Nigel Kennedy

[Scroobius]

Last weekend 3 of us saw Nigel Kennedy at the Round House in London. Billed as "Bach to the Future" it was supposed to be that the first half of the programme would be Bach and the second half various music by Nigel's Polish group and guests (including two from the Jazz Warriors). The set kicked off with Nigel playing a couple of Bach Sonata/Partita's sitting in the audience with a couple of lucky girls. Then another piece back on the stage. Then Nigel stepped forward and said "Bach created the harmonic structure of music and so I am going to explore a few more modern pieces in other words I feel justified in playing what the f*** I want" good old Nige!!!!

Anyway the rest of the evening was playing all sorts of stuff including classical jazz, gypsy, Klezmer and much more.

Towards the end of the evening Nige and the band played a Hendrix number. Wow was it good!! brilliant and complex with Nige playing his electric violin.

Back in 1997 I bought "Kafka" which is pretty much when NK started exploring music outside of classical. I did not rate it that high because Nige really could not throw off the classical shackles. In fact no classical musician I have heard to date has managed that. That was then - now Nigel has managed it now and in some style. To hear a virtuoso performer play Hendrix and for it to sound like proper rock but at the same time sublimely good quality playing was a real treat. NK has achieved something no other virtuoso classical musician has achieved (that I know of anyway). What a stonking good set!!!.

If you get a chance you have to see him!!!