Live at the Great Synagogue. 5-6 November, 2024
Reviewed : 6 November, 2024
What a wonderful way to escape a day besieged with reports about the American presidential election! The calm, beautiful decorative pillars, stained glass windows and vaulted, star studded ceiling of the Great Synagogue AND Internationally acclaimed Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi, “revered’ jazz trumpeter Mat Jodrell and bassist extraordinaire Cameron Und playing favourites from the golden age of jazz.
Live at Yours couldn’t have chosen a better time for this special concert! It was heartening to see and hear these incredible musicians playing to a huge, culturally diverse audience gathered in such a distinctive place. For ninety delightful minutes the toe-tapping nostalgic rhythms of the deep south lifted jaded spirits and inspired joy.
The special connections between musicians are always a joy to witness. In jazz they are even more special – a gentle, admiring nod, a supportive smile, a clever handover to a solo, the coming together to reach a final crescendo. Those moments, that unique relationship made this performance especially electrifying.
Imagine Tedeschi alone at the piano in the centre of the synagogue. The lights dimmed as he plays the first few notes of “Basin Street Blues”. Then from the back of the great building the high, clear note of the trumpet reverberating! What a beginning! And it just got better! Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” saw all three coming together. Jodrell swaying, Undy almost dancing with his beautiful 150 year-old bass, Tedeschi’s heel tapping as he took the notes deeper and lower before handing over to the bass for a stunning solo … “Who could ask for anything more?”
But it came! The slow, sultry notes of Gershwin’s “Summertime” conjuring lazy, languid memories. Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing” introducing a less well-known gem from the composer’s repertoire. Jerome Kern’s “Nobody But Me” letting the piano set the pace with the trumpet and bass calling and answering in a piece that really roused the audience.
Tedeschi added a classical moment after that with Claude Debussy’s gentle “Footprints in the Snow” its three-note opening motif and more complex middle section allowing the muted trumpet and bass to call to each other over the soft, clear notes of the piano. A solo by Tedeschi playing “Clair de Lune” ended his “classical interlude”.
Then it was back to jazz of a different kind with Fats Waller’s strangely titled, but much loved by jazz aficionados, “Jitterbug Waltz”. Here that special communication between the three was visual as well as musical as they smiled at each other with every variation.
“The Preacher” by Horace Silver brought a faster, deeper tempo and tone that had the musicians almost laughing as they played and swayed to its pulsing beat that was a great introduction to the finale, Duke Ellington’s famous, toe-tapping “C Jam Blues”.
It was a brilliant way to bring the “wonderful world” they had recreated to an end. They had recalled the spirit of a special musical era – and restored the spirits of a very appreciative Sydney audience.
How fortuitous that Vladimir Fanshil and Eleanor Lyons’ original idea to present live music in a safe way during the Covid pandemic has led to Live at Yours and the outstanding line up of local and international artists it brings to audiences across Australia.
Check the website www.liveatyours.com.au to see what Live in 2025 has in store.