It’s been a few months, but we’re officially back on the road! When we last left off, Chick had finished a couple orchestral gigs in the Pacific Northwest with the Seattle and Portland Symphony Orchestras and conductor Steve Mercurio, a duet with Chucho Valdés at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC. And, oh yeah, two nights in Muscat, Oman at the palatial Royal Opera House with the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ion Marin!
Aarhus, Denmark
February 24, 2020
Now, Chick is in Europe on a seven-week international adventure, which kicked off ten days ago with a Piano Solo show in Aarhus, Denmark. The congenial crowd at the Aarhus Konserthuset received the full “Chick-sclusive” treatment of onstage musical portraits and duets with audience members, and even a little off-the-cuff philosophizing when, in between songs, Chick asked the crowd “What is jazz even? How do you define it?”
Toulouse, France
February 26, 2020
Moving on to Toulouse, France, Chick joined Christian McBride and Brian Blade to commence the first of twenty European Trilogy shows to be played over the next month! The response from the packed house reassured the Trio that they had not skipped a beat. One could even say the group’s set was a perfect fit for the crowd that night. Or, as Chick put it: “Not too tight, not too loose.”
Geneva, Switzerland
February 28, 2020
Moving onto to scenic Geneva, Switzerland, the group took the stage at the storied Victoria Hall where earlier in the day the Swiss government had imposed restrictions on public gatherings due to fear of the Coronavirus spreading. The old adage rang true that night, though, and the show — indeed — did go on. The classical crowd appreciated the Trio’s rendition of a Scarlatti sonata and also welcomed very warmly a new piece by Chick that was performed.
Lyon, France
February 29, 2020
The following day was a show at the contemporary Auditorium de Lyon in Lyon, France, where the entire 2,000 seat concert hall was brought to their feet at the show’s conclusion, as you can see here — directly from Chick himself.
Paris, France
March 2, 2020
And then, tying a bow on the week, was a night at the Philharmonie in Paris. The one-of-a-kind, asymmetrical hall attracted a crowd with many different tastes, all of which were satisfied by a set that had it all. And, as Chick noted, for the encore had the entire hall “singing the blues.”
More to come soon!
Regards,
Jordin
