As I mentioned on Monday's night show (and as I believe I've mentioned several times over the years on this blog) - the music from The Nutcracker may just be what I'd choose to listen to if I could only listen to one thing for the rest of my life. I'm sitting here at this moment listening to a London Symphony Orchestra recording of "Waltz of the Flowers," and in these six minutes I can find everything I love about music, every feeling I try to recreate with every new piece of music I listen to - and the sense of absolute joy and wonder isn't even the littlest bit diminished by the number of times I listen. I think this was the first example I had of music making my heart hurt in that exquisitely beautiful way I'm always attempting to recapture, and it will forever be the best example. I think I could be content within the bars of these six minutes for the rest of my life.
But I'm getting swept away here (and I won't even touch upon Fantasia - the still above is from the "Waltz of the Flowers" part of the film - because you'll lose me for hours). The point of this post is to share the version of "The Nutcracker Suite" I played on Monday's show, because it's an amazing big band rendition courtesy of Les Brown. The jazzed-up arrangement brings a giant dash of zip and zow to the song, and amps it up to a level appropriate for a cocktail party soundtrack. The Nutcracker has never sounded saxier.
Les Brown & His Band of Renown - "The Nutcracker Suite"
*bonus!* - London Symphony Orchestra - "Waltz of the Flowers" (from The Nutcracker)
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