A first look through the BBC Proms Press Release reveals a few jazz and jazz-related events (with extracts from the press release in inverted commas). Booking opens on 16 May. Link to Proms homepage below.
24 July
Nick Drake: An Orchestral Celebration – Marking 50 years since the tragically early death of Nick Drake, Jules Buckley, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and guest soloists perform a tribute Prom dedicated to one of the greatest poets of the folk-rock movement (24 July and recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 2).
27 July, Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead:
Jordan Rakei – Grammy Award-nominated multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer and songwriter Jordan Rakei collaborates with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Robert Ames to present tracks from his new album The Loop, as well as titles from his back catalogue
28 July + broadcast live on BBC Four:
Sarah Vaughan: If You Could See Me Now – Quote from release: “The BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Guy Barker are joined by guest vocalists Lizz Wright, Marisha Wallace, Lucy-Anne Daniels and CHERISE for a celebration of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, whose works include Broken Hearted Melody, and who had one of the most iconic
voices of the 20th century.”
4 August
UK Premiere of Wynton Marsalis, “Herald, Holler and Hallelujah!”
15 August
Ellington, Braxton and Mary Lou Williams. “Avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton makes his BBC Proms debut, joining the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a programme that explores the past 100 years of American jazz.
28 August
Tinariwen – “This collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of northern Mali bring their pioneering and distinctive sound to the Proms; ‘desert-blues’ that combine traditional Tuareg and African music with elements of Western rock and jazz.”
2 September & filmed for BBC Four
Ultra Lounge: Henry Mancini and Beyond
“2024 marks a century since the Hollywood composer’s birth. Edwin Outwater and the BBC Concert Orchestra celebrate Mancini, who is recognised as one of the greatest composers in the history of film music. With his works including the theme tunes to The Pink Panther and Peter Gunn, his style reflects elements of jazz, light classical and more, and he also helped to inspire the genres of lounge music and space-age pop.”
7 September
European premiere of Jacob Collier “World O World”
8 September
Chineke Orchestra’s programme includes “Tchaikovsky, arr. Ellington & Strayhorn, arr. and adapted J. Tyzik: “The Nutcracker Suite”
NOTE: In classical music there anniversary events in honour of Bruckner (200), Schoenberg (150), Faure (100/ death), Holst, Stanford, Smetana and Busoni. There is also a first visit to Bristol, concerts from Nottingham, Aberdeen, Belfast and Newport, a three-concert “Choral Day”, another Doctor Who Prom and a first-time 70s/ Studio 54-themed Disco Prom.
4 responses
Nick Drake? – jazz?. If you say so, but I would have thought he had as much to do with jazz as Winifred Atwell.
What a shame that the first comment on the jazz content at this year’s BBC Proms should be such a dismissive response to the inclusion of a concert of the music of Nick Drake. Shouldn’t we wait until we know the identity of some of the featured soloists before passing comment on the concert’s jazz credentials? A number of jazz musicians – notably Brad Mehldau and Norma Winstone – have recorded his songs. So, can we please go easy on the negativity and wait to hear how Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra interpret Nick Drake’s music? And while we are about it, let’s celebrate the appearance of Anthony Braxton at the BBC Proms with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra performing his music, and Duke Ellington and Mary Lou Williams.
Oh dear. Nick Drake was not “one of the greatest poets of the folk-rock movement ” He was a decent pop singer who wrote cod poetry and a few pretty melodies.
Discuss 🙂
I’m sure that viewed from a lofty perch, the emotion that Drake set down in his recordings may seem easy to dismiss as cod poetry and pretty melodies If one gets closer to the songs and the performances I’m equally sure that the sound will reveal a more nuanced palate, a bitter sweet tang and perhaps a humanity that may not be apparent to the raptor’s beady eye.