RSS

Contact us

FAQs

Thursday 9 February 2012

Spalding swings, Tony sings

Kudos to Barack Obama for inviting jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding  - who I've raved about before - to open the White House poetry jam. Here she is during her previous visit, forging a lively path through one of Stevie Wonder's slushier numbers. Stick around, and you hear Tony Bennett join her to pay homage to Mr W on "For Once In My Life". Spalding will no doubt be playing spikier stuff when she joins tenor player Joe Lovano at Ronnie Scott's in a couple of weeks.

While I'm on the subject of bass virtuosi, I'll add that Straight No Chaser is celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Mingus Ah Um", Charles Mingus's greatest album (in my book, anyway). [Via Sebastian Scotney, who also supplies a preview of next week's Parliamentary Jazz Awards, a chance for MPs to generate some good publicity, just for a change.]

Actions: Print this article  |  Email to a friend  |  Permalink  

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Advertisement

Apollo Magazine | Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms

Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP

All Articles and Content Copyright ©2012 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved