Next Wednesday, April 12th, I'll be at The Witham in Barnard Castle with pianist Paul Edis. We're playing a mixed programme of jazz, classical music and tangos - something a bit different then! We put this selection together at the request of the 'Jazz at Crook' team who thought it would be nice if the hall's upright piano got used once in a while and liked the idea of some classical violin and piano repertoire in addition to the usual jazz fayre.
The audience who came to this first outing of our Jazz, Classical, Tangos programme at the St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook, told us that they loved the range of styles. One lady confided that her husband was a great jazz fan but she found it a bit much to listen to a whole evening of jazz so she loved the variety! I was astonished by how well received Elgar and Massanet were at what is usually a jazz event, and this set us thinking that perhaps other audiences would also enjoy this kind of concert.
A lot of the music in our programme has links and connections and some of the music would have existed side by side when it was first played. Jazz and Tangos went hand in hand in 1930s Paris as music played for dancing - both exciting new musics from across the Atlantic!
Jazz violinist Eddie South regularly performed radio broadcasts that included tangos, Hungarian folk and Roma music, jazzed up classical pieces and jazz standards side by side. He was a classically trained violinist who turned to jazz because of the limited opportunities available to African American musicians in classical music at the time.
Lili Boulanger, whose piece 'Nocturne' we will be playing, is said to be one of Herbie Hancock's favourite composers, while her sister Nadia taught Astor Piazzolla and encouraged him to pursue his development of the Nuevo Tango.
Besame Mucho is a perfect example of the blending of Latin, jazz and classical music - written by Mexican concert pianist/ composer Consuelo Velasquez, the song became a Latin pop hit and a jazz standard. I'll leave you with Consuelo magnificently performing her own composition and hope to see you next week!
The audience who came to this first outing of our Jazz, Classical, Tangos programme at the St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook, told us that they loved the range of styles. One lady confided that her husband was a great jazz fan but she found it a bit much to listen to a whole evening of jazz so she loved the variety! I was astonished by how well received Elgar and Massanet were at what is usually a jazz event, and this set us thinking that perhaps other audiences would also enjoy this kind of concert.
A lot of the music in our programme has links and connections and some of the music would have existed side by side when it was first played. Jazz and Tangos went hand in hand in 1930s Paris as music played for dancing - both exciting new musics from across the Atlantic!
Jazz violinist Eddie South regularly performed radio broadcasts that included tangos, Hungarian folk and Roma music, jazzed up classical pieces and jazz standards side by side. He was a classically trained violinist who turned to jazz because of the limited opportunities available to African American musicians in classical music at the time.
Lili Boulanger, whose piece 'Nocturne' we will be playing, is said to be one of Herbie Hancock's favourite composers, while her sister Nadia taught Astor Piazzolla and encouraged him to pursue his development of the Nuevo Tango.
Besame Mucho is a perfect example of the blending of Latin, jazz and classical music - written by Mexican concert pianist/ composer Consuelo Velasquez, the song became a Latin pop hit and a jazz standard. I'll leave you with Consuelo magnificently performing her own composition and hope to see you next week!
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