Mr Sun Plays Ellington's Nutcracker Suite

Mr. Sun Plays Ellington's Nutcracker Suite.

Mr Sun has translated the legendary and mind-blowing Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker Suite into Acoustic String Band Language and recorded it. Tchaikovsky’s extraordinary Nutcracker Suite contains some of the Western world's most beloved and familiar melodies. Mr Sun (Darol Anger, Joe K. Walsh, Grant Gordy, Aidan O'Donnell) has seized upon the inspiration of Duke Ellington’s brilliant, swinging & urbane re-interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Suite as an opportunity to salute and re-invent this wildly multi-faceted work anew, through the lens of the American String Band. This musical form now contains many styles and is presently engaged in a marathon upheaval of innovation and expansion.

The Project was generously underwritten by the Freshgrass Foundation. It was recorded at the new Mass/MOCA recording studio #9 in Massachusetts with legendary recordist Dave Sinko. It featured solicit contributions from Compass Records Founder Alison Brown on banjo, Silk Road Cellist Mike Block, and Dobro Legend Jerry Douglas.

Mr. Sun premiered the work at the Freshgrass Festival in North Adams, MA, in October 2023 and performed it at the Big Ears Festival, Wintergrass, and the Mendocino Music Festival.

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