Trey Anastasio Band trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and her partner, guitarist Ian Faquini, will release a charity Christmas EP to raise money for free colon cancer screenings, in memory of late saxophonist James Casey. Brazilian Nutcracker will arrive in early December from 12/23 Records and digitally on December 5th by Ground Up Music [pre-order].
For Brazilian Nutcracker, Cressman and Faquini have partnered with The Nancy Langhorne Foundation, a Virginia/Brooklyn-based non-profit that raises money for cancer research and free cancer screenings. The organization’s record arm, 12/23 Records, has previously issued charity Christmas releases from Casey, Grahame Lesh, and DJ Williams.
On this latest 7-inch EP, Cressman and Faquini have reimagined selections from Tchaikovsky‘s classic Nutcracker Suite with a Brazilian style. Normally paired with full orchestras and ballet, the timeless holiday classic takes on new feeling with these stripped-back arrangements, pairing the familiar compositions with the Brazilian rhythms Cressman and Faquini have mastered throughout their careers.
Copies of Brazilian Nutcracker are limited to 300, each hand-numbered and adorned with art from illustrator Nate Cepis (Beastie Boys). There’s a pistachio option, an aquamarine variant, and a signed pink variant that comes with a sticker sheet based on the album artwork. There are no plans to repress the record, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. Pre-order the Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini charity Christmas EP, Brazilian Nutcracker, here while supplies last. Fans can also pick up a bundle of Brazilian Nutcracker with Natalie and Ian’s previous 12/23 release, An Old Fashioned Christmas, or a bundle with Grahame Lesh’s 2024 release, A California Christmas.
Since 2017, the Nancy Langhorne Foundation has raised and donated over $70,000 to the fight against cancer and to provide free testing to underserved communities. In 2022, Trey Anastasio Band saxophonist James Casey released A Little Something for Everyone through 12/23, raising over $6,000 in less than 12 hours. Casey was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in July 2021, going public with his diagnosis a few months later in an effort to raise awareness.
For the next two years, Casey used his voice to advocate for colon cancer testing, especially in the Black community where the disease is hereditary and affects 20 percent more people than any other racial background. Whether he was on the TODAY show or onstage with TAB and Phil Lesh & Friends, Casey raised awareness for colon cancer as much as he could before ultimately dying of the disease in August 2023 at the age of 40.
Though Casey’s full-length studio debut, The Kauai Project, arrived posthumously one year after his death, he released some widely-praised singles in his final years. In his 2023 TODAY appearance, Casey said the lyrics to lead single, “New Bloom“, were meant to inspire those facing the same battle he was.
“No matter what problems come your way, you’ve got today. And no matter what happens today, you’ll be okay,” Casey said. “That is the mantra I’ve had going through this cancer journey. I hope that it speaks to the people, because it spoke to me.”
James Casey Discusses Cancer Battle On TODAY – March 2023
Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini Brazilian Nutcracker Tracklist:
Side A
1. March
2. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
3. Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
Side B
1. Tea (Chinese Dance)
2. Dance of the Mirlitons
3. Trepak
