CD Review: SNJO w. Makoto Ozone - JEUNEHOMME Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271

(Review by Lance).
"Jazzing the Classics" has, over the years, become quite commonplace with, it has to be said, varying degrees of success. Nine times out of time my feeling has been; Why didn't they leave well alone? A notable exception was Ellington's take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and another one is this concert recording by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271 with Makoto Ozone in the hot seat.
We know that SNJO have a penchant for this sort of thing having heard their version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. That was fine but, given the superior material that they have to work on here, this is several notches above even that sterling effort.
Ist Movement, subtitled Allegro Swing, reveals Ozone to be a pianist more than capable of handling the straight sections. Tommy Smith has an extended workout on tenor followed by some agile bass work by Gourley. Underneath, the pianist comps before breaking out and laying down his jazz credentials for all to hear. Andre Previn and Jacques Loussier are the only others I can think of who covered both idioms so well.

2nd Movement, subtitled Andantino Tango, opens with a Smith tenor cadenza leading into a rich probing exposition of the theme over Ozone's explorative background before the pianist once more takes centre stage - pianists do this in piano concertos. Pattison maintains the melancholy mood on soprano and Ozone returns to gently take us down into the arms of the orchestra.

3rd Movement, subtitled Rondo/ Presto Be-Bop, you know by the subtitle is going to be the swinger - and it is!

One moment Ozone is playing straight then it becomes Monkish and then a sort of ragtime cum stride chorus. Tom Walsh takes it up blowing hard bop trumpet followed by Ozone swinging his butt off throwing in a couple of bars of Honeysuckle Rose! A slower, out of tempo, go at the original - this, maybe, is Mozart playing after hours in the bierkeller. Some shouting trombone from Chris Grieve then Ozone takes it on a Night Train ride. More soprano from Pattison then Cosker builds up his drum solo telling the jazz people the end is nigh bringing the band in at fff telling the classical people it will soon be over but not before Ozone returns to give a few quirky bars of cocktail piano, some more stride before reassuring Mozart that all's well at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh.

An album that will surely delight open minded jazzers and classicists alike.

SNJO w. Makoto Ozone - JEUNEHOMME Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271 will be available on Spartacus Records from July 31.

Lance.

Makoto Ozone (pno); Tommy Smith (ten/fl/MD), Konrad Wiszniewski (ten), Ruaridh Pattison (alt/sop), Martin Kershaw (alt/clt), Bill Fleming (bar); Cameron Jay, Tom MacNiven, Tom Walsh, Lorne Cowieson (tpts); Chris Grieve, Phil O'Malley, Michael Owers (tmb) Calum Gourlay (bs), Alyn Cosker (dms).