Celebrating a Hometown Hero

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Sunday's family concert at the Lincoln Theatre will feature the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra performing the complete "Nutcracker Suite," the 1960 Ellington/Strayhorn take on Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite." It has been performed in Washington before -- the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra presents it annually at Blues Alley -- but orchestra Director Ken Kimery notes that this will be a first for this ensemble and that it will have the benefit of original arrangements that are part of the Smithsonian's massive Duke Ellington Archives.

Tchaikovsky composed two scores -- a full-length "Nutcracker" (for the ballet that's a holiday standard) and a shorter "Nutcracker Suite." The Ellington/Strayhorn arrangement is of the shorter "Suite," reimagined with American jazz flavor: Violins and violas were replaced by saxophones, flutes by clarinets. Waltzes became syncopated ("Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" was recast as "Sugar Rum Cherry," "March of the Toy Soldiers" as "Peanut Butter Brigade"). The results were faithful to Tchaikovsky's music while bringing out bright new colors and rhythms.

"What a wonderful way to take 'The Nutcracker' and give it with a different treatment," Kimery says. "It takes away that element of fear, which we've encountered with those who aren't familiar with jazz and automatically put up those walls or guards. That's always been a challenge in both the classical and jazz community." The family element is a boon here, Kimery says, because often "they've experienced ['Nutcracker'] in a concert setting or with a ballet and already have an understanding of the piece. It's still serious, but to me it's even that much more acceptable, just because of the nature of who rearranged it."

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Ellington would undoubtedly appreciate that so many festival events will be in and around the U Street corridor and Shaw community that so shaped him. When Ellington formed his first ensemble in 1917, the Duke's Serenaders, its first job was in the second-floor dance hall of True Reformers Hall across from the Lincoln; with a nickel cover, the night's pay was $5 -- total. The stately five-story brick building is a national historic landmark, marked by Byron Peck's iconic Ellington mural on the side overlooking a Metro stop.

Ellington could peer around the corner at Busboys and Poets at 2021 14th St. NW, down U to Twins Jazz (1344 U St.) and Cafe Nema (1334 U St.), and, squinting a bit, to Bohemian Caverns at 11th and U streets. Festival-connected performances at Busboys & Poets include harmonica virtuoso Frederic Yonnet on Friday; the Bass Choir with Michael Bowie, Herman Burney and James King on Saturday; and Gino Sitson and Cameroonian vocal group Vocal Deliria on Sunday. At Bohemian Caverns, the fare has Mexico's Eugenio Toussaint Trio on Friday and Israel's Eli Degibri Quartet on Saturday, an international spirit carried on at Cafe Nema with South African singer Thembi Mtshali-Jones on Friday and Argentina's Diego Urcola Quintet on Saturday. Twins features the Jason Marshall Quartet on Friday and Saturday and the W.E.S. Group on Sunday.