Orchestras celebrate Duke royally across Scotland
The SNJO horns play Duke (photo by Derek Clark)
The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra will take one of the biggest celebrations of jazz legend Duke Ellington’s music ever seen in Scotland to Glasgow, St Andrews and Edinburgh from 29th November to 1st December.
Comprising thirty-four musicians, Remembering Duke will feature an opening set by the seventeen-strong Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra. The SNJO will then play its internationally acclaimed Ellington interpretations with their special guest, singer Lucy-Anne Daniels adding gospel music-inspired selections of the great composer’s songs.
“Duke Ellington has been an inspiration to musicians and composers across the musical spectrum for almost 100 years,” says SNJO founder and musical director, saxophonist Tommy Smith. “The breadth of his writing encompasses songs that were the pop music of the day and hugely descriptive suites that compare with works in the classical canon in terms of ambition. It’s wonderful to witness young players from the TikTok era finding their way into playing jazz through Ellington as generations before have done.”
The SNJO’s expertise as Ellington interpreters has developed over its twenty-eight-year history and was recognised internationally through its 2012 recording, In the Spirit of Duke, which captured the orchestra in top form live on tour.
“To be praised in the US for performing Duke Ellington’s music was special recognition,” says Smith. “Quite a few of the musicians who took part in that tour are no longer with us but the players who have come in have picked up the baton, knowing they must measure up to high standards. At the same time, Ellington is now in the orchestra’s DNA and his music is an essential part of what we do.”
For Remembering Duke the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra will reinvigorate Ellington classics and rarities, adding to the SNJO’s command of highlights from throughout the master's repertoire.
The tour opens in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s New Auditorium on Friday 29th November before moving on to the Laidlaw Music Centre in St Andrews on Saturday 30th November and reaching its coda in the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh on Sunday 1st December.
“We’re looking forward to playing this great music, which has so much depth and character, and to giving the audience an experience that will be authentic in every way in terms of staging, attire and equipment as well as the music,” says Smith.
Young jazz musicians gear up for new season
Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra (photo by Derek Clark)
The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra begins a new year with a fresh group of young musicians playing concerts in Birnam and Cumbernauld.
Birnam Arts on Saturday 18th January and Cumbernauld Theatre on Sunday 19th January are the venues for these latest concerts by the the orchestra.
Founded in 2002 to provide a free educational opportunity for promising young jazz players, the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra has gone on to nurture some of the biggest talents in Scottish jazz today.
“I wanted to give young musicians the chance to play orchestral jazz as a way of developing the skills necessary to play jazz in any environment,” says Smith, whose own saxophone talents are recognised around the world.
In a big band, Smith says, there’s a camaraderie where the musicians encourage each other to improvise and take chances.
“Standing up to play your first solo can be quite daunting,” says Smith. “But if you don’t do it, you’re never going to play jazz and we try to create a situation where the musicians can relax and feel good about themselves and what they play. Then they can go on to work on ideas and progress.”
With three albums released to enthusiastic media responses internationally, the orchestra has a body of work and a history of performances that set a standard for new arrivals to work towards.
“Seeing previous members going on to win awards and create an impression around the world with their recording careers can be a real fillip for the musicians who follow in their footsteps,” says Smith. “The youth orchestra can also be a stepping stone to the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. We play the same music, the same arrangements, as the SNJO so it’s good preparation for anyone making the step up.”
The concerts will feature big-band music by Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Astor Piazzolla, Jaco Pastorius, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. There will also be a chance to hear the orchestra’s promising singer, Laura Oghagbon, who has already made a strong impression on audiences.
Concerts begin at 2pm.
