Culture Night will see a world first from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, with the first-ever chance to hear a concerto by music legend Robert Valentine (Bobby) Lamb, to be broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm at 7 pm - Bobby Lamb talks to Mick Marshall above.
Conversations for Trombone, Violin and Orchestra, featuring Michael Marshall (trombone), orchestra leader Mia Cooper (violin), the RTÉ CO and conductor Gavin Maloney, captures the meeting of a lowlife jazz trombonist and a virtuosic classical violinist.
Michael Marshall takes up the description:
After a raucous introduction by the trombone with a plunger mute (the one that looks like something you'd unblock a toilet with!), a sweet melodic lyrical violin melody strikes up a conversation between the two. As she looks down her nose at this insulting non-classic noise with her beautiful lyrical playing, he answers with more vulgarity and a louder response. "Boring classical!" he feels!
Tension quickly builds and a battle is soon in full flight.
As the trombonist attempts to quieten her down/impress her with an upbeat swing improvised solo, she continues to fight it until finally a common ground is reached between the two. As tension lowers, a mutual respect and relationship between the two is formed. As he becomes more and more impressed with her expressive and virtuoso playing, he attempts to switch sides and tries to emulate the lyrical melodic and even sometimes virtuosic "classic" playing, leaving behind his rude behaviour.
Equally impressed with his dark-side abilities, she leaves her hair down and goes full-on jazz impro – something she and many violinists never dreamed of doing!
With a very Romantic and sometimes joyful orchestral score beneath the chaos, the finale arrives and the much "to-ing and fro-ing" comes to an end with a close partnership, respect and a mutual love of each other's musical genres . . . Music is Music!
Born in Cork, Bobby Lamb had a career as a composer, arranger and conductor, as well as being one of the world's best-known trombonists. He spent three years with the great Woody Herman, and also played with Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich and Charlie Barnet. He worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby, Plácido Domingo, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Barbra Streisand. Lamb was a guest conductor with the RTE Concert Orchestra, starting in 1970.
Bobby talks to Paul Herriott at the start of the broadcast on Culture Night.
While this is the concerto’s first performance, Bobby wrote the piece many years ago – the RTÉ CO had it reconstructed from the original handwritten score. Given Bobby’s long history with the orchestra, it’s fitting that the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and two of its members should give the first performance!
This Culture Night, Friday 22 September, RTÉ lyric fm presents Live with Paul Herriott From 7 pm to 10 pm; Paul will chat to Irish Jazz trombonist, composer and conductor Robert Valentine Lamb ahead of a performance of the world premiere of his Conversations for Trombone, Violin and Orchestra, performed by Mia Cooper (violin) and Michael Marshall (trombone) with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the direction of Gavin Maloney.
