Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue (Live) CD

“taking Gershwin full-bloodedly into the modern era.” (The Herald)

“Tommy Smith is not one to do things by half measures.” (The Scotsman)

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's Rhapsody in Blue takes George Gershwin's classic jazz age concerto on an unprecedented adventure.

Re-orchestrated by SNJO director, saxophonist Tommy Smith, this Rhapsody in Blue of the twenty-first century was written to feature Scotland's world-class jazz pianist Brian Kellock, who played the original Rhapsody as a music student in Edinburgh in 1981.

Familiar themes, including the iconic clarinet glissando and Gershwin's heartbreaking nostalgic refrain, have been used - respectfully - as source material and reworked into a fifty-two minute epic that flows through exciting up-tempo movements, rhapsodic blues passages, a sensational Cuban fantasia and hard swinging jazz choruses, showcasing SNJO's magnificent ensemble playing and top class, creative soloing.

The piece was premiered at Edinburgh Jazz Festival 2006, going on to further acclaim at London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and in concerts throughout the UK, and the CD was launched officially at a special Glasgow Jazz Festival performance at the Old Fruitmarket on Sunday, June 28, 2009.

Featuring:

• martin kershaw - clarinet, alto saxophone

• paul towndrow - alto saxophone

• tommy smith - tenor saxophone

• konrad wiszniewski - tenor saxophone

• bill fleming - baritone saxophone

• ryan quigley - trumpet

• paul newton - trumpet

• tom macniven - trumpet

• linsey mcdonald - trumpet

• chris greive - trombone

• michael campbell - trombone

• michael owers - trombone

• lorna mcdonald - bass trombone

• graeme scott - guitar

• brian kellock - piano

• calum gourlay - acoustic bass

• alyn cosker - drums