Orpheus Chamber Orchestra / Branford Marsalis – From Harlem to Paris

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra plays with saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Classical, jazz and improvisation flow together in music by Jeff Beal, Duke Ellington, Lecuona and Gershwin. Grammy Award-winner Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, master of collective musicianship, meets saxophonist Branford Marsalis. For years they have worked together in a shared musical language, in which jazz, classical and improvisation flow together with obvious authority. Central to the program is the Saxophone Concerto by Jeff Beal, specially written for Marsalis and Orpheus: virtuosic, rhythmic and razor-sharp. In addition, symphonic arrangements of Duke Ellington, in which jazz finds its way to the concert hall without losing its swing. After the intermission, Ernesto Lecuona, often called the 'Cuban Gershwin' – a subtle stepping stone to George Gershwin himself. Where Gershwin is heard this season at Chineke! Orchestra in Porgy and Bess, he appears here in a different perspective: in a sharply drawn urban portrait in An American in Paris. The answer? This mix of classical, jazz and latin, brought by a top ensemble with an iconic soloist, promises a powerful meeting of style and craftsmanship.