#blackdykeband #catstales #petergraham The Black Dyke Band (conducted by Nicholas Childs) perform "Cats Tales" by Peter Graham. June 13, 2010 at Leeds Beckett University.
Programme Note by the Composer :
In the early 1980’s I had the good fortune to live and work in New York City. Since the 1930’s The Big Apple has enjoyed a reputation as the jazz capital of the world. Indeed, jazz seemed to be a part of the very fabric of everyday life in the city. One might pass Frank Sinatra leaving The Players (Club) or Buddy Rich en route to a gig, while a few
blocks south of my apartment the famous Blue Note Club played host to a succession of legendary jazz “Cats”, from Dizzy Gillespie to rising star Wynton Marsalis.
Cats Tales pays tribute to four wonderful musicians who shared a love of jazz and the city. New York born Elmer Bernstein is best remembered for his legendary film scores.
Here Catalonia brings to mind some of those epic moments before a musical gear change that references the work of his contemporary colleague, “Bernstein East”, aka Leonard
Bernstein. The presence of West Side Story looms large here.
Henry Mancini studied his craft at the famous Julliard School in the Upper West Side. His most famous composition (which concerned a cat of the pink variety) provides the
inspiration for the 2nd movement, Catwalk.
Finally, saxophone legend Sonny Rollins’s jazz standard Airegin is given a contrafact treatment in Scat! allowing a number of instrumental soloists to shine.
Peter Graham © 2008