Routenberg: Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra (commissioned by Chien Tan)
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Routenberg: Concerto For Jazz Violin and Orchestra 1. Blue Reel
Glenn Basham, violin
Michael Krajewski, conductor
Naples Philharmonic
Thank you, Herbie Hancock, for performing with the Oregon Symphony and inspiring me to revisit a concerto that I commissioned!
I admire musicians like Hancock who stretch their musical imagination and versatility. His contribution to jazz is amazing. And when he returned to his classical roots to play Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, his take on it was fresh and unique.
A few years ago I dreamt of a contemporary violin concerto where musical boundaries blurred. I was tired of the stuffy stereotype of classical music and wanted to break away from it. I met composer and jazz artist Scott Routenberg at the Henry Mancini Institute (Los Angeles) earlier and was drawn to his compositions. We kept in touch. One day I finally asked if he would be interested in this commission.
Scott Routenberg’s Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra was completed in 2007 and was premiered by Glenn Basham, concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic. Since then it’s been played in China, and is scheduled to be performed by Christian Howes in 2012.
1) It has a traditional classical structure, however,
2) The three movements are Blue Reel, Ballad, and Step Dance.
3) In lieu of cadenzas are jazz charts. This can be improvised or written out, depending on the soloist’s preference.
4) This piece would be suited to a pops concert.
I believe that many violinists can now easily perform alternative styles, compose, arrange and improvise. The Routenberg Concerto is in many ways what I envision about the evolution of violinists of the 21st century.
Herbie Hancock (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)
