1 Jun 2012
Location: Portstewart
Event Type: Concert
All tickets £12, includes interval refreshments
Come to Flowerfield for what looks like being a wonderful evening of European Gypsy swing with the music and rhythms of New Orleans, the Caribbean and Brazil.
Evan Christopher is possibly the world’s finest clarinetist. He combines virtuosity and immaculate taste with strong roots in New Orleans jazz. Elegant and impassioned, Evan's style is steeped in the tradition of early jazz masters such as Sidney Bechet, Jimmie Noone, and Barney Bigard.
In late-August, 2005, powerful Hurricane Katrina compromised an inadequate U.S. Federal levy system leaving 80% of the city of New Orleans under water. Among the over four-thousand displaced musicians was clarinetist Evan Christopher, a California native who first moved to the Crescent City in 1994. With little more than his clarinet and a suitcase full of clothes, Christopher chose Paris, France for his exile at the invitation of the City of Paris. During this artist residency, funded by an American program called French-American Cultural Exchange, he worked diligently to raise awareness about the musical culture of New Orleans through concerts and masterclasses. He also formed his own group, Django à la Créole.
For Django à la Créole, the idea was simple enough: Spice up the Hot Club texture pioneered by Django Reinhardt by emphasizing hallmarks of New Orleans Jazz including blues, rhythms of the monde Créole, and collective improvisation. Christopher and his colleagues took their primary inspiration for Django à la Créole in the legendary guitarist's collaborations with American musicians, which included New Orleans clarinetists on several occasions.
And if there are many groups out there treading the Django Reinhardt trail, Django a la Creole spices up the mix with some influences from Cuba, Brazil, and the Caribbean.
With guitarists David Blenkhorn and Dave Kelbie, and bassist Sebastien Girardot, he celebrates the music of the legendary Django Reinhardt and enlivens swing-era classics with fresh interpretations and virtuosic improvisation.
Their first CD, Django à la Créole was released to much worldwide acclaim. The 2nd, ‘Finesse’ was the 2010 Sunday Times jazz album of the year!
‘Evan is, in my estimation, not only the greatest jazz clarinetist alive, but one of the greatest of all time’ – Ahmet Ertegun, founding chairman of Atlantic Records
‘A forthright sound and a hungry energy’ – New York Times
All tickets for this show are £12, which includes complimentary interval refreshments. They're on sale from Flowerfield Arts Centre reception - call (028) 7083 1400 to purchase.
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