Jazz Concert By Saxony

Jazz in the City!  Saxony Youth Orchestra performed at Chowdiah hall yesterday. The Bangalore School of Music, organized the jazz talent from Germany.The Saxony Youth Jazz Orchestra conducted by Rolf von Nordenskjld showcased their unique sound, combining jazzy notes with big band influences. They played a wide range of German and international tunes arranged especially for this concert.

The organisers say in almost 16 years, more then 300 young talented people playing more than 170 concerts have contributed to the ensemble. They have worked together with internationally recognized musicians, such as Jrgen Friedrich, Marko Lackner, Ansgar Striepens, Milan Svoboda, Al Porcino, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Eberhard Weise and the singer Uschi Brning.

The conductor for the 2009 India tour is the well-known jazz saxophonist Rolf von Nordenskjld from Berlin.  For the orchestras trip to India he conjured up a unique program that combines traditional big band sounds with contemporary ideas.

Great big band standards including pieces by Bill Holman will be played as well as compositions of the bandleader or pieces out of the repertoire of the famous RIAS Big Band Berlin. As a very special greeting from Germany, the ensemble performed a medley of well-known German folk songs, arranged for big band by Rolf von Nordenskjld.

The most liked performance by the 23-member Saxony Youth Jazz Orchestra was their Jazz version of the ‘Jai Ho’ tune from the ‘Slum DOg Millionaire” movie. I loved it the most.

Overall Jazz was not so exciting but it was a good moment to spend with your loved one It was my first Jazz convert and just few days back I had seen the movie “Wake Up Sid” and in the movie there is one particular scene where Konkana Sen says “Jazz is not cool and she doesn’t like it and its boring”. Probably that had an effect on us and our mind was in a blocked state that Jazz wont be cool. The Saxony team did a good job. All the best to them. (Btw sorry for the poor quality of the snap as it was taken from my mobile while i was sitting so far from the team)