Ruth Leon recommends… Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock in Los Angeles
Ruth Leon recommendsGustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock in Los Angeles
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I just came across this irresistible concert and had to share it with you. Gustavo Dudamel and jazz superstar Herbie Hancock meet at the crossroads of jazz and classical music in a concert dedicated to American composer George Gershwin.
In 2011, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its music director Gustavo Dudamel kicked off their season with a celebration of George Gershwin’s music. Although Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Rhapsody in Blue are performed regularly, other great works by this beloved American composer still await rediscovery. Enter Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil, and their season opening concert, which featured some of these lesser known musical gems. A highlight was Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, a piece inspired by the Cuban pop music standard, Echale salsita.
To prepare for the performance, “I went backstage to drink a little mojito,” said a laughing Dudamel, “to create a little bit more the real atmosphere that we will have tonight with this amazing music.” Gershwin’s protean music is strongly influenced by jazz, but, as Gustavo Dudamel cheerily reminded the public, it also contains some distinctly Latin American features.
For this magical evening celebrating George Gershwin’s music, the musical artists truly pulled out all the stops. For Rhapsody in Blue, a masterpiece of the orchestral repertoire, jazz superstar Herbie Hancock took the stage, and his performance was soon greeted with the raucous applause from the Walt Disney Concert Hall audience. Next came two Gershwin songs rarely heard as piano solos, Embraceable You and Someone To Watch Over Me.
I wish I could have attended this concert with Herbie Hancock playing Gershwin on piano. Unfortunately I attented the concert of my jazz piano hero a few years ago at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden when he played mostly synthesizers using them rather as a toy than as musical instruments. His guitarist played only for showing off than devoting his talent to the music. Additionally the concert was so loud that the music turned into noise, so I left the concert after 90 minutes. A horrible concert and a total waste of time and money.
Roland, let me disabuse you of having had Hancock at his least.
My wife and I attended this concert in 2011 that Ruth rhapsodizes about and we still remember it for what it was as far as Herbie meets Rhapsody: an inept mess.
If you consume this performance now — and, again, save your money — what you will experience is not a master of jazz interpretation, but someone who seemingly hadn’t rehearsed and — he was 71 at the time — seemingly far past his sell date in having enough technique to offer even a straight-forward rendering.
A mess, in another wise well-conducted LA Phil season opening night with the Dude on his game.
If you want Herbie playing Gershwin, try the album Gershwin’s World from 1998. It includes Ravel for good measure.