Latest news with #GreatAmericanSongbook
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Elemental' Review: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap's Inventive Interpretations
The songs that constitute the Great American Songbook will bend, but they won't break. This body of music is infinitely flexible. You can take a number by Duke Ellington or Cole Porter and reinterpret it—or twist it around until it's barely recognizable—in a way I wouldn't advise trying with a composition by Beethoven or even John Lennon. On their new album, 'Elemental,' singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and pianist Bill Charlap push interpretation to its limits, starting with some very familiar jazz standards. Rather than digging down into their chord changes and devising new melodies on top of them, as has come to be the common practice in the modern jazz era, they create variations on the tunes as originally written.
Scotsman
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Scotsman Obituaries: Brian Kellock, Scottish jazz pianist who commanded international respect
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Pianist Brian Kellock, who has died at the age of 62, was a key figure on the Scottish jazz scene. A virtuoso instrumentalist in his own right, he was a prolific collaborator and a go-to player for visiting international jazz greats. Recipient of numerous awards, Kellock combined an elegantly considered way with melody with powerful swing, wit and at times gleefully anarchic use of the odd elbow – but also with extraordinary sensitivity. His love of the Great American Songbook shone through his warmly received 2019 solo album Bidin' My Time, which combined reflective takes on classics as well as some uproarious stride numbers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kellock was born in Newington, Edinburgh, the son of Robert Kellock and Margaret (née Buchan). Robert was Executive Officer for the Department of Health & Social Security, Margaret a clerical officer for the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance who later worked in a dress shop. Brian Kellock's talent took him all over the world but Scotland would always be home (Picture: Jazz Services/) His mother played piano while his father, a classical music enthusiast, took him to Edinburgh Festival recitals. Brian went to George Heriot's School, where he apparently first played Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue – an acquaintanceship renewed in no small way many years later, in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's radical reworking of the piece. He gained a music degree from Edinburgh University, specialising in accompaniment – a talent particularly valued by the vocalists with whom he would later perform. By the Eighties, the gifted young pianist was attracting attention on the local jazz scene, playing with local bluesman Tam White and with Glasgow guitarist Nigel Clark. The late Fionna Duncan hired him to accompany her renowned singing workshops at Glasgow Jazz Festival. He became involved with the Bancroft and Rae jazz clans and it was with drummer John Rae and bassist Kenny Ellis that he recorded his debut album, a collection of Fred Astaire numbers titled Something's Got to Give. He was also enlisted into the exuberant folk-jazz fusion of John Rae's Celtic feet. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rae emigrated to New Zealand, but he and Kellock later reunited to record another album, Think About It. It was with Rae and Ellis, too, that he recorded 2002's bop-fuelled Live at Henry's, album of the year in the BBC Jazz Awards. An inveterate collaborator, Kellock struck up an acclaimed touring and recording duo with saxophonist Tommy Smith as well as partnering American musicians Warren Vaché and Scott Hamilton, His period with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra saw him shine in Duke Ellington tributes and in Smith's remarkable re-arrangement of Rhapsody In Blue. Many expressed surprise that Kellock never followed so many musicians to London, but he remained rooted in Edinburgh and particularly Leith, where he helped revive the Leith Jazz Festival. His sheer musicality, meanwhile, made him first-call pianist for visiting US jazz stars. He worked regularly with singers Carol Kidd and Sheila Jordan, visiting the Far East with Kidd, China with Danish vocalist Cathrine Legardh and the US with the SNJO. A European tour in the Nineties with Australian trumpeter James Morrison was a significant development for him. Known for his witty 'play-ons' for the Scottish Jazz Awards ceremonies, he curated concerts for the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, featuring the likes of American clarinettist Ken Peplowski , or Kellock's 'dream team' of Vaché, Hamilton and Jacob Fischer. His 'By Special Request' solo concerts showcased his ability to deliver, off the top of his head, innumerable tunes from the Great American Songbook, while his Sunday afternoon residency with Ellis at Leith's Shore Bar provided the kind of intimate vibe in which he thrived. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Singer Kidd describes Kellock's musicianship as 'unsurpassed', adding that it was a privilege to share the same platform with "our wonderful, unflappable, unforgettable maestro. Brian had the ability to make me feel instantly safe on stage and every performance was a masterclass in his musical integrity – as well as his wicked sense of humour. He was a powerhouse of swing and excruciatingly tender with ballads.' Reedsman John Burgess often played with Kellock, the two sharing an interest in classic swinging jazz. Kellock, Burgess agrees, suffered badly during Covid lockdown. While many musicians took to streaming from home, he wasn't happy playing to an invisible, inaudible audience and missed being able to play with his fellow musicians in person. 'Brian's whole ethos was being connected with the humanity of a music scene.' For sheer musicianship, Burgess says, he never played with anyone quite like Kellock, and recalls a video session during the pandemic: 'Brian suggested we do Angel Eyes as a duo and what he did was just so incredible, a combination of utter freedom with all the harmony completely there. At the end of the session I asked him 'How do you come up with that?' And he just shrugged and said, 'I don't know what you're talking about. I just played the tune.' 'I was in America for a long time, in Europe and London and played with lots of piano players, but I've never played with anybody like Brian.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Another of Kellock's duos was with trumpeter Colin Steele, their gleeful instrumental take on musicals becoming a Fringe feature at Edinburgh's Jazz Bar. 'It was always such an honour to be on the stage with Brian,' says Steele. 'You had to be at the top of your game to be able to keep up; the only thing for sure was that each tune was going to be different from any way you'd played it before: Brian was always searching, never happy to take the easy route. But more than anything, it had to be fun. He would have you laughing your head off one minute, then the next play something so heartachingly beautiful it would bring you to tears. 'He was the archetypal 'old school' jazz musician: he loved playing the great American songbook. To play with him, you needed to have a good selection of standards ready, as he would often turn down your first and second choice of tune, leaving you a nervous wreck if you didn't have more at the ready!' Kellock succumbed to cancer (but was still laying at the Shore earlier last month). He is survived by his fiancée Alison Kerr, sister Hazel and half-brother Vincent. Obituaries
Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rod Stewart enjoys day out with kids after cancelling shows due to health battle
Rod Stewart was supported by his son and daughter as he stepped out in Beverly Hills for the first time since cancelling six shows due to recovering from the flu Sir Rod Stewart's family have rallied round him with support after he was recently sidelined by illness, leading to the cancellation of several performances in the United States. The 80-year-old rock legend sincerely apologised to fans and revealed he needed to recover from the flu. Rod was reportedly 'devastated' after cancelling the shows and was supported by his pregnant daughter Kimberley, 45, and son Sean, 44. The family headed for some dinner together at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. Rod cut a smart figure in a black velvet jacket paired with some casual jeans and a white shirt. Despite recovering from he flu, he appeared in good spirits. He styled his look with some sunglasses and a chunky necklace as he was snapped getting out of a black car. His daughter Kimberley showed off her growing baby bump in a black mini dress paired with a blazer and boots. Rod's model daughter is about to become a mum of two after she gave birth to her first baby 13 years ago with her ex-partner Benicio Del Toro. Rod's dinner follows the huge announcement that he was forced to cancel six additional shows, after already cancelling two in Las Vegas due to instructions from the doctors. Taking to his social media, Rod apologetically said: 'I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June as I continue to recover from the flu. So sorry my friends. I'm devastated and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans. I'll be back on stage and will see you soon.' The singer has also had to cancel his show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with just 24 hours' notice. He said in a social media statement at the time that the gig was being rescheduled. Rod penned to his followers: 'I am sorry to inform you that I'm not feeling well and my show tonight at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is being rescheduled to June 10. Your tickets will be valid for the new date.' Rod is still currently scheduled to take the legends slot at Glastonbury Festival in Somerset on June 29, in just a few weeks time. While he recently announced that his current tour will be the end of the 'large-scale' world tours, he has no intention to quit the music scene. The rock legend wrote on Instagram: 'This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love. I'm fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79." Discussing what he sees for the future, the musical icon added: "I'd like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour the year after next – smaller venues and more intimacy. But then again, I may not…'.
Boston Globe
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Keith Lockhart marks Pops journey in 30th anniversary concert — with the help of friends
Funny thing about Keith Lockhart's 30th anniversary concert: It was wrong. Lockhart's debut conducting the Boston Pops was indeed June 5-6 … in 1993, 32 years ago. He did open his first season as the official successor to Not that Lockhart could be bothered with the former. From the stage, the conductor mentioned, not for the first time, his general disinterest in birthdays, anniversaries, and the like, preferring instead to look forward, and while he took the stage to a standing ovation, two pieces had passed — the overture to Bernstein's 'Candide' (prancing, tiptoeing, and wafting in equal measure) and a galloping and brassy 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' — before he even addressed the audience to welcome them to the 2025 season as usual. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Advertisement But Lockhart soon settled into the theme of the concert, if somewhat abashedly, by focusing on his role as only one link in an ongoing chain. A video essay on his appointment showed Williams literally passing the baton to him all those years ago, while Peter Fiedler, a nearly spitting image of his father, Arthur, showed up in person to offer congratulations. And Lockhart pointed out that bass player Larry Wolfe had him beat by 25 years, while others on stage hadn't been born by the time he arrived. Advertisement Percussionists Samuel Solomon and Toby Grace with conductor Michael Feinstein and Keith Lockhart in Leroy Anderson's "The Typewriter" on June 6 at Symphony Hall. Robert Torres He also argued for the purpose of the Pops and the various roles the orchestra serves for Boston and the wider world. One was championing American music, and there were entries from the Great American Songbook (including a scampering 'I Got Rhythm' aided by guitarist John Pizzarelli's high-speed scatting, the tropical rhythms of 'All The Things You Are'), a dip into the rock and disco eras (with Rockapella bringing out the calypso undertones of 'Rock the Boat' and Melinda Doolittle attacking the bluesy swing of 'I'm a Woman' with fire) and light-classical curios (Leroy Anderson's percussive 'The Typewriter,' with Lockhart performing the title instrument). And the Pops is surely unique in offering an extended video-essay salute to 'America the Beautiful' poet Katharine Lee Bates alongside Tom Lehrer's 'sick humor' exemplar 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.' Related : Lockhart also stressed the Pops' role in seeing audiences through difficult times, listing the crises the orchestra has weathered during his tenure: 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston Marathon bombing, financial crises, and a Snowmageddon that saw one concert beginning with only 25 musicians on stage, playing to a crowd of 15. The unspoken message was that the way to make it is together, and Lockhart was joined by a handful of friends, from Pizzarelli, Rockapella, and Doolittle to Michael Feinstein, Jason Danieley, and, in a rare out-of-season appearance, Santa Claus. Conductor Keith Lockhart and members of Rockapella with a cake for his 30th anniversary celebration and concert at Symphony Hall on June 6. Robert Torres Those were just the ones onstage. Liza Minnelli saluted Lockhart via audio, while Williams's congratulatory message was read onstage by Feinstein. And two songs from the end, and before the giant cake arrived, a parade of well-wishers that included Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Branford Marsalis, Ana Gasteyer, James Taylor, Kristin Chenoweth, David Ortiz, and Mayor Michelle Wu appeared by video to sing Sondheim's 'I'm Still Here' with new, Lockhart-specific lyrics. And then the visibly-moved conductor worked his way back to his podium, and he got back to work. Advertisement THE BOSTON POPS: The Keith Lockhart 30th anniversary concert At Symphony Hall, Friday Marc Hirsh can be reached at or on Bluesky @ Marc Hirsh can be reached at
Extra.ie
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Rod Stewart cancels US tour dates just weeks before Glastonbury set
This major Glastonbury headliner could be pulling out of the festival following a number of gig cancelations. American Rod Stewart fans were left devastated after the iconic star cancelled even more tour dates this month. Posting on Instagram today (June 7), the 80-year-old announced the move, revealing he's still recovering from an illness. This major Glastonbury headliner could be pulling out of the festival following a number of gig cancelations. Pic: GMCD 'I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June as I continue to recover from the flu,' he began. 'So sorry my friends. I'm devastated and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans. I'll be back on stage and will see you soon – Sir Rod.' Those cancelled performances included three nights at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and one at the Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic. American Rod Stewart fans were left devastated after the iconic star cancelled even more tour dates this The cancellations come just of his scheduled Glastonbury Sunday slot, where he'll reunite with Ronnie Wood on stage. Previously speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Stewart revealed he's due to play for 75 minutes on the Pyramid Stage. 'But I've asked them: 'Please, another 15 minutes' because I play for over two hours every night and it's nothing,' he added. Speaking last year, Stewart said he'd be scaling back his global tours from now on, although retirement isn't on his horizon. 'I love what I do, and I do what I love,' he shared with his fans in a statement. 'I'm fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly age of 79. I'd like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour the year after next – smaller venues and more intimacy. But then again, I may not…'
