Hello everyone! I thought I would play you a different kind of solo this time – the jazz melody ‘My One and Only Love’.
One of my violin heroes is Stephane Grappelli – I have loved his music since I was little. I love the fact that his idea of preparing for a gig wasn’t hours of gruelling practise, but a nice glass of brandy to get him in the mood for playing! He often played duets with Yehudi Menuhin, and I used to listen to their albums with my Dad.
Menuhin was always so precise, coming from a classical background. Grappelli was also classically trained, but his love of playing as a jazz violinist, meant that his style was so fluid and his playing of a melody line sounded so beautiful and free. I think he definitely had the upper hand when playing with Menuhin, who needed every note to be written down, whereas Grappelli freely improvised.
I hope you enjoy my solo – this piece of music always makes me feel so happy after I’ve played it! I’m finishing off ‘Holiburn’s Lament’ in the studio tomorrow, so there will be more Studio Notes coming soon! Thanks so much for sponsoring my music! X