tisdag 24 juli 2012

After singing with Bengt Hallberg in duo concert


I've returned now after a few days in Ljungskile on the west coast, where I had the great chance to sing concert with pianist Bengt Hallberg. It was pure joy and delight to be given this opportunity to meet Bengt and create music in the boarderlands of jazz, improvisation and folk music. It was also a great deal of nerves I can say.

Bengt is the most lovely gentleman you can ever think of. A man with this personality is seldom found, so humble he is in his greatness. I guess he has seen everything along the touring road as a jazz musician since the beginning of the 1950's!

His touch of the piano, and the remarqueable sound he creates out of a piano. I could listen to him starting alone in both our two sets. I was carried out on this journey he took us with for. It was like seeing places, hearing images of his long life in music.

We did 7 songs together in each set. I also did two a capella songs.
The audience gave us all support and love, it was compleetely full this evening, sold out. People stood queing an hour before start.

On request we did a mix of unknown folk songs, plus some of the most loved and well known folk songs in the field of jazz + folk. Songs like Visa från Utanmyra, Kristallen den fina, Jag vet en dejlig rosa.
First set was a lot about light and love. In the second set came the first broken hearted love song, a sea shantie, and after that the mysterious story of Visa från Utanmyra. And we did 5 songs of the Anna Sjöbom collection. They're just my big favourites, I'm happy Bengt like to play them as well.
Bengt did so beautiful out of this material, being the great improvisation musician he is. After the last encore, Sixteen tons (Bengt asked me what jazz standards I could sing, as a surprice for the audience, I couldn't resist suggesting one song from the life of mining men), we got standing ovations.

Late in the evening I said good bye to Bengt and his lovely Mariana, and they smiled and left in the dark night. You just can't imagine that this man and woman, so full of spirit and energy is in the age they are, they just radiate young minds.

I had to watch television, a documentary about the Olympic games in Sydney, to unwind all thoughts and feeling before being able to fall asleep.

If we ever get the chance to make this concert again, I will come running from whatever corner of the world.

There's no photos in my camera from this evening, I was not in the mood of making photos. The photos I've choosen for this blog just reminds me of the atmosphere and energy of this night.

This concert was initiated by the local jazz club in Ljungskile: L'Jazz, and it was the opening concert of their week long festival, Sommarjazz. Thank you a thousand times you came up with this wonderful idea! Thank you for running a jazz festival!

Eva

Inga kommentarer:

Skicka en kommentar