Nu Deco Ensemble Releases New Suite Still Cruisin’ - An Orchestral Tribute To The Beach Boys Out Today

Today, pioneering hybrid orchestra Nu Deco Ensemble released a beautiful new Beach Boys suite - Still Cruisin’ - An Orchestral Tribute to The Beach Boys is out now. A live performance of the suite will premiere on Monday, November 15 at 7pm ET here. 

Coming on the heels of Nu Deco’s collaborative album with roots-rock duo Larkin Poe, Paint the Roses: Live in Concert (#2 Classical Crossover, #5 Blues & #21 Classical on the Billboard Charts), the suite premiered on Glide Magazine and includes reimagining of material from The Beach Boys’ landmark album Pet Sounds, their unfinished SMiLEproject, and older songs. The ensemble’s concert season at The Bandshell and Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, FL continues next month & beyond, with spectacular guests Masego, Robert Glasper, JP Saxe & Madison Cunningham - tickets & full list of shows here, as well as below. 

There is also a special AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit Music here live right now.

Nu Deco Ensemble Co-Founder and Artistic Director Sam Hyken, who arranged the new suite with his co-writers Jason Matthews, Aaron Lebos, and Armando Lopez, explains his process: “With always having the intention of bringing something fresh and new to this incredible music, the work creates new harmonic and groove environments, expands on and plays with famous melodies and motifs, and also pays tribute to the genius instrumentation and orchestration inherent in the original songs. Personally speaking, the music of The Beach Boys is some of my absolute favorite, and has musically impacted me since childhood.”

Jacomo Bairos - Nu Deco’s other Co-Founder and Artistic Director - continues: “What is lesser known about this transformative and innovative group, is not just the impact they had on the American vernacular, but how they incorporated Classical, Jazz, R&B, as well as innovative recording techniques and unique non-traditional instruments such as the Theremin into their wild, yet creative music. The wide pallets of colors, techniques and inspiration they drew from truly made them a genre-bending band who dared to create highly-curated, diverse and avant-garde music, while also producing some of the most memorable and melodic driven songs that have left numerous imprints on generations of music lovers for decades. We intentionally are highlighting the diverse and unique output of this transformational American band.”

The Miami-based contemporary hybrid orchestra has previously collaborated with Wyclef Jean, Tune-Yards, PJ Morton, Macy Gray, Jacob Collier, Ben Folds and others, reimagining the music of Daft Punk, Outkast & beyond. The ensemble was founded by conductor Jacomo Bairos (Juilliard, Boston Pops, San Francisco and St. Louis Symphonies) and composer/arranger/producer Sam Hyken (commissioned by Bad Bunny, Angelique Kidjo, Tank and the Bangas). Through youth ensemble initiative Nu Deco NXT, the founders also foster the artistry and development of Miami’s young musicians.

2021-2022 Season

Adrienne Arsht Center - December 10, 2021

ft. Masego

This performance is presented in partnership with YoungArts and Adrienne Arsht Center

Nu Nutcracker Selections

Sacred Earth by Chris Rogerson ft. J'Nai Bridges and projections by Keith Ladzinski   

Ray Charles Symphonic Suite

North Beach Bandshell - January 22, 2022

ft. JP Saxe

Dance Suite Mvmt. III by Bela Bartok

Much Ado About Nothing by Erich Korngold

Radiohead 2 Symphonic Suite

North Beach Bandshell - March 12, 2022

ft. Madison Cunningham

Symphony No. 10, Mvmt. II by Dmitri Shostakovich

Past Tundra by Valgeir Sigurðsson

Nu Deco Original Work

Pink Floyd Symphonic Suite

Adrienne Arsht Center - April 30, 2022

ft. Robert Glasper

Presented in partnership with Adrienne Arsht Center

Lyric for Strings by George Walker

New Work by Robert Glasper

Afro-Cuban Concerto by Valerie Coleman

James Brown Symphonic Suite