Nigel, of course, IS his music. On this page we will feature reviews of his CDs and DVDs, and of his own original music, heard at concerts and in clubs in different venues. If you have something you'd like to say about his music, feel free ! We'll be more than happy to publish it.
Nigel Kennedy's Orchestra of Life
Saturday 29 May 2010
The UK debut of Nigel Kennedy's new orchestra. The Orchestra of Life is made up of leading young musicians who are equally at home performing classical repertoire, jazz and improvisation.
The Front Room at QEH
Nigel's Front Room Late
Saturday 29 May 2010
Each night of the festival Nigel Kennedy hosts a special late night club night involving performers from the festival, DJs as well as musicians who appear regularly in Polish Jazz clubs.
Purcell Room
Namyslowski, Muniak and Majewski
Saturday 29 May 2010
Jazz has long played a crucial role in Poland's musical life and the country is at the forefront of developments in European Jazz.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Zakopower
Saturday 29 May 2010
Zakopower is one of the hottest music bands in the current Polish music scene. They combine Polish folk with electronic and pop music - and the result is infectiously energetic, lively and entertaining.
The Front Room at QEH
Nigel's Front Room Late
Sunday 30 May 2010
Each night of the festival Nigel Kennedy hosts a special late night club night involving performers from the festival, DJs as well as musicians who appear regularly in Polish Jazz clubs.
Purcell Room
Piotr Wylezol Quintet
Sunday 30 May 2010
Piotr Wylezol is one of the leading pianists in the new generation of Polish jazz musicians.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Kroke and Nigel Kennedy
Sunday 30 May 2010
Nigel Kennedy joins forces with klezmer band Kroke for this invigorating performance.
Royal Festival Hall
Nigel Kennedy's FA Project
Sunday 30 May 2010
In the style of silent movie accompaniment, Nigel Kennedy and selected musicians perform a soundtrack to accompany a screening of the legendary 1973 World Cup qualifying match between England and Poland.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Anna Maria Jopek
Monday 31 May 2010
The Polish, jazz superstar Anna Maria Jopek and her band makes a rare appearance in London as part of Nigel Kennedy's Polish Weekend
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Nigel Kennedy Quintet
Monday 31 May 2010
A performance from the Nigel Kennedy Quintet, formed by Kennedy from the new generation of leading Polish jazz musicians
The Front Room at QEH
Nigel's Front Room Late
Monday 31 May 2010
Each night of the festival Nigel Kennedy hosts a special late night club night involving performers from the festival, DJs as well as musicians who appear regularly in Polish Jazz clubs.
Royal Festival Hall
Nigel Kennedy's Chopin Super Group
Monday 31 May 2010
No festival celebrating Polish music would be complete without featuring the music of Poland's most celebrated composer - Chopin.
Purcell Room
Jarek Smietana Quartet: Autumn Suite
Monday 31 May 2010
Jarek Smietana is one of Poland's great jazz guitarists, first emerging on the Polish jazz scene in the late 1960s.
In 1966 Hendrix assembled The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The group released a record comprising 6 pieces by Hendrix. Hendrix's composition "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)" is placed on the third side of his analogue album. The piece, read out with the voice of Kennedy's violin, carries the listener to the peak of audile sensation, experience and imagination.
The opening sounds are released by two acoustic guitars, accompanied by the cello and contrabass. The tune, initiated by Kennedy in an acoustically astonishing fashion, adds new quality to Hendrix's music. The violin sounds evolve into the well-known and distinct electric guitar wah-wah and fuzz effects.
The passion with which the bow attacks the strings is stunning. Blazing up and subsequent rhythmic extinguishing of the sounds is a demonstration of the performer's craft. By stretching the sounds and
emulating riff pumping, Nigel Kennedy displays his exquisite perception of Hendrix's musical ideas.
Keeping in our music memory the Kennedy achievements that astounded the music halls of the world, we realize the outstanding mastery with which he maneuvers amongst sounds created by totally unrelated composers. Antonio Vivaldi's ?Four Seasons is a breathtaking success. The violinist's performance may be considered perfect.
Nigel Kennedy says that in his musical dictionary of composers, under the letter H there are the names of Hayom and Hendrix, the latter being most valued.
Sinking deeper into the music, we come across the drumming effects. Pounding the body of contrabass enhances our musical appetite and our ears are ready for even more intense stimuli. The acoustic guitars join in the dialogue, and the flutes, alongside with an oboe, lead the tune to the peak. Then the violin rules the climax. Going back to the main theme, Kennedy serves us a good deal of lyricism.
Jimi Hendrix..........The Kennedy Experience..........Nigel today
In the seventh minute, the sound engineers used a technique developed by E. Krammer - Hendrix's sound director and engineer. Letting the violin sound through two stereo channels and gentle sound delays - so typical of rock recordings - illustrate the effort of the team to recreate the feeling of rock as much as possible.
The graphic aspect of the album, with the burning violin and floral colour scheme, makes reference to the flower power era esthetics. The producer certainly deserves appraisal for the editorial accomplishment.
Having reached the musical pinnacle, the recording soothes the listener's heart, offering cosy rest, inviting to contemplate it. The contrabass, with its stumping sounds, drags the violinist into the music, which then blossoms with lyric, warm and serene notes. All this is to prepare the listener for the forthcoming stormy and ferocious finale. A counterpoint of the rhythmic guitar introduces elements of dance into the composition. Violin variations perfectly concur with the tension created with other instruments. In the higher registers, Kennedy gives way to his emotions and a wildly imaginative improvisation takes the stage.
Once the tension is relieved, the silence descends and allows the listener to gather his strength to face the final flood of juicy notes. The music, coming from the violin, chases the listener with a gallopade of tremulous sounds. Playing legato in low notes, plucking the strings with the bow: all this envisages Kennedy's fascination with Hendrix. Tremolos, so typical of Hendrix, are interpreted here by Kennedy with his violin, illustrating the nature of his musical soul.
The joy with which the musicians play the final notes provoke the listener to stamp his foot to the rhythm. The ending reflects the value of the entire piece. We can hear the performers breathing, as if exhaling the musical breeze they had to cope with.
The record gives us the picture of what the atmosphere was like in the studio. Kennedy's desire to beard Hendrix's music had been ripening for quite a long time, which could be observed on the concerts he gave in Poland, where among other compositions used to enrich his performances, Hendrix's pieces were performed.
The album was recorded between 30 Nov. and 2 Dec. 1998. The length of this period gives the picture of the atmosphere of harmonious cooperation that must have prevailed in the recording studio.
A profound example, in my mind, of honest performing.....
Nigel and Juliet Welchman .....an honest performance
(Courtesy emiclassics.com)
at Rosehill Theatre ,the 50th Anniversary Concert, was a particular gig for me. You know that was just the sensation with certain guys, that you never know until you sit with them.
Sometimes you can hear somebody on record and they sound like they’d be easy to play with and then you get with them on the gig or in the studio and they’re not. The opposite is true of Nigel.When you play with him, it’s even better than you could’ve imagined. It just opens up another way to play.
(Courtesy Mike MacKenzie)
Also, he didn't just construct music, he had creative vision too.
We had a lot of fun during the rehearsals and the dinner after the concert. I felt affirmed by the experience to get know him personally too. As far as his communication goes, there is some resemblance between Nigel and Miles Davis for me. His gesticulations are captivating. A really heartful guy.
The long and short of it - Nigel Kennedy is a remarkable phenomenon.
and most controversial musicians of our era. But whatever your opinion of Nigel Kennedy the man, it is Nigel Kennedy the musician who commands my respect.
I have been lucky enough to see Nigel Kennedy perform twice: the first time in 1996 when he performed with the Southern Sinfonia in Dunedin, New Zealand, and the second time, yesterday (10 March 09) at the Sala Filharmonii, Krakow, Poland.
The two performances couldn’t have been more different – or more similar. Different because with the Southern Sinfonia he performed Vaughn Williams’ The Lark Ascending and the Elgar Violin Concerto – a strictly classical concert (well, with the exception of the jam session at the end). Last night’s concert featured the music of Jimi Hendrix, the brilliantly talented guitarist of the 1960s, with Kennedy playing the electric violin, accompanied by Jarek Smietana (guitar), Wojciech Karolak (Hammond organ), Adam Kowalewski (bass guitar and upright bass) and Krzystof Dziedzic (percussion).
The similarities were more compelling for me. What was the same about the two performances was Kennedy’s dedication to the music; his absolute commitment to the performance and his utter conviction of the message he is conveying. This is the mark of a true performer, and something I strive towards when I perform, and what I hope my students strive towards when they perform.
.....his absolute commitment.....his utter conviction.....
(Courtesy interia.pl)
1. Musical Leadership
Every group needs a leader. Someone to co-ordinate rehearsals, time spent in playing, time spent in discussion, (time spent socialising), someone to decide on a programme, or to facilitate discussions. The leader is responsible for starting or stopping the piece, for knowing the music so well that they know the other players’ parts as well as their own.
Nigel Kennedy demonstrates leadership through his attitude to the other players. At all times Kennedy knew what was happening on stage. When Kowalewski (bass) was having trouble with his amp, Kennedy gestured to the other musicians to keep playing, to vamp, while the bassist sorted out the problem. When he saw Kowalewski was ready, Kennedy then gestured to the other musicians to continue with the music. When Dziedzic dropped a stick and couldn’t continue with the complex pattern he had been playing, Kennedy gestured the other players to match what the drummer could do one handed until he found his stick, then at Kennedy’s gesture, they all started up again.
It was Kennedy’s role as leader of the group to signal to the other players. Had each player acted as an individual, when the drummer lost his stick, the bassist could have kept going with the funky riff, the keyboardist might have toned down his playing and the guitarist may have stopped altogether. Because all the communication went through the leader of the group, they presented a much more unified presence onstage and the music was able to flow as though the mishaps had been rehearsed.
As part of Kennedy’s musical leadership, he acknowledged good playing. Because this particular concert was less formal than a regular classical concert and featured long improvisatory passages, each player had several chances to have their moment in the spotlight. After each solo Kennedy would acknowledge the player, both to the player himself, but also to the audience, involving the audience in the performance.
Kennedy’s leadership also extended to a humble approach to the music-making process. As I said earlier, each player had several opportunities to improvise or have a solo section. Kennedy knew immediately when to step back and let that particular player have his moment. In my students’ playing, this solo might only be one bar or three notes, or someone else might have the important voice. What students need to do is recognise this and either ask the other players to step back, or they need to step back to let someone else shine. That’s musical leadership.
2. Communication
Communication on stage is highly important because a performance in which all players are aware of what’s going on is a performance which is highly likely to be successful.
Nigel Kennedy communicated in two ways. First: direct communication with the audience. He introduced the pieces the band were playing; he introduced the players, individually, giving a little biography of each one and a little joke about each. He told jokes, and although the majority of his talking was in English, he also addressed the audience in Polish, bringing a sense of familiarity to the audience. He had an easy familiar style to his talking. He was relaxed and obviously enjoyed talking to the people, letting them see a more personal side to him as a performer.
The second way he communicated was non-verbally to his fellow musicians. He used the usual methods of communicating on stage – eye contact, nodding, using his violin or bow as a conductor’s baton, and because of the authority of his musical leadership, the other players knew at once what he meant and were immediately able to follow.
(Courtesy rockmetal.pl)
All five players had a unified sense of style to their playing. That’s not to say they didn’t display individual flair and style, because they did, rather the overall performance had a sense of cohesiveness that brought it all together. Individually, each of the five musicians has his own style. Karolak (Hammond organ) knew when to be an accompanist and when to be a soloist. He was an understated player, never drawing unwanted attention to himself. He almost sat in a shadow at the back. Smietana (guitar) would content himself with just gently strumming a few chords then duetting with Kennedy on violin before breaking off into a solo. His fingers could move incredibly fast and cut through the whole group. Dziedzic (percussion) was a real extrovert, almost jumping up and down with his playing. His playing could run the gamut of animalistic ferocity, to heart-breaking tenderness, just playing a cymbal. Kowalewski (bass) was an absolute rock. He switched between upright and electric bass depending on the need of the music. His bass lines gave an absolute sense of dependency to the group. Kennedy was, naturally, the star of the show, the instigator, the musical director, and his playing shone through, capturing the essence of Jimi Hendrix, yet putting his own interpretation on the music too.
But overarching these individual differences was a sense of common style. It was obvious that the players had spent a lot of time with each other, playing, discussing and most importantly listening to recordings of Hendrix and having a deep understanding of what they were trying to achieve.
4. Enjoyment
The final aspect of effective chamber music-making is a sense of enjoyment. All of the players were having a great time on the stage. They knew the music so well and they knew each other so well that they were able to trust each other and from there, take musical risks. The rhythm section of the band formed a solid base for Kennedy, so when he was performing his solos he didn’t have to worry about what was happening on stage. The section formed a tight platform, on top of which Kennedy was secure and he used this to take his playing into whole new realms of musicianship.
His total focus could then be on the music, his violin, his fingers and he was then able to extract the utmost from his instrument. He could make it laugh, make it cry, talk, sing, shout, scream, whisper, croak, whistle, sigh, breathe and live. And he enjoyed it. He was smiling, laughing, jumping and every facet of his being was in the moment. He wasn’t worried about what other people were thinking, what he was wearing, what he was having for tea that night – every ounce of his being was dedicated to the music. And that makes for a truly electrifying experience both for him as a player, but, more importantly, for the listener.
.....a truly electrifying experience.....
(Courtesy interia.pl)
(This piece, by Justine Pierre, originally appeared in her blog at www.absoflutely.blogspot.com and is reprinted here with her permission. Justine teaches the flute and is based in New Zealand. My heartfelt thanks to her !)
