Review of Inverurie Music Concert

“New York State of Mind”

Artist Rossano Sportiello

Tuesday 7th November. Inverurie Town Hall

Promoted by local music society and registered charity, Inverurie Music

“Chopin meets Boogie-Woogie”

It was a cold night outside as a crowd of 70 folk enjoyed a virtuoso performance by New York Jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello in the austere but warm surroundings of the Inverurie Town Hall. The baby grand-piano, retrieved from its dusty hidey-hole under the stage dusted off and tuned, gave excellent service as Rossano rippled through pieces with great dynamic sensitivity. He moved from delicate intricacies based upon Chopin mazurkas and nocturnes to infectiously rhythmic stride piano, taking in music by Richard Rogers, Cole Porter, Erroll Garner and many other luminaries of the American Song Book. He regaled the audience with an account of Vladimir Horowitz meeting the blind Art Tatum and explained “stride” and the process of improvisation. Rossano noticed the number of children in the audience (always a heartening sign) and addressed them with a dazzling theme-and-variations piece around “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. “Tea for Two” went through many shapes and moods but a show stopper was his rendition of St Louis Blues which morphed into a fast gripping boogie-woogie. He played the title number from his latest LP “Pastel” and encored with a piece dedicated to his wife Laura. It was all over far too soon but the smiling faces of the departing crowd suggested it would be long remembered. The concert was the second in Inverurie Music’s eclectic 2017-18 season.

“ AB24” the Aberdeen Baroque Ensemble will be playing next on February 17th at St Mary’s Church for a change of mood and century!

Ian Clark