Sometimes I wonder what would happen if you put Duke Ellington and Tchaikovsky in the same room. The obvious answer is that they would both freak the hell out considering the fact that they’re both from different ends of the world and from two completely different musical eras.
Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker remains a hallmark of classical music by itself, added in with an accompanying ballet performance, and you’ve got one hell of a show. It’s the type of rendition where, if done right, nothing needs to be changed because it is simply brilliant by itself.
But then Duke Ellington, one of the most instantly recognizable names in jazz music, came along and made his own jazzed up version of The Nutcracker, and it was just as beautiful. Just as Tchaikovsky goes from momentous orchestral polyphony to softer and more soothing segments, Duke Ellington follows suit.
December 11 saw something special come to Chan Centre. On a sunny but cold winter afternoon, with Christmas just around the corner, the 45th Avenue jazz band and the Vancouver Pop Symphony came together to perform a very special two-part version of The Nutcracker.
After the Pop Symphony opened with a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night,” the format for the show was explained. The Pop Symphony would open the show followed immediately by the jazz band, and the two would go back and forth.
This essentially had Tchaikovsky and Duke Ellington going back to back, and it was nothing short of a spectacle and truly a pleasure to watch. The Pop Symphony was almost flawless in their performance and the 45th Avenue band was able to hold their ground with lengthy and loud solos by nearly every player.
Jazz and classical music may live on different planets altogether, but these two bands found a way to make the works of two greats combine for an amazing show.
There was one problem, however, and this by no means has anything to do with the amazing performance of the band. This unfortunately has to do with the audience and the fact that silence didn’t seem necessary to most of the people in attendance.
Now, I get that it was an afternoon show and that people come with their kids, so there’s bound to be some noise. Except, the kids were the only ones in the audience who actually behaved and stayed silent. As for everyone else, it was non-stop chatter and the perpetual checking of Instagram and Snapchat.
There are two things I don’t get about this. Firstly, what on earth could be so god damn important that you need to go and tell the person next to you right away, and not wait a measly five minutes before the next band switch. Secondly, why the hell would you waste $20 to $35 on a ticket if you’re just going to be on your phone the entire time.
So please, next time you’re at a concert, do yourself a favour and shut up, put your phone away, and actually listen to the musicians you paid to see and who have been preparing for months on end, as was the case with both the Pop Symphony and the 45th Avenue band.