(Review/photo by Ken Drew).
Prior to the evening concert, an afternoon mini-workshop proved to be an insightful session aimed
mainly at students but also attracting a much wider audience. After the
briefest of intros which included some personal background, Zoe launched into a
fiery 5 minutes solo to get everyone’s attention, and in the process, revealed 3 sticky notes at the top end of the Bechstein.
Not withstanding, all the participants were brought in to tap/hum/sing/whatever/ the basic
riff aand harmony of the complex solo we’d heard. Many brought their own
instruments which brought the jamming element of the workshop to life!
And a lucky few enjoyed a brief spell jamming with Zoe – young performers in
the making and feeling inspired. Listening is essential when improvising,
hence we were told to close our eyes and imagine what we would play (yes
it makes a big difference!). Once a simple rhythm was established Zoe pointed
to each of us in turn to contribute a bar of ‘something / anything’ – ‘jazz
hands’ being my forte. Throughout the session there were many of
Zoe’s thoughts on approaching and performing improvisation which were very
insightful. All in all, a hugely enjoyable session in the company of a
maestro.
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