So here is on that I have been looking forward to doing, Duke Ellington‘s version of the Nutcracker Suite. I just love the way he has Tchaikovsky’s original melody drifts around the piece at first almost a subliminal accent behind Ellington’s brass section and then moving forward until it’s taken over completely.
It occurred to me that it was a shame that the appearance of the pony suit in Sunday’s strip is the only appearance it gets in the entire story line and you don’t even get to see it fully assembled!
So here it is in all it’s glory!
I decided to take a brief break from my countdown of cynical christmas music and go with something a little bit light hearted with Snoopy’s Christmas by The Royal Guardsmen. I’ve always liked the Snoopy vs the Red Baron songs and I like the tip of the hat to the Christmas Truce of 1914
It’s always fun what you find when you’re researching. I’d never heard of this one until recently and it is so funny! So here is Surabaya Santa from Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for A New World featuring Mrs. Claus singing about her… frustrations.
Anytime you can sneak Miles Davis into a playlist is a win for me so here he is this year’s Christmas Playlist with Blue Xmas (To Whom it May Concern) along with Bob Dorough! It’s nearly as cynical as Tom Lehrer’s contribution yesterday… Again. A win.
For today’s Christmas Music we have one of my all time favorites, Tom Lehrer. Regrettably I couldn’t find a live performance of this (if anyone in one is interested, Hong Kong Tenor David Quah, does a pretty good version of this but I’m afraid he comes off as way too nice.)
