On his new live album of all trades Elvis Costello performs with a jazz orchestra through the "Clubland"
Imagine that you are going along a road with nightclubs, from which comes different music. Years ago with this game instructions Elvis Costello sent the guitarist Marc Ribot on a musical journey at a recording for the cover album " Kojak Variety" . Exactly - an orchestra including strings and brass goes on in the Swing Fever before a creaking electric guitar with Blue slicks in between moves - heard now the opener of Costello's live album "My Flame Burns Blue " to: The Charles Mingus composition " Hora Decubitus " with a text from the pen Costello leaves right at the start suspecting the extensive route that is taken here together with the Dutch Metropole Orkest, the only full-time jazz orchestra with strings.
The trick to make the finals at the beginning, to Costello has been copied from one of his favorite live albums, "Rock Of Ages " by The Band, which opened with the addition once. That it can have a blast at his concerts after we properly before Costello, presented the recent tours with the Imposters and the concert DVD "Live In Memphis " to the test. Not for nothing Costello debuted as an angry young man in the British punk and New Wave environment 30 years ago . For "My Flame Burn Blue" , his first official live album, recorded at concerts in July 2004 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Costello , however, has left the guitar at home to ensure his qualities as a ballad crooner are enhanced.
The same time, "My Flame Burns Blue," a fascinating musical checksum . The orchestral arrangements of well-known but also previously unreleased Costello songs made over a period of ten years and come from Vince Mendoza, Sy Johnson, Mike Mossman, Bill Frisell and Costello and his longtime companion to the keyboard instruments, Steve Nieve. Mendoza, who had already been through a similar collaboration with Joni Mitchell ( " Travelogue " ) sit up , has adapted the arrangements for the Metropole Orkest and also took over the musical direction. Anyone fearing that the combination of Costello / Deutsche Grammophon / Orchestra could be bad, is allowed to breathe. The jack of all trades who has now tried almost all musical genres is reflected fully in his element, the orchestral versions come unexpectedly easy and completely unpretentious therefore.
Clubland
After all, Costello grew up with such arrangements : His father, the trumpeter Ross McManus, earned his bread as a bandleader. And Costello itself already showed in 1981, at least on the back cover of "Trust" with a big band. The opening track of this album, " Country Club ," is a highlights and focal point of "My Flame Burns Blue" . Sy Johnson took the original arrangement of Costello and the Attractions to output for a rousing musical tour de force that performs not only the already created in the original Latin elements in the big band format , but also introduces swing and waltz parts.
Similarly, the orchestral version of Costello's sarcastic classic " Watching The Detectives" on a television addict with fixation on crime series : Reminiscent of Sixties film music musical motifs - in the original version of the debut album " My Aim Is True " with Costello's rattling E Guitar and Steve Nieve's schun ended organ already indicated - are performed here with lush strings and brass. Where Costello wants to know the new versions understood not as a definitive versions , but only as a further reinterpretations.
Almost Blue
In a striking title theme, namely those of this country known as " The Avengers and melon " "The Avengers " also refers the fan intro of the ballad "Favourite Hour" . In the new guise of the final songs of the underrated 1994 album " Brutal Youth" blasphemous to the ( re) discovery of a point.
For Costello, vocally in top form, offered the appearance with the Big Band Orchestra, above all, a good opportunity to present his ballads. And on suitable material prevails in Euvre the Liverpool -born , now living in Dublin musician no lack of the song written with Burt Bacharach, "God Give Me Strength" with previously unreleased such as " Put Away Forbidden Playthings " to the title song "My Flame Burns Blue " , behind the Billy Strayhorn composition" Blood Count " hides , wrote a text for the Costello and Vince Mendoza has tailored a wonderfully lazy - lascivious arrangement.
Not to be missed " Almost Blue ," Costello once wrote under the influence of Chet Baker's recording of " The Thrill Is Gone" and has long since become a classic itself . With cello intro, strings , melodica and piano interjections and a reminiscent of Baker trumpet solo Costello adds the countless cover versions added one of his finest own .
Going To New New Orleans
The humour comes in the large-scale use of strings and horns but not forgotten: For "Episode Of Blonde" the orchestra commutes between a nightclub and an oriental bazaar, Costello is the barker. And New Orleans is shown reverence, with a wonderfully swinging version of Dave Bartholomew's " That's How You Got Killed Before". Costello has played the song with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Bartholomew at benefit concerts for victims of the hurricane Katrina disaster.
Thus, the song refers to Costello's latest project with another New Orleans Legend: Between performances in concert halls in the United States with the orchestra versions of "My Flame Burns Blue" Costello presents the album "the River In Reverse", recorded with pianist, composer and arranger Allen Toussaint, a wonderful, vibrant with R & B and Soul Tribute to the Big Easy, which will be published before the summer with us.
A definitive live document in terms Costello it can not exist in this context. Rather "My Flame Burns Blue," throws a spotlight on another side of one of the most dazzling musical personalities of our time, who is willing to constantly reinvent and perform. And that also makes the (re ) Listening hell of a lot of fun.
An exclusive interview with Elvis Costello appears in the April issue (2/ 06 ) of the Austrian music magazine Concerto
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