My second big band experience of the week after the Arkestra at Cafe Oto on Monday night. This time round, virtually the whole audience was on its feet 2 numbers in…something I have not witnessed before at the RFH. The sound here could never compare with the intimate clarity of the Arkestra at Oto but there was certainly an electric atmosphere to the proceedings as guest stars did their turns to wildly enthusiastic response from the dancing masses. But who were these guest stars? Introductions were lost in the aural blur of the sound system…I got Charles Lloyd (who played a wonderful solo introduction on sax), Alexis Taylor and David Byrne but other names escaped me…maybe all will be revealed by others in the days to come. Not really a night for drawing; here are two from early on and a photograph of the entrance of the 200 piece choir during the finale…
Line up update:
Sinkane
David Byrne
Amadou and Mariam
Charles Lloyd
Sarah Jones
Money Mark
Alexis Taylor
Mahotella Queens
Voicelab Choir
Moses Sumney
Heard an interesting radio 4 feature on Sun RA + Archestra on Monday whilst driving to Scotia
Very interesting and quite intense.
I had no idea of the full range of the music, I always found it pretty atonal but on closer listening much is also beautiful, even melodic…
Happy New Ears !