Nigel Kennedy - Where All Paths Meet

I earned this today – was working on cleaning up, dusting, fixing various things & listening to loud music the whole time. Then came time to relax and I pulled out this one. I once saw Nigel guest performing with a symphony orchestra some many numerous years ago when I lived near such an animal. The performance was superb and all was well, but then – wait – an encore? Three or four members of the city orchestra came out with him and they proceeded to blow the house away with a set of jazz standards. Of course my mind proceeded to forget about the classical music and think of Duke Ellington every time I saw Nigel’s name. He’s done several jazz settings on record so far, but this double cd set is special because it includes largely his own compositions. And all paths meet here today. The players Nigel has blowing with him are superb, and like all great jazz composers he gives his players room to excite the audience (me) with their improv skills. The many little ‘tricks’, or abilities he has on violin show up especially in this track. Even with the sax going wild I hear little violin finger-picking rhythms to thrill and surprise this eartaster. A shoutout for the slower aural pictures of the Hills Of Saturn. Nigel Kennedy