Roosevelt High School’s acclaimed jazz program celebrates a milestone this holiday season—25 years of performing Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s innovative jazz interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. What began as an ambitious undertaking in 1999 has become one of Seattle’s most cherished holiday traditions.
The 25th anniversary celebration will feature Roosevelt’s four award-winning jazz ensembles—three big bands and jazz vocalists—performing across three concerts. All performances will be held at Roosevelt High School’s theater. Tickets are $15 for youth and seniors; $25 general admission. Purchase tickets here for any of the three performances:
- Friday, December 6 at 7:30 PM
- Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 PM
- Sunday, December 8 at 2:30 PM
The story of Roosevelt’s Jazz Nutcracker begins with a Dutch jazz scholar’s manuscript and a cardboard box that arrived just one month before the first performance. Inside the box were rare copies of all of Strayhorn’s transcriptions of the Nutcracker Suite, arguably the most impressive arrangements from this period in Strayhorn’s creativity.
“Rather than turning to jazzed-up renditions of the movements–known as ragging the classics–Strayhorn and Ellington virtually recomposed the ballet, using a wide array of techniques to render the original into a new and strikingly personal work,” Strayhorn scholar Walter van de Leur wrote in “Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn..”
Roosevelt Jazz Director Emeritus Scott Brown tracked down van de Leur and convinced him to share Strayhorn’s transcriptions. “Roosevelt was unique in deciding to do it all,” Brown recalled. “It’s demanding. It’s authentic. It’s rich musical themes that are totally American—and it’s fun. The kids get the humor in it. I never tire of it because having different kids experience it every single year and experience it through their eyes is just so rewarding.”
Each year brings new challenges as student musicians interpret Ellington’s and Strayhorn’s sophisticated arrangements. From the sultry tenor saxophone solo in “Sugar Rum Cherry” to the demanding high trumpet parts in “Midnight Stroll,” the Nutcracker Suite tests every section of the band. “High expectations and high workload—the kids do rise to that expectation,” Brown said.
For current students, participating in the Jazz Nutcracker fulfills childhood dreams while creating new traditions. “I watched the Jazz Nutcracker at Roosevelt when I was in fourth grade, and it was one of the reasons why I came to Roosevelt. Now it feels amazing that I’m actually going to play in it,” Kai Finkelstein, a 9th-grade Roosevelt Jazz drummer said.
This year’s celebration extends beyond the music with a festive holiday marketplace and activities before each concert and during intermission. Attendees can explore an instrument petting zoo, take photos with costumed Nutcracker characters, enjoy holiday crafts, and purchase commemorative merchandise, poinsettias, and seasonal treats.
In the spirit of community giving, the Roosevelt Jazz Booster Club is partnering with Teen Feed, a local nonprofit supporting unsheltered Seattle youth with basic needs. The partnership recognizes that while Teen Feed meets fundamental youth welfare needs, Roosevelt Jazz enriches young lives through the transformative power of music—together creating a comprehensive approach to youth support and development. Concertgoers can participate in a special raffle and donation drive at all three performances, with proceeds benefiting Teen Feed’s vital community work.
“The festive feel of the holidays is how the Nutcracker warms the soul,” Roosevelt Jazz 12th-grade trumpet player Justin Davies said. “During these cold, winter months, the Nutcracker offers a place of warmth and refuge. Its joyful tempo and feel makes you feel lively.”
About Roosevelt Jazz: Roosevelt High School’s jazz program has consistently ranked among the nation’s finest high-school jazz ensembles for more than five decades. Alumni have gone on to successful careers in performance, education, and various music-industry roles. The program has performed at prestigious venues and festivals across the world, earning numerous awards and accolades for excellence in jazz education, including multiple appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition in New York City, where they achieved remarkable success in the early 2000s with four consecutive wins.
