Joe Jackson, Olympia Theatre Dublin.
Last night of their European Tour celebrating 40 years since ‘Look Sharpe!’ was released.
During “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” sung mostly by the crowd
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What a great set list!
Just One Victory for an encore. Bring back my 70s concert memories.
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Wow, forty years. Where does the time go? I’ve only seen JJ once, at the Portsmouth Guildhall, and would love to see him again.
Zrazy, in the Whale theatre in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Wonderful gig in a rather delightful venue. Maria has one of those vulnerable Jazz voices ( think a touch of Billie Holiday infused with Tracey Thorn). Intimate, informal, virtuoso playing, what live music is all about really. No artifice at all.
.sjb
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I saw John Reischman and the Jaybirds last night. John has been playing bluegrass for years and the Jaybirds are great musicians in their own right. The concert was put on by WemsFest. The band had flown in from Canada in the day and hadn’t slept for 24 hours, though it didn’t affect their performance.
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Amy Macdonald at Hammersmith Apollo one of her only 2 UK concerts. We had only listened to her music before but never seen live. Blown away, it was a cut down acoustic set instead of usual rock band, 2 acoustic guitars,piano,violin cello and double bass plus her fabulous voice.
Sounded great and you got stand up comedy from her as well .
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Went to a superb concert in a small venue in Oxford on Tuesday. Just 180 seats so ideally intimate for the occasion. Brodsky Quartet with their new first violinist, Gina McCormack, in what I suspect was her first appearance with them, Sholto Kynoch (piano) and Daniel Norman (Tenor).
The programme was geared towards a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams “On Wenlock Edge” in the second half with an animated film (which I could have done without to be honest - the film that is not the RVW).
The first half consisted of 7 songs in two groups reflecting the English traditions that influenced RVW and the songs that came subsequently from those influenced by him. Of these latter, the stand out song was Michael Berkeley’s The Grenadier.
The first half continued the theme of influences on RVW with Ravel’s String Quartet; one of my favourite quartets of all (knocks the Debussy into a cocked hat). RVW having gone to the younger composer for lessons and to gather " a little French polish". This was a spectacularly good performance and, although I primarily went for the RVW, this was the music that sticks in the memory.
There then followed an excellent rendition of On Wenlock Edge but the film was a distraction and occasionally intruded; I found it best to close my eyes.
Nevertheless a great evening with top notch performers and performances.
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Some discrete shots from Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets gig in Cambridge last night (1st May 2019).
A gig not to be missed if you like Pink Floyd’s material prior to DSOTM.
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Far out!
Richard
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CSO/Muti
Joyce DiDonato: mezzo-soprano
PROGRAM
Bizet Roma
Berlioz The Death of Cleopatra , Lyric Scene for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra
Respighi Pines of Rome
CSO is back from over 2 months strike and re-opened the Orchestra Hall with Pines of Rome.
It was spectacular to hear it full on live with a great build up to the finale. Didonat’s voice was very controlled and there was a slight hardening in upper register but she conveyed a great deal of emotions in the tune.
Orchestra staffs were extra nice after the long break. Musicians mostly got what they wanted but the long strike killed the partnering restaurant (the operation shut down ) and non union workers who do not make as much as musicians probably suffered without any pay.
Kandace Springs @ Ronnie Scott’s, London. Great show, amazing talent in a great venue…
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Saw them last night at the Roundhouse, their last UK date.
Probably the only time I’ll hear those pieces live though tempted to go to the one in Nimes arena in July.
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I was to your right, Yeti. I find it useful to stand on the small platform in front of the mixing desk. Another great performance from the band & more polished (as you would expect) than last years Roundhouse gig. Lets hope the filming went well.
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An excellent WensFest concert tonight with Tunde Jegede and Raphael Guel. If anyone is interested in music in the Emsworth area you can find details at wemsfest.com
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Saw Metallica at Zurich Football Stadium at the weekend, 40’000 metal fans! Fantastic fun and they played for almost 2.5hrs!
Last album was a welcome return to form and they also played many of the old favourites.
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We went to see Ron Block and Tony Furtado this evening. They were just brilliant. During the break Ron ended up in the kitchen and we were talking about touring, music, how to pronounce Chichester and the like. When he plays with Alison Krauss the audience is 3,000 or more, but tonight it was 60. He and Tony had a great time. Really nice people.
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TRIFONOV PLAYS SCHUMANN
Krzysztof Urbański/Indiana Symphony Orchestra
Daniil Trifonov
Program:
Kevin Puts | Orchestral Suite from Silent Night (ISO Co-Commission)
Schumann | Piano Concerto
Brahms | Symphony No. 3
I was surprised to see Trifonov’s name in Indy. I travelled to Indianapolis to hear him play one of favourite piano concerto as well as check out musicians at Indiana Symphony.
The program opened with a new piece by Kevin Puts ‘Silent Night’ It’s about WW1 soldiers ceasefired just for the Christmas evening then go back to a senseless killing afterwards. A friend who went to concert with me (she never been to a symphony before ) was overwhelmed in her emotions upon listening to this tune. Her son fought combat in Afghanistan she was imagining young soldiers getting slaughtered in this solemn piece. The music is a powerful media to move people.
A highlight of the nite for me was Trifonov’s Schumann. It started a bit slow and softer but as the tune progressed they picked up the speed slowly building up to an exciting finale. The last time I heard this piece was with Muti/Uchida which was disastrous, in my view as I thought Uchida wouldn’t be able to keep up with the orchestra! Trifonov was precise ( no misplaying ) and passionate yet it was romantic and full of sweetness. It was definitely worth it.
I was taken back by his appearance tho. He showed up in a slept in suit, shirt and no tie. His hair was all messed up and disheveled looking like he just got out of a bed. This will never fly at CSO for an evening concert. Even the matinee usually the soloist wears a tie.
I was not at all familiar with Urbanski and Indy musicians. I think they are fine musicians altho, I miss CSO Brass deep bronzy colours. ( this one is hard to beat ) The concert master is a very young girl but she was excellent as well as a principal cello player looked to be like 12 years old! ( but he was great )
The hall acoustics wasn’t great tho it is a smaller cozy venue. He could not get that earthy warm tones and scale from the orchestra for Brahms. The other things I have noticed was as an orchestra as a whole pizzicato was too soft and round at times lacking a bit of accents or tension. It could be a hall acoustics but it had a tendency to sound too homogenised.
I will be back to the hall to see Anna Vinnitskaya plays Brahms Piano concerto No.2 later this year.
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It’s just like that at my golf club.
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Just saw Joan Baez at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester N.Y. Still a very nice show to see and hear. The depressing part however was I didn’t see ten people at the show under 6o y/o.
Not a concert per se but I went to the Bachelor of Music finals recitals at my local university. The recitals form fpat of the assessment for their B.Mus degrees though I’m not sure exactly the criteria on which they are examined
The performances were excellent and across a range of genres; classical baroque, modern, jazz, folk…
Better than Radio 3 on the wireless to hear works I wouldn’t otherwise have heard.
If you’re in a university town it’s well worth a visit for lunchtime concerts recitals and the like.
The only thing is now I have a massive list of CDs to buy and I only went because I’m skint.
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