Jazz Kings

The Hot Tunes, Cold War series closes with the City of London Sinfonia performing music written for the Jazz Kings of the 1930s and 40s, including clarinettists Benny Goodman – who commissioned Leonard Bernstein to write his Prelude, Fugue and Riffs – and Woody Herman, for whom Stravinsky wrote his 'Ebony Concerto'. Both are performed by clarinettist Michael Collins, who also conducts music from Weill’s 'Threepenny Opera' and Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No 1.  The programme is completed with a performance of George Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody in Blue', in the original version composed for Paul Whiteman’s dance band, with jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock as soloist.