The Classical Jazz Quartet - The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Tchaikovsky (2001) CD-Rip

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 а 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