Martial Solal Solo.

Format:

• Video

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• United States and Canada.
• Africa.
• Post-Bop.
• Americans.

Local Subjects:

• United States and Canada.
• Africa.
• Post-Bop.
• Americans.

Genre:

• Performance

Physical Description:

1 online resource (70 minutes)

Place of Publication:

Paris, Ile-de-France : Qwest TV, 1999.

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

Martial Solal opens his concert with "Caravan" and "Prelude to a Kiss" / "Satin Doll" to mark the 100th anniversary of Duke Ellington's birth. Beyond the beauty of the gesture, there is nothing surprising about it. We know that Solal, who would have liked to lead a big band as often as possible, approached everything with an orchestrator's eye. This observation is confirmed throughout the performance, on standards such as "A Night in Tunisia," "Tea for Two," "Body & Soul," and even Charles Trenet's "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?" ("I Wish You Love" in English). A pianist with outstanding technique, he enriches the instrument's entire sound palette. A devotee of nuances and contrasts, his improvisations resemble alpine stages of the Tour de France, passing from valleys and glens to snow-covered passes whose steep slopes must be climbed standing on your toes. "Tea for Two"—the ideal song to embellish with humor without compromising musicality—is a prime example. "Ah No," one of Solal's own compositions, sounds eerily like a Mozart sonata. Philippe Lesage

Notes:

Title from resource description page (viewed July 15, 2024).