JAMES MORRISON & WASO

Transcription

1 PROGRAM EY PRESENTS Thursday 3 & Friday 4 December 8pm Perth Concert Hall JAMES MORRISON & WASO

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3 EY PRESENTS JAMES MORRISON & WASO: A JOURNEY THROUGH JAZZ 3 Basin Street Blues 1928, Louis Armstrong The Birth of the Blues 1927, Whispering Jack Smith Seven Come Eleven 1934, Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, Lionel Hampton Stardust 1927, Hoagy Carmichael Honeysuckle Rose 1934, Fats Waller Don t Get Around Much Anymore 1940, Duke Ellington Mood Indigo 1930, Duke Ellington Lil Darlin 1958, Count Basie El Gato 1958, Duke Ellington Benjamin Northey conductor James Morrison trumpet Hetty Kate vocals Interval (20 mins) A Night in Tunisia 1944, Dizzy Gillespie & Sarah Vaughan Cherokee 1945, Charlie Parker All Blues 1959, Miles Davis Round Midnight 1957, Miles Davis Manteca 1954, Dizzy Gillespie Desafinado 1962, Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Charlie Byrd Chameleon 1973, Herbie Hancock Birdland 1977, Weather Report William Morrison Guitar Harry Morrison Bass David Jones Drum Kit Credits outline the key personnel and the release date for one of the first significant recordings for each song, however in some cases this is also the original recording, please refer to the program notes for further information. CONNECT WITH WASO Join us on Facebook facebook.com/ WestAustralianSymphonyOrchestra Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/_waso_ Tag your photos #WASO on Instagram instagram.com/_waso_ Watch us on YouTube youtube.com/westaustsymorchestra

4 4 A JOURNEY THROUGH JAZZ Journey Through Jazz is a snapshot into some of jazz s most important history, people and moments. Since its early years in the 1920s, the concept of jazz has developed and broadened, its journey shaped by people and the situations, be it geographical (New Orleans, New York), political and economic hardship (racial inequality in America, the Great Depression), other countries (Cuba and South America) or creative (the first experiments with electronic music). For jazz aficionados, this concert is a chance to re-experience some of the most famous works, players and composers who have shaped the genre. For first timers, it s a chance to discover of some of the most influential songs in the history of jazz. We hope you enjoy the ride. 1920s Dixieland jazz The 1920s was considered the early heyday of jazz, a time when the reputation of New Orleans as the centre for jazz and blues was first forged. Basin Street Blues, written by American composer and pianist Spencer Williams, is a homage to 1920s New Orleans, specifically the main street of Storyville, the city s notorious red-light district. The song was popularised by Louis Armstrong, who recorded what is considered by many as to be the most enduring version in Another musician who was instrumental in the success of Basin Street Blues was Jack Teagarden, widely considered the most innovative jazz trombone stylist of the prebebop era. Louis Armstrong It was Teagarden who later became famous as a sideman in Louis Armstrong s All-Stars who worked with Glen Miller to develop lyrics for the song, making it staple of his repertoire which helped to ensured its longevity in the world of jazz standards. Another song famously associated with Teagarden is The Birth of the Blues. Written by Ray Henderson and published in 1926, it later appeared in the 1941 film Birth of the Blues where it was performed by Bing Crosby with Teagarden himself. With jazz still being an emerging music form, some songs written in the 20s did not achieve success until decades later. One was Honeysuckle Rose, written by stride piano player Fats Waller, which was recorded several times before it finally became a hit in 1933 for Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra. Another was Stardust, written in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. This whimsical song about a song, is frequently named as one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century. One popular version was that of Ella Fitzgerald who recorded it in 1954 for her album Songs in a Mellow Mood.

5 5 Benny Goodman 1930s Swing and Big Band era Musically, Dixieland jazz faced stiff competition with the rise of Swing in the 1930s. At a time when the American population was suffering from the impacts of the Great Depression, dancing to Swing came to symbolise joy and ease, perhaps best reflected by Duke Ellington s piece, It Don t Mean a Thing (If It Ain t Got That Swing). Swing bands were often much larger than a Dixieland ensemble. While the latter averaged around six players, a Swing big band would often feature an expanded brass section of 12 or more players. With the greater level of coordination required, the increasing band size also ushered in the now standard jazz format of solo improvisation. Although the Big Band sound dominated in Swing, some smaller groups exhibited tremendous influence such as that of clarinettist Benny Goodman, who recorded the memorable Seven Come Eleven with his sextet, notable for featuring a young Charlie Christian, one of the pioneers of electric guitar, and vibraphone player Lionel Hampton in starring roles. The 1930s was also the start of the Big Band era, and according to James Morrison, it doesn t get much bigger than Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Pianist and band leader Duke Ellington s output is considered to have a profound influence not just on jazz but song writing in general. One of his most famous songs, Mood Indigo, was written during Ellington s residency at the Cotton Club, the legendary New York hotspot, known for introducing an all-white clientele to the latest greatest (usually black) jazz musicians of the day. The gig came with a weekly national radio broadcast which turned Ellington into a major star. Originally released as an instrumental, Mood Indigo proved so popular with listeners, it was given lyrics and eventually recorded by Ellington in Ellington wrote another of his best known pieces, Don t Get Around Much Anymore, initially as an instrumental in 1940, then later reworked with lyrics by Bob Russell in Within a year, it made it to the top of the R&B charts through two separate recordings by The Ink Spots and the other by Ellington s own band.

6 6 Duke Ellington The final Ellington song featured in today s program, El Gato, has been selected by Morrison because it is an absolutely wild Latin big band number. It s Spanish for the cat and it was written by one of Ellington s famous trumpeters, William the Cat Anderson. Morrison says. He played the trumpet higher than anyone, and was such a crazy player, everyone thought he was possessed. Another one of the most prominent jazz groups of the Swing era, the Count Basie Orchestra, remained successful well past the golden age of Big Bands, with Basie performing in the 1930s until his death in the 1980s. Li l Darlin was first recorded in the late 1950s, the result of a long partnership with arranger Neal Hefti. Described by jazzstandards.com as another of those songs that, without ever charting, moved right into the jazz lexicon and became a favourite of instrumentalists. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and the birth of Bebop Commentators have speculated that it was World War II that brought an end to the heyday of Swing. With many able-bodied young men sent overseas to fight, big bands began to shrivel, resulting in a new surge of smaller ensembles. Out of this new world emerged Bebop. It was hotter and faster than its predecessors, with increasing focus on improvisations, rhythmic unpredictability and harmonic complexity. Two musicians most commonly associated with the movement are trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker. These guys invented an entirely new form of jazz, Morrison says. At the time, there was Swing, which was different to traditional jazz; and Big Band, which was different to Swing, but in the end they both had still had a harmonic resonance. Suddenly Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker changed all that with Bebop. Gillespie s A Night in Tunisia, first recorded in 1944 as both as an instrumental and with Sarah Vaughan on vocals, is a seminal work from this period. It was also an example of early experimentation with music incorporating Latin and African elements. A Night in Tunisia showed that jazz had moved to other places in the world, Morrison says. Essentially before this, jazz was quite an isolated art form it was influenced solely by what was going on in America.

7 7 Charlie Parker The other representation of Bebop in the program, Ray Noble s Cherokee, became famous as a jazz standard thanks to Charlie Parker. Cherokee was originally a ballroom dancing favourite, but Charlie Parker completely reinvented it and turned it into Bebop. It became almost unrecognisable. We are getting Hetty Kate to scat on it, because Bebop also introduced scatting the idea of singing jazz without words came from Bebop. says Morrison. Cool Jazz of the 1950 s The 1950s introduced a new chapter into the jazz story Cool Jazz, which developed as a response to increased freneticism of bebop. One artist who was most associated with this new development was Miles Davis, through his album Birth of Cool (1949) and well as his five recordings with his quintet for the Prestige label (Miles, Cookin, Relaxin, Workin and Steamin ). Photo: William P. Gottlieb The quintet that Miles played in the 1950s, is what I would described as quintessential Miles with the sound of the harmon mute (at the end of the trumpet) and the flugelhorn, says Morrison. Anyone who knows jazz will listen to that sound and it is immediately identifiable to Miles. It buzzes, and has a certain delicacy to it - you can almost hear him breathing into it. After the Prestige albums, Davis signed to Columbia with his first release being the album Round About Midnight (1956), with its liner notes introduced Davis quintet as one of the best post-bop jazz groups in the country today. The record included the track Round Midnight, described in the notes as a perfect vehicle for Miles bluest mood. It was written by pianist Thelonious Monk, and had previously caused a stir at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival where Monk and Davis had introduced it to great acclaim. In 1959 Miles recorded Kind of Blue, which went on to become one of the biggest selling and most celebrated records of all time. There is not an unnecessary note in any of those pieces, commented Jazz critic and academic Dan Morgenstern. And you keep coming back to it. It doesn t wear out its welcome. For All Blues, Davis took the standard 4/4 time blues and gave it a waltz feel in 6/8, which allowed alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley to shine.

8 8 The birth of Latin jazz Jazz musicians had for years been interested in Latin music, thanks to a steady stream of South American musicians moving to America (such as Cuban singer and big band leader Machito), but Dizzy Gillespie s Manteca elevated this from casual interest to a major shift in musicality. Manteca showed Dizzy had other influences, says Morrison. He was constantly travelling the world, meeting musicians and soaking up the culture. When he travelled through South America he picked up Lalo Schifrin, who left Argentina to play in his band and also hired (famous Cuban percussionist) Chano Pozo on congas. It was Pozo who came to Gillespie in 1947 suggesting a new song featuring three layers of Cuban style rhythms. Gillespie added to this a 16-bar bridge to add harmonic complexity and create a base for improvisation while his arranger Gil Fuller added horn parts to the mix. After a much lauded debut at Carnegie Hall, Manteca was recorded and released in 1948 and created an instant impact. On the record, Gillespie can be heard singing I ll never go back to Georgia, a reference that referred to increasing racial tensions in America. Manteca has a lot of drama in it, and with an orchestra you can heighten that sound so much more, says Morrison. The 1960s will be remembered as the decade when the greater world discovered Brazilian music thanks to collaborations of first lady of song, Astrud Gilberto, saxophonist Stan Getz and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim. Jobim s light breezy style, incorporating elements of Brazilian dances bossa nova and samba, proved a big hit both on the jazz and pop charts. While his iconic Girl from Ipanema achieved mainstream pop chart success and turned Astrud Gilberto into an international sensation, the album Getz/ Gilberto which followed in which was the first jazz album to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains a milestone in the development of Latin jazz. Jazz Samba, the precursor to Getz/Gilberto, spawned Desafinado a Portuguese word meaning out of tune became a major hit in 1962, reaching the top 20 in Billboard s pop singles chart. An orchestra playing bossa nova is heavenly. Morrison says 1970s and jazz fusion An incredibly rich time for music-making, the 1970s was a decade which saw jazz innovators experimenting with influences from rock, funk and electronic music. Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970) was to set this new direction called jazz-fusion or simply fusion. Bitches Brew abandoned jazz s usual swing beat in favor of a rockstyle backbeat anchored by electric bass grooves, and drawing other electronic instruments such as keyboards, guitar and electronic effects and pedals. The record polarised critics at the time, with one remarking Davis drew a line in the sand that some jazz fans have never crossed, or even forgiven Davis for drawing. Further into the 70s it was two bands, established by alumni from Miles early fusion recordings, who would continue to push the boundaries of the style, achieving cross-over success in the process.

9 9 Pianist Herbie Hancock, who had collaborated with Davis on A Silent Way and was previously known for his seminal post-bop recordings on Blue Note Records, did an about-face under the influence of Davis, producing experimental fusion albums such as Crossings (1972) which was followed by jazz-funk explorations in the records Head Hunters (1973) and Thrust (1974). Head Hunters is celebrated for introducing Chameleon, which remains one of Hancock s best known songs, known for its famous introduction and keyboard solo played on an early analog synthesizer, the ARP Odyssey. Another influential fusion group Weather Report, was co-founded by Austrian pianist and composer Joe Zawinul, one of the contributors to Bitches Brew who during the course of his career was voted best keyboardist 30 times by prestigious music magazine Down Beat s critics poll. Starting out as an experimental jazz group, Weather Report developed a more commercial sound which incorporated African and Middle Eastern influences. Birdland, which was released in 1977 as part of the album Heavy Weather, crossed over achieving mainstream success on the rock charts. Fusion actually works wonderfully with the orchestra because its dramatic elements suit the ensemble even better, says Morrison. Miles Davis With a style like Dixieland jazz, it s normally played with a small group of about six people, so our arrangements will be more of a re-construction rewriting the song so it fits an orchestra. Whilst these arrangements are great, it s also interesting to provide a contrast with songs like Chameleon where you can take it further with an orchestra you can take it the way it is going and heighten it. Birdland, too, has similarities to an orchestral piece, in that there s no one single line you can identify it requires more parts. Several different bits have to come together for it to be Birdland. Danielle Poulos and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with additional comments by James Morrison Photo: Peter Buitelaar

10 10 Bring the whole family to the action-packed Cirque de la Symphonie a mix of circus and orchestra and enjoy popular tunes in From Broadway to Hollywood. NEW! POPS SERIES 2 CONCERTS GET THE BEST SEATS & SAVE 5% SUBSCRIBE NOW CALL VISIT waso.com.au

11 11 WASO ON STAGE TONIGHT VIOLIN Semra Lee-Smith Assistant Concertmaster Ji Won Kim Principal 1st Violin Zak Rowntree* Principal 2nd Violin Akiko Miyazawa Assoc Principal 2nd Violin Sarah Blackman Fleur Challen Stephanie Dean Sara Duhig Rebecca Glorie Sunmi Jung^ Christina Katsimbardis Ellie Lawrence Shaun Lee-Chen* Kathleen O Hagan^ Elena Phatak Louise Sandercock Jolanta Schenk Jane Serrangeli Kate Sullivan Bao Di Tang Cerys Tooby David Yeh VIOLA Caleb Wright Alex Brogan Nik Babic Benjamin Caddy Katherine Drake Rachael Kirk Allan McLean Helen Tuckey CELLO Rod McGrath Shigeru Komatsu Nicholas Metcalfe Fotis Skordas Tim South Xiao Le Wu DOUBLE BASS Andrew Sinclair* Louise Elaerts Christine Reitzenstein Andrew Tait FLUTE Mary-Anne Blades PICCOLO Michael Waye OBOE Peter Facer COR ANGLAIS Leanne Glover CLARINET Allan Meyer Lorna Cook BASS CLARINET Alexander Millier Chair partnered by Altegra Property Group BASSOON Jane Kircher-Lindner Chair partnered by Sue & Ron Wooller CONTRABASSOON Chloe Turner HORN David Evans Robert Gladstones Principal 3rd Horn Julia Brooke Francesco Lo Surdo TRUMPET Brent Grapes Chair partnered by ConocoPhillips Evan Cromie Peter Miller TROMBONE Joshua Davis Liam O Malley BASS TROMBONE Philip Holdsworth TUBA Cameron Brook TIMPANI Amanda Dean^ PERCUSSION Kirk Etheridge^ Guest Principal Percussion Troy Greatz A/Principal Percussion Joel Bass^ HARP Bronwyn Wallis^ Principal Associate Principal Guest Musician^ *Instruments used by these musicians are on loan from Janet Holmes à Court AC.

12 12 ABOUT THE ARTISTS James Morrison Trumpet The name James Morrison is known throughout the world for his sheer brilliance as a jazz musician and an allround entertainer. He is constantly on the move, touring everywhere and anywhere fine music has an audience. His CDs are best sellers and James works with the cream of the world s best performers. Ray Brown called him The Genius but Wynton Marsalis said it best: Man, James Morrison can play! Morrison is, by anybody s standard, a virtuoso. Besides the trumpet, this multiinstrumentalist also plays trombone, euphonium, flugel horn, tuba, saxophones, double bass and piano. Bursting onto the international stage at age 16, James debuted in the USA with a breathtaking concert at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Following this were appearances at Europe s major festivals including Montreaux, Pori, North Sea, Nice and Bern playing with many of the legends of jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Woody Shaw, Red Rodney, George Benson, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ray Brown and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. There were also gigs in the world s most famous jazz clubs The Blue Note and Village Vanguard in New York, the New Morning in Paris, The Tokyo Blue Note and Ronnie Scott s in London. Now 53, James Morrison s career thus far has been diverse and perhaps not typical of most jazz musicians. He recorded Jazz Meets the Symphony with The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lalo Schifrin, performed concerts at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for Princess Anne. Royal command performances on two occasions for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and for US Presidents Bush & Clinton at Parliament House in Australia. James has also performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Bill Cosby s All Stars and guested with many great artists as diverse as jazz superstars Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones and rock legends INXS. In 2000, James composed and performed the opening fanfare for the Olympic Games in Sydney. James has been recognized for his service to the arts in Australia by being appointed a Member The Order of Australia, with particular mention of his contribution to music education. In 2015, James established the James Morrison Academy of Music in Mount Gambier, South Australia, an innovative school dedicated to teaching jazz and offering an Associate Degree in Music. This exciting initiative involves educators from all over the world, transforming young musicians lives with inspiration and a love of jazz. With interests so broad and a career so filled with highlights it seems that James must have done just about everything he could want to do. When asked What is there left to do? James s typical reply is, This is just the warm up!

13 13 Benjamin Northey Conductor Since returning to Australia from Europe in 2006, Benjamin Northey has rapidly emerged as one of the nation s leading musical figures. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Northey studied with John Hopkins at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and then with Jorma Panula and Leif Segerstam at Finland s Sibelius Academy. He has conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Hong Kong Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia and the Southbank Sinfonia of London engagements included Carmen for Opera Australia, Into the Woods for Victorian Opera, Malaysian Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; in 2015, he returns to all the major Australian orchestras, the HKPO, the NZSO and conducts Turandot for Opera Australia. Hetty Kate Vocals Born in England and raised in Australia, popular Melbourne jazz singer Hetty Kate is renowned for a pure and sweet swinging style. Her voice has led her to perform sell out shows in North America, Chile, throughout Europe and Asia and she is often compared to a young Peggy Lee or present day chanteuses Stacey Kent or Silje Nergaard. Closer to home, Hetty can regularly be seen on stage with Australia s musical luminaries such as James Morrison, Joe Chindamo and the Melbourne, Tasmania and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. Jazz reviewer Chris May describes her as a charismatic and technically gifted vocalist, whose gorgeous timbre carries echoes of Peggy Lee, June Christy and Julie London, and Melbourne radio stalwart Richard Fields enthuses Hetty Kate s voice overflows with a natural musicality. Festival appearances include the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Stonnington Jazz Festival, Wangaratta s Festival of Jazz as well as festivals in New Zealand and Japan. She has appeared on 11 albums including her latest release, Dim All The Lights, and the live recording of James Morrison s A to Z of Jazz with the MSO.

14 GIFT VOUCHERS Give the gift of music with WASO Gift Vouchers! AVAILABLE AND REDEEMABLE ONLINE BUY GIFT VOUCHERS AT WASO.COM.AU OR CALL BUY GIFT VOUCHERS AT WASO.COM.AU *Transaction fees may apply.

15 15 WASO PHILANTHROPY Philanthropy Partner HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A WASO CONCERT HAPPEN? Please consider joining a community that believes in WASO s vision & commitment to inspirational performances by making a donation. The musicians you see on stage tonight are one part of a community of people that make a WASO concert happen. In addition to our wonderful musicians, there are teams at Perth Concert Hall and in the WASO office that you might not see so often. The other group that makes it all possible is you! Your Orchestra would be a very different one without ongoing support through donations. When we say we couldn t do it without you, we really do mean it and we invite you, our WASO community, to continue on our musical journey with us. If you wish to make a donation to support the Orchestra, please contact Jane Clare on or janec@waso.com.au, or go to waso.com.au. You can also make a donation at the Box Office or with your ticket purchases. All donations over $2 are fully tax deductible. Figures based on WASO s concert Ravel s Bolero.

16 FREE EVENT SAT 12 DEC 7.30PM LANGLEY PARK, PERTH CITY OF PERTH PRESENTED BY STEPHEN CURRY Bring a picnic and join an audience of thousands for WASO s spectacular annual concert under the stars. CALL VISIT WASO.COM.AU After the event, Transperth ferries will operate on a Summer timetable and additional train services will run on all lines.