video link below); however, at the time I DID have the six pack to get me through it.


Leatherneck performance - 1978 
photo by Jim Stewart (link below)


There is an excellent performance demonstrating the strength, prowess and energy required of the Trépak, on YouTube (video link below). It was choreographed by Alex Kalinin, formally of the Bolshoi Balleton.            
       



 
vinyl LP album cover  detail
Illustration by Frank Page 
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®


In 2001, a Canadian film was produced for television that utilized the Rogers music; it was directed by Shel Piercy and choreographed by Paul Becker (video link below).             


vinyl LP album back cover 
Illustration by Frank Page 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


track list 
vinyl LP album back cover  detail
detail photo by Styrous®




vinyl LP record, side 1
photo by Styrous®





vinyl LP record, side 2
photo by Styrous®



      
          
Tracklist:
Side 1:

A1 - Like Nutty Overture (Finale) - 5:23
A2 - A Nutty Marche (Marche) - 3:28
A3 - Blue Reeds (Reed Flute Blues) - 5:27
A4 - The Swingin' Plum Fairy (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy) - 2:58
A5 - Snowball (Waltz Of The Snowflakes) - 3:03

Side 2:

B1 - Six Pak (Trépak) - 2:44
B2 - Flowers Of The Cats (Waltz Of The Flowers) - 3:28
B3 - Dance Expresso (Coffee) - 2:55
B4 - Pass The Duke (Pas De Deux) - 2:51
B5 - China Where? (Tea Dance) - 2:09
B6 - Overture For Shorty (Overture In Miniature) - 4:01

Companies, etc.

    Copyright (c) – Radio Corporation Of America
    Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
    Recorded At – RCA Victor's Music Center Of The World

Credits:

    Arranged By, Conductor – Shorty Rogers
    Bass – Joe Mondragon
    Drums – Frank Capp, Mel Lewis
    Engineer [Recording] – Al Schmitt
    Illustration – F. Page*
    Liner Notes – John Tynan
    Piano – Lou Levy, Pete Jolly
    Producer – Lee Schapiro
    Saxophone – Art Pepper, Bill Holman, Bill Hood, Bill Perkins, Bud Shank, Chuck Gentry, Harold Land, Richie Kamuca
    Trombone – Frank Rosolino, George Roberts, Harry Betts, Kenneth Shroyer*
    Trumpet – Conte Candoli, Jimmy Zito*, Johnny Audino*, Ray Triscari

Notes:

Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California, on May 3, 17 and 26, 1960

Title on back cover :
- The Swingin' Nutcracker by Shorty Rogers with his Sax Quintet & The Big Band.
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side A Label): L2PP-0680
    Matrix / Runout (Side B Label): L2PP-0681
    Matrix / Runout (Side A): L2 PP0680-1S I
    Matrix / Runout (Side B): L2 PP0681-1S I
    Rights Society: ASCAP

Shorty Rogers ‎– The Swingin' Nutcracker
Label: RCA Victor ‎– LPM-2110, RCA Victor ‎– LPM 2110
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop, Big Band, Cool Jazz

         
          
Viewfinder links:         
  
Leatherneck       
Shorty Rogers           
Jim Stewart       
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky   
         
YouTube links:         
   
Shorty Rogers ~ The Swingin' Nutcracker  (complete 39' 11")   
                        ~ Six Pac (Trépak)       
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a (21' 34")        
Tchaikovsky - Russian Dance (Trepak)
Alexander Kalinin ~ Russian Dance 'Trepak' (live)           
The Swinging Nutcracker (Canadian Preview)
          
         
         
      
          
Styrous® ~  Tuesday, March 19, 2019          
           
          

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