LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL 2014
Sunday 16th November 2014 – Venue: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare Songs
Andy Sheppard – saxophones; Guillaume de Chassy – paino; Christophe Marguet - drums
What is it about Shakespeare and Jazz? Duke Ellington tried with ‘Such Sweet Thunder’. Stan Tracey with ‘Seven Ages of Man’. Then there is poetry and jazz that is tried periodically. Who gains? The music? The words? Neither? Nothing daunted saxophonist Andy Sheppard, French pianist Guillaume de Chassy, drummer Christophe Marguet and narrator Emma Pallant were intent on blending music and Shakespeare’s words.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is like something you might imagine or dream. Right next to the Globe Theatre, it is a Jacobean theatre newly constructed entirely of oak; the resinous perfume from the wood still hits the nostrils as you enter the auditorium. Modelled loosely on the sixteenth century Blackfriars Theatre, it is an elegant structure of oak inside brick walls. The audience, it can seat 340, are on three sides. There is also a musician’s gallery above the simple stage which, when there is a concert, can also hold some extra people. There are shutters which can be opened to let in daylight but are closed during a performance. However, when they are closed the only lighting is from candles. There are about 100 in all; the six chandeliers over the stage that can be raised or lowered have twelve tall beeswax candles in each. The effect when the shutters are closed and all the candles are lit is a gentle, magical, reddish, gold light. Has jazz ever been played in a more beautiful location?
Many French pianists have a style that emanates from Martial Solal who set the standard, defined the style and wrote the guidelines. Their work is highly intelligent, tasteful, tinged with modern masters like Ravel and Poulenc, cool, intensely creative, tight, rhythmically severe, witty and driven. Pianist Guillaume de Chassy had all those Gallic qualities and did all the announcements and apparently composed the themes that were used.
Sunday 16th November 2014 – Venue: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare Songs
Andy Sheppard – saxophones; Guillaume de Chassy – paino; Christophe Marguet - drums
What is it about Shakespeare and Jazz? Duke Ellington tried with ‘Such Sweet Thunder’. Stan Tracey with ‘Seven Ages of Man’. Then there is poetry and jazz that is tried periodically. Who gains? The music? The words? Neither? Nothing daunted saxophonist Andy Sheppard, French pianist Guillaume de Chassy, drummer Christophe Marguet and narrator Emma Pallant were intent on blending music and Shakespeare’s words.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is like something you might imagine or dream. Right next to the Globe Theatre, it is a Jacobean theatre newly constructed entirely of oak; the resinous perfume from the wood still hits the nostrils as you enter the auditorium. Modelled loosely on the sixteenth century Blackfriars Theatre, it is an elegant structure of oak inside brick walls. The audience, it can seat 340, are on three sides. There is also a musician’s gallery above the simple stage which, when there is a concert, can also hold some extra people. There are shutters which can be opened to let in daylight but are closed during a performance. However, when they are closed the only lighting is from candles. There are about 100 in all; the six chandeliers over the stage that can be raised or lowered have twelve tall beeswax candles in each. The effect when the shutters are closed and all the candles are lit is a gentle, magical, reddish, gold light. Has jazz ever been played in a more beautiful location?
Many French pianists have a style that emanates from Martial Solal who set the standard, defined the style and wrote the guidelines. Their work is highly intelligent, tasteful, tinged with modern masters like Ravel and Poulenc, cool, intensely creative, tight, rhythmically severe, witty and driven. Pianist Guillaume de Chassy had all those Gallic qualities and did all the announcements and apparently composed the themes that were used.
One
test of the music is whether you could tell without hearing the words which Shakespeare
play the music referred to. The words
from Cordelia inspired music that was limpid evoking her sadness and resignation. Macbeth inspired some martial music. The mad distress of Caliban brought in the
drums.
Emma Pallant quietly and gently read the extracts well. We had brief extracts from ‘The Winter’s Tale’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Over on the right of the stage was Any Sheppard. Sheppard is well on the way to becoming a national treasure: OBEs or MBEs cannot be too far away. Last time I saw Andy he was playing very restrained jazz as part of the trio with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow. Is Andy developing a new strain of jazz: polite, detached, occasionally impish and all lacquered with what is now one of the best tones in contemporary jazz?
Eventually, I wanted to forget Shakespeare and listen to the music because there was a great deal of variety, especially rhythmic vitality from Christophe Marguet. Marguet was a master with brushes. None of the shiska boom. The brushes were as violent and expressive as the sticks. I wanted to enjoy the music without worrying about making the connections with the plays. The music was good enough to stand on its own. Who needs Shakespeare?
The concert finished with positive words from ’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
‘Nought shall go ill.
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well, all shall be well.’
It was a great concert. I hope that this music is recorded so I can listen to it again without the words and regrettably without that wonderful light.
‘The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.’
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Emma Pallant quietly and gently read the extracts well. We had brief extracts from ‘The Winter’s Tale’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Over on the right of the stage was Any Sheppard. Sheppard is well on the way to becoming a national treasure: OBEs or MBEs cannot be too far away. Last time I saw Andy he was playing very restrained jazz as part of the trio with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow. Is Andy developing a new strain of jazz: polite, detached, occasionally impish and all lacquered with what is now one of the best tones in contemporary jazz?
Eventually, I wanted to forget Shakespeare and listen to the music because there was a great deal of variety, especially rhythmic vitality from Christophe Marguet. Marguet was a master with brushes. None of the shiska boom. The brushes were as violent and expressive as the sticks. I wanted to enjoy the music without worrying about making the connections with the plays. The music was good enough to stand on its own. Who needs Shakespeare?
The concert finished with positive words from ’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
‘Nought shall go ill.
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well, all shall be well.’
It was a great concert. I hope that this music is recorded so I can listen to it again without the words and regrettably without that wonderful light.
‘The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.’
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
