TRACKLIST
1. The Swingin Nut
2. Marche Touche
3. Groove Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
4. Blues A La Russe
5. Bedouin Dreams
6. Oriental Rhythm
7. Mirlitonova
8. Vaunce Of The Flowers

Kenny Barron piano
Ron Carter bass
Stefon Harris vibes & marimba
Lewis Nash drums

Tchaikovsky s Nutcracker Suite has previously been arranged in a jazz setting by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, but Bob Belden s charts for the superb Classical Jazz Quartet (Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Ron Carter, and Lewis Nash) are also worth investigating. Things start off a bit slow with The Swingin Nut, which really doesn t swing due to Belden s overreliance on a vamp behind the solos rather than having the musicians improvise upon its theme. Better are the driving post-bop setting of Marche Touche and Blues ? la Russe (a splendid reworking of Russian Dance ), which showcase Barron and Harris, along with the introspective Groove of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the breezy, swinging Vaunce of the Flowers. The musicianship is at a high level throughout the session; Carter s fluid basslines and Nash s subtle percussion are essential to the date. Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden

The Classical Jazz Quartet recorded Tchaikovsky s The Nutcracker Suite at Avatar Studios, New York, August 21 & 22, 2001. The quartet features Kenny Baron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Stefon Harris on vibes/marimba and Lewis Nash on drums. Produced by

Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York on August 21-22, 2001. Includes liner notes by Bob Belden.