Friday 19th August, 20.40
Ezra Axelrod
Wanderlust takes the audience on a musical journey that transcends geography and genre, exploring the diverse song-writing traditions that inspired singer-composer-pianist Ezra Axelrod’s musical formation. From the haunting refrains of Ravel chants to the nostalgic poetry of Argentine tango, from the twang of bluegrass to the swirling guitar riffs of Wolof folk song, Wanderlust finds the common thread that connects these disparate sounds: a yearning for the unattainable. Audiences travel through a landscape of newly arranged world music and Axelrod’s original songs. Featuring The Raven String Quartet.
1. Jane Maryam (Persian traditional)
“Get on the road, leave the house, shoulder to shoulder, like the old days.”
2. Jorge de Capadcia (Brazilian traditional)
“Ropes and chains cannot tie me down.”
3. Patria (EA, English)
“On the eve of surrender, we ordered up another round.”
4. Morning News (EA, English)
“The general was cordial as he slipped off my boots.”
5. Im Wunderschnen Monat Mai (R. Schumann, German)
“Love burst from my heart.”
6. Aeroplane (EA, English)
“At your age, I was already a mother and a widow.”
7. Volver (C. Gardel, A. La Pera, Spanish)
“You always return to your first love.”
8. Ftbol y Mangos (EA, D. Restrepo, Spanish)
“Together we climb the mango tree to reach the most red and yellow mangos.”
9. L-bas, vers l’glise (M. Ravel, French)
“They’ve gathered there in infinite numbers.”
10. Tajabone (Wolof traditional)
“He’s an angel, flying from the sky into your soul.”
11. Hurricane Season (EA, English)
“I could always tell a storm, from the electric charge to the air.”
www.ezraaxelrod.com
Words and Music: Ezra Axelrod
Folk selections arranged by Ezra Axelrod
Voice and piano: Ezra Axelrod
Bass: Lowri Morgan
Percussion: Fred Thomas
Raven String Quartet:
Violin: Stephanie Benedetti
Violin: Kirsty Mangan
Viola: Natalie Holt
Cello: Rachael Lander
Words and Music: Ezra Axelrod
Folk selections arranged by Ezra Axelrod
Voice and piano: Ezra Axelrod
Bass: Lowri Morgan
Percussion: Fred Thomas
Raven String Quartet:
Violin: Stephanie Benedetti
Violin: Kirsty Mangan
Viola: Natalie Holt
Cello: Rachael Lander
Ezra Axelrod: Singer, Composer, Pianist
Ezra Axelrod returns to the UK after four months of touring in North and South America. On the journey, he stopped in Bogotá, Colombia, to record his forthcoming album, Songs from the American Motel, a collection that follows the musician on his adventures through the Wild West of his childhood, a picaresque adolescence in Latin America, and his new home on the UK music scene. Ezra’s work recounts the vivid stories he’s collected along the way, bringing them to life with biting lyrics, soaring melodies and lush harmonies, a style he dubs “Vernacular Realist Song.”
Raven String Quartet:
The critically acclaimed Raven have played backing strings for everyone from Ellie Goulding to George Michael, as well as given solo performances for Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace (as seen on BBC 1). The girls have been seen on Graham Norton’s show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, Loose Women, Lorraine, and Dancing on Ice.
Lowri Morgan: Bass
Lowri Morgan studied double bass at the Guildhall before going on to play with a wide range of ensembles including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. She has appeared on Channel 4’s World Music Awards and on the BBC’s Electric Proms with the Urban Soul Orchestra.
Fred Thomas: Percussion
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Fred Thomas studied jazz piano at the Royal Academy of Music. As a member of the F-IRE collective and founder and curator of F-IRE Klang Codex, he now performs regularly with a wide variety of creative projects as pianist, percussionist, bassist, director and arranger.