In another book by Anna Harwell Celenza, she rehashes the cretion of Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite," a take on Tchaikovsky's classic ballet. It talks about how Ellington would only agree to sign a contract if he would be allowed to record his take on the Nutcracker Suite, and with a hesitant yes, the suite was born. I think this book would go well in a middle school general music class in a unit about jazz. There are a lot of fun jazz words tossed into the writing, as well as introductions to instruments that are commonly found in a big band, so the kids could keep track of those on a sheet of paper or something. The book also comes with a CD, so the kids can listen as the book is read. The book is wordy, but the illustrations are captivating, and the language used illustrates and sets the scene really well. It gives the readers an idea of what Ellington might have been thinking.
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