Nicola Benedetti Archives - North West End UK

The Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra Residency brought us a night of Duke Ellington’s greatest compositions, directed by esteemed trumpeter and founder of JLCO, Wynton Marsalis. Seeing as the theme of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival is ‘All Rise’ – tied to the 250th anniversary of America’s independence – an American ensemble playing the works of one of the most prolific American composers seems only fitting. Especially when we get to the second act of the performance where the sole focus is on Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige, conducted by Chris Crenshaw. This suite tells the story of the hardships of the Black American, from slavery to segregation, and eventually emancipation. Alongside the JLCO, musical guests were invited to perform, including EIF’s dire...

And so, it begins. A couple of hours ago I heard this exact piece played by these exact musicians. So why does it suddenly sound completely different? Earlier in the evening, at the Usher Hall, conductor Karina Canellakis had put down her baton, picked up her violin and joined pianist Kirill Gerstein for the Blues movement from Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2. It was beautifully played, but somehow this intimate little conversation struggled against the grandeur and ceremony of that enormous hall. Now they have hightailed it up the hill to The Hub, as have I, and everything has changed. The room is smaller. We are closer. The acoustic is different. Suddenly every inflection matters. The blues within Ravel's music seems clearer, the conversation between violin and ...

Tag: Nicola Benedetti

JLCO Plays Duke Ellington – Usher Hall

First Night at The Hub – The Hub