Gordan Jacobs: Two Pieces for Two Oboes and English Horn
Nicholas Stovall: Oboe
Jamie Roberts: Oboe
Andrea Overturf: English Horn
Claude Bolling: Suite No 1 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio
Aaron Goldman: Flute
Charles Nilles: Double Bass
Joseph Connell: Drums
Tony Nalker: Piano
After many false alarms and way too many months, I finally managed to make it back to our nation's capital for an extended weekend resolutely sans computer or work of any kind, but with a healthy dose of eating, drinking, catching up with friends, perusing exhibits and, of course, attending the traditional NSO concert. To top it all off, I got to enjoy some incredibly mild weather, if you don't count the tornado that I managed to miss when it quickly hit the area right after my arrival at Union Station.
Back at the Kennedy Center on Friday night, I was delighted to find out that the free performance of the daily Millennium Stage would be an NSO Prelude that day, which basically meant that I got even more NSO than expected.
Although the program was announcing just Claude Bolling's No 1 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, the concert actually kicked off with Gordan Jacobs' Two Pieces for Two Oboes and English Horn,
a short and whimsical work that lifted up everybody's spirit.
When we finally got to the main feature, we were ready for the seven self-contained nuggets expressing each a different, full-fledged mood. Although the flute was often in the spotlight, it was adroitly backed up by the jazzy combination of double-bass, drums and piano for an enjoyable combo of luscious lyricism, dance-inspiring exuberance and devilish speed.
The attractive encore, which was no less than the "Summer Song" of Michel Legrand's score for Summer of 42, was the flavorful last bite of this substantial appetizer.
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