Virtuoso clarinet and sax player Giacomo Smith is one of the special guests joining the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and its Associate Artist Guy Barker for The 50s: The Decade That Changed the World on Thursday 16th May at the National Concert Hall.
Also featuring pianist James Pearson of Ronnie Scott's and top vocalists Clare Teal and Cormac Kenevey, the evening will feature music from Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, Judy Garland, Doris Day, a 50s film medley and more...
We asked Giacomo for his choice cultural picks...
FILM
When We Were Kings - I'm not really a boxing fan, but this film about Ali and Foreman’s legendary matchup in Zaire in 1974 is one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever witnessed. I love the idea that strategic thought beats brute force every time.
MUSIC
Thursday Afternoon by Brian Eno - I always say my favourite music is music played by humans on real instruments. Jazz, classical, folk music, blues, gospel - love ’em. And as a music nut, I’m happy for music to be the companion to my entire day. The problem is, what goes on when I need to sleep? Casals’ cello suites are peaceful but way too interesting, Miles’ Kind of Blue is cool but the rhythms are too enticing… dilemma. So, recently I’ve adopted Eno’s Thursday Afternoon as my perfect bedtime music. It’s amazing how he paints a full musical picture without pulse or rhythm. Go try for a nap right now and test my theory!
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BOOKS
The Land Where the Blues Began - Alan Lomax is one of the unsung heroes of American music. This book taught me how to connect the dots on the birth of the Blues in the American south.
THEATRE
Guys and Dolls, the current London production, at the Bridge Theatre - Marisha Wallace, who performed with me in Dublin for Guy Barker’s Christmas concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in 2022 stars in this incredible show. I’d seen and heard this musical many times and even played in it in high school and college. This is by far the definitive version, with Marisha totally stealing the show! Move over Brando…
TV
Upstart Crow - When I moved to England 13 years ago from the US it took me a long time to understand the wry sense of humour in the UK and Ireland! Getting into Ben Elton’s genius Shakespearean satire was a sign to me that maybe I’d finally figured it out.
GIG
I am hugely looking forward to seeing my good friend and musical hero Julian Bliss play Mahler’s 3rd Symphony with the LSO. I think Julian is the best clarinet player in the world and actually went for a lesson with him when I was preparing to perform Guy Barker’s clarinet concerto for the first time! I also recently saw Gregory Porter at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. He always knocks me out with his virtuosic musicality and ability to relate to any audience.
ART
Romare Bearden has been one of my favourite artists for years. I think he’s one of the few when portraying musicians who actually visually captures what I hear in jazz.
PODCAST
The Daily by the New York Times - Even though I don’t live in the USA anymore, I still love to stay up to date on the mad mad world of American news!
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TECH
Apple Music - imagine having all the music in the world at your fingertips 15 years ago!!
THE NEXT BIG THING...
The next big thing is Guy Barker’s concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at the National Concert Hall!!! The 50s: The Decade That Changed the World! See you there...
The 50s: The Decade That Changed the World
— RTÉConcertOrchestra (@rte_co) April 15, 2024
📅Thurs 16 May
⏲️8pm
🎺National Concert Hall
Following the extraordinary Guy Barker's Gatsby & Beyond New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, a night of '50s jazz draws on influences from Elvis to Ella Fitzgerald.
TICKETS🎟️ https://t.co/g9Cbs9Yc0e
The 50s: The Decade That Changed the World is at the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Wednesday, May 16th - find out more here.
