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Improvising the Classics: : Interpreting Mozart
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Mozart is one of those true musical geniuses revered as one the classical gods.Why are jazz musicians drawn to his music? The combination of his deceptively simple melodies and logical harmonic progressions allows jazz artists to mold these classic pieces into music that is recognizably jazz, yet still recognizably Mozart.
Whether or not you listen to classical music, a great deal of Mozart's music is instantly recognizable when jazz musicians transform them into vehicles for improvisations.
You'll hear Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band turn Mozart's 40th Symphony into a big band classic. Cyrus Chestnut, Uri Caine and Sir Roland Hanna & Carrie Smith have fun with some of Mozart's best known piano pieces. Paquito D'Rivera and Aaron Diehl work their magic on Mozart's famous Clarinet Concerto. Jazz musicians from Taiwan, Germany, and Sweden transform Mozart's masterpieces while a wacky group from Queens called The Queen’s Cartoonists tackle Mozart's Requiem.
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About Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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