Llwellyn Hall – Canberra – 25th January,
2019.
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
It was a hot night, both weather-wise and musically,
and from the moment the audience entered Llwellyn Hall it was clear that this
was not going to be your ordinary concert. Besides the grand piano and five
chairs, there were two yellow lounges Not, it transpired, for the musicians to
sit in, but in which to rest their instruments. Vertical sound bars were
scattered around the stage, with a sound technician tucked in a far corner of
the stage, behind a huge piece of sound equipment.
The band took the stage wearing maroon football
guernseys, with their names embroidered across their backs. Flaunting his
trademark spiky punk-rock hairdo, Kennedy made his entrance wearing similar,
but covered his with a loose jacket set off with grey tracky-dacs and bright
yellow runners. His clothes were the only casual thing about him however, as he
immediately plunged into a mesmerizing rendition of Bach’s “Sonata for Solo
violin No. 1 in G-Minor, BWV 1001”.
Kennedy nominates Bach as his favourite composer, and claims
he uses the Bach solo sonatas as a form of meditational warm-up. This
performance, which he dedicated to Yehudi Menuhin, certainly focused and
transfixed his audience, fascinating them with his complete absorption in, and
mastery of, the intricacies of Bach’s compositional brilliance.
Should he ever become bored with the violin though –as
inconceivable as that might be - Kennedy could forge a second career in
stand-up comedy. His jocular mood, relaxed manner and ever-ready quips, quickly
engaged his audience, as he spoke of his pleasure in performing in Llwellyn
Hall, confiding that both his parents had toured in a trio with Ernest Llwellyn
after whom the hall is named.
He then surprised by sitting at the grand piano and
launching into an un-programmed, gently swinging arrangement of “Arrivedeci
Roma” which he used as a kind of introduction to his accompanying musicians,
guitarists Howard Alden and Rolf Bussalb, Cellist Peter Adams and double
bassist, Piotr Kulakowski, each a virtuoso in their own right.
Kennedy’s obvious respect for these musicians became a
highlight of the performance, as he reveled in challenging them to match his
brilliant improvisations especially with the jazz-inspired Gershwin
arrangements which made up the second part of the program.
But before the Gershwin, Kennedy turned to his “second
favourite composer” for his own composition, “The Magician of Lublin” inspired
by Isaac B. Singer’s book on life in the Shtetls of old Poland. He commenced
this composition using an electronic stringed instrument to conjure up a strange
looping introduction suggesting Klezmer music, before taking to the piano,
where his musicians joined him, to create a series of often dazzling evocations
of characters and events from the book.
Following the sustained applause which greeted this composition,
Kennedy again surprised by previewing the remaining half of the program with a
heavily romantic reading of Gershwin’s “How Long Has This been Going On”.
Kennedy claims to have always hated Gershwin. He
credits Stephane Grappelli to opening his eyes to the pathos, charm, flavor and
craft of Gershwin’s compositions. His virtuosic jazz arrangements of the other
five Gershwin compositions which formed the rest of the concert were real
eye-openers for those in the audience who considered they knew Gershwin.
A cheeky “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”,
sprinkled mischievously with hints of “Strangers In The Night” and “The Harry
Lime Theme”, drew smiles from his colleagues as they responded to his impish
challenges, ending with the longest exit of crashing final chords ever, reducing
the audience to hysterics.
An intriguing combination of “I Loves You Porgy” and “Bess
You is My Woman Now”, from Porgy and Bess” charmed with its lush rippling exit.
Kennedy changed violins for “The Man I Love” featuring ever more complex improvisations,
then a hectic “Oh, Lady Be Good” which featured dueling guitars as, egged on by
Kennedy, Alden and Bussalb challenged each other with ever more complex
improvisations, eliciting cheers from the excited audience.
Of course, there were encores. Kennedy was generous,
offering a rollicking Irish medley combining a jaunty jig and a heartfelt
“Londonderry Air”, then topped if off with a dazzling version of “The Rhapsody
in Blue” entitled “Rhapsody in Claret and Blue” which climaxed with a well-earned
standing ovation in recognition of a memorably joyous evening of superb music
making.
This review also published in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au