Jazz Articles about Lesley Spencer

Lesley Spencer: Classical Delight

by John Kelman
February 14, 2004

Blending a large orchestra with jazz can be a risky thing, but in the hands of a capable composer/arranger/conductor like Vince Mendoza, the results can be stunning and inventive: a fascinating blend of the composed and the improvised, combining the best of a larger ensemble with the looser potential of the small. Sadly, pianist Lesley Spencer and the Latin Chamber Pop Ensemble & Orchestra fail abysmally with Classical Delight. With a concept that attempts to pass as jazz, but completely ...