My friend and I were more than a bit blue in spirits when we took our seats in the beautiful, ornate Great Synagogue to hear a concert by one of Australia’s finest pianists Simon Tedeschi and two of his very good friends who also happen to be excellent musicians, trumpeter Mat Jodrell and bassist Cameron Undy. Though there were a few blues numbers, the concert did manage to lift our ailing spirits, and we left thinking, well Trump and the American elections, the Americans get what they deserve, it is what it is, and it is time for us to turn our focus to brighter things.
This was the music program:
Basin St Blues – Spencer Williams
I Got Rhythm – Gershwin
Summertime – Gershwin
Jitterbug Waltz – Fats Waller
The Preacher – Horace Silver
Des Pas Sur La Neige – Debussy
Claire de Lune Debussy
C jam blues – Duke Ellington
My favourites from the very well performed program- the two Gershwin pieces. In his banter to introduce Summertime, Tedeschi told us that this piece is world music’s most performed ballad.
I’m a huge fan of the ebullient Afro-American musician Fats Waller. From his body of work Tedeschi choose The Jitterbug Waltz which was fun however I wish that he would have chosen Your Feet’s Too Big, my favourite Fats Waller piece.
Tedeschi’s playing of the beautiful Debussy piece Claire De Lune was exceptional and deserved the bravos coming from the audience.
American musician Marilyn Manson is quoted as saying, “music is the strongest form of magic.” This concert was a bit of magic. A WONDERFUL WORLD : SIMON TEDESCHI AND FRIENDS plays for only two performances, the 5th and 6th November 2024, at5 the Great Synagogue, as part of the annual Live at Yours program where beautiful music is performed in this lovely, intimate venue at an affordable price for any music lover to enjoy.
