Bebop Spoken Here has received some samples of musical versions of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, played on reproductions of the original instruments. The music isn’t jazz but is closer to tasteful popular music. Readers may like to hear it anyway, and there’s also a photo of the instruments. Some of these are unbelievably large. I’d love to see some of our musicians trying to lug around a theorbo, a giant lute with a very long neck!
I was interested in this as I love The Sonnets, and could bore for Great Britain on the subject, so please don’t let me start.
The poems are about love, death, the tyranny of time and change, and also mention is made of social protest and scientific developments during Elizabethan times, which were extensive. If you decide to read some of them (I’d love you to!) don’t be concerned about those love poems which are from one man to another, that was merely a poetical fashion of the time, and doesn’t mean the same as it would for us today.
My main point is that maybe another jazz version of the poems is overdue (I can't recall any since Cleo Laine's Shakespeare and All That Jazz which wasn't solely dedicated to The Sonnets). I suggest a small combo of piano, bass, drums, with saxophone and a male and female singer. I wonder if anyone is up for this.
The CD referred to above is released by Abbey Universal on Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23rd, Shakespeare: The Sonnets.
Ann Alex.
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