CINCINNATI CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ORCHESTRA, The Nutcracker Remix

Folks searching for the perfect stocking stuffer this holiday season for their fellow Big Band enthusiasts need look no further than the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra’s The Nutcracker Remix, a splendidly inventive album featuring nine re-imagined tracks from Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet, complemented by three Christmas themed songs performed with both majestic power and intimate grace by veteran jazz vocalist (and frequent CCJO collaborator) Mandy Gaines.

Interesting to note, the popular regional ensemble founded in 2013 and led by bandleader and artistic director Eric Lechliter boasts a unique live performance repertoire that has included shows dedicate to everyone from Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus to Stevie Wonder, Prince, David Bowie and Radiohead.

The arrangements on The Nutcracker Remix originated as the brainchild of then CCJO band director Rob Parton, who was inspired by Ellington’s classic 1960 album The Nutcracker Suite, which featured arrangements by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Produced, edited, mixed and mastered by CCJO trumpeter and renowned contemporary jazz piano artist Kim Pensyl, the album’s clever titles say it all about the collection’s concept as an homage of sorts to Ellington (i.e. “The Pistachio March,” “Everybody Digs Flowers,” “Camel Capery”).

Totally embodying the joyful feelings of Christmastime, these arrangements venture from syncopated samba and hip hop to funk, traditional jazz, brassy big band and marching New Orleans music, with countless hard poppin’ solos by various members of the group. Gaines’ tracks completely shift the vibe from boisterous and expansive to lush, intimate and bluesy, as she follows her inimitable takes on “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Merry Christmas Baby” with her original heartbreaking ballad “Christmas This Year,” which caps the album with a reminder that the season has its melancholy moments as well.