RHAPSODY IN ORILLIA RECEIVES RESOUNDING RAPTUROUS APPLAUSE AGAIN LAST NIGHT IN ORILLIA
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
ORILLIA — Of the countless versions of Rhapsody in Blue, the one last night by Kyung-A Lee and a quintet from the Orillia Silver Band ranks respectfully up there with some of the scaled down best.
In the dozen hands of a half dozen immensely talented Simcoe and Muskoka musicians, the century anniversary of its creation has never been played with the same orchestration that wrenched all the subtlety and explosiveness of its jazzy classical inner workings.
George Gershwin penned a masterwork in 1924 that’s evolved into a jazz classic the likes of which have since famously been recorded by everyone from Leonard Bernstein to lounge pianists.
Lee along with quintet director and musical arranger Neil Barlow brought their own unique life to the piece as part of a Silver Band presentation at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Saturday.
It’s the second performance of the concert entitled Kyung-A Lee and Friends, first performed in Huntsville as part of their Festival of the Arts musical offering, which was sold out.
In the glorified horseshoe of the gorgeous 1988 Peter Street sanctuary and place of prayer, Lee took centre stage opening with stunning renditions of Rachmaninoff and Bach/Busoni pieces in a concert that “always includes” Chopin, she beamed.
Joining her was vocalist husband Parres Allen who sweetened things with Newly, Bricusse’s Feelin’ Good, and Procul Harem’s A Whiter Shade of Pale.
Cornetist Barlow and guitarist Patrick Ramirez joined Lee on a beautiful rendition of a Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Adagio from Conceirto de Aranjuez.” A piece familiar to those who remember Miles Davis’s classic jazz album “Sketches of Spain.”
The ensemble also had fun with a cover of Vince Guaraldi’s Linus and Lucy from the Peanuts cartoons.
A highlight of the second half were various playful versions of Happy Birthday directed at Allen that allowed Lee to improvise with several classical styles including Mozart that invariably ended with touching tinkles for the birthday boy.
Allen ended the night with Paul Anka’s My Way encore.
A hard act to follow after a rip, roaring and resounding Rhapsody that received righteously resounding rapturous applause.
Lee and Friends plan more concerts this fall, which by this indication will be worth waiting to hear and experience the multiplicity of their musical performances.
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