Ella Fitzgerald tribute to thrill at Perth Theatre
to Keith Jarrett, and is a master of stride piano-playing.
Years spent as head of music in Beath High School have led to an easy rapport with audiences explaining how music works and at his performance in Perth, Richard will put the tunes he plays in the context of the lives of the composers whose work he so ably reproduces.
A popular broadcaster on Radio Scotland since 2007, he has revealed to thousands of listeners the secrets of the jazz masters in his role as‘Jazz Jargonbuster’.
He is honorary professor of jazz piano at the University of St Andrews, and many of his students are now leading players in the jazz scene throughout the country.
Richard is currently working on a book and DVD for Hal Leonard inc, entitled‘Jazz Piano for Kids’, teaching improvisation on Nicola Benedetti’s Foundation, and playing the organ in Abbotshall Church, Kirkcaldy.
The jazz maestro will be appearing as part of the St John’s Music series in Perth’s historic kirk, on Sunday, March 15 at 3pm.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
The UK’s leading jazz singer Tina May and Scotland’s world class pianist Brian Kellock bring songs from one of the most iconic musical meetings ever to the Joan Knight Studio at Perth Theatre.
The pair will present their popular ‘Ella and Oscar’ show in the city on Saturday, March 14.
Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson were on top of the jazz world when they recorded the Ella and Oscar album in May 1975, and despite sharing the same management for many years they never produced a second recording together.
“It’s one of the great mysteries why Norman Granz, who looked after Ella and Oscar and supervised thousands of recordings, didn’t get these two jazz greats back into a studio,” said Tina.
“They appeared together onstage many times, but there’s just that one album, which makes it all the more special.”
Tina and Mark first toured Ella and Oscar in 2017 to mark Ella Fitzgerald’s centenary.
Gloucestershire-born Tina has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz herself since turning professional in the 1980s.
Her first band, which she formed while studying in Paris (she speaks French fluently), included the former Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis drummer Kenny Clarke, who was then resident in France.
She went on to record with the pianist Ray Bryant, one-time accompanist to Aretha Franklin, in the legendary Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey.
Her association with pianist Brian Kellock dates back to a jam session at the late night club when they were both appearing at Glasgow Jazz Festival in the early 1990s.
“Brian was clearly a brilliant musician but it was also his generosity and reliability as an accompanist that struck me,” she said. “He has this encyclopaedic knowledge of the jazz repertoire and he shares it with such good humour.
“For a singer he’s a delight to work with.” Saturday night’s show is set to be a real pleasure for fans of the two jazz greats. It includes songs such as ‘Midnight Sun’ and ‘More Than You Know.’
Tina described the album that inspired her show as “a masterclass,” adding: “It represents a high-water mark as far as song writing goes. Plus the singing and piano playing are as good as it gets.
“We don’t try to copy Ella and Oscar - nobody could - but we want to bring the songs alive spontaneously in our own way, which is what jazz is all about really, making music in the moment and having fun doing it.”
Joan Knight Studio will be the venue to see the show at 8pm on Saturday.
Tickets cost £19, no concessions, which includes a £1.50 booking fee per ticket from www.horsecross. co.uk