Le Jazz Hot: How the French Saved Jazz – Location, Tickets, Reviews
59E59 Theaters presents Le Jazz Hot: How the French Saved Jazz, a unique production that features twin musician virtuosos, Peter and Will Anderson. The duo, who play no less than four instruments apiece (most notably the clarinet and saxophone), are buoyed by a guitarist, bassist, and drummer.
Part jazz concert, part history lesson, the production is comprised of photos and video clips of some of jazz’s greatest legends, accompanied by the band’s live performance. The show’s audience is seated at cafe tables crowded around a small corner stage, which makes the room feel like a quaint jazz nightclub.
The documentary-like projections relay the story of how, during the late 20th Century, France welcomed jazz musicians from the U.S. It was a time of hostility in the United States towards jazz, then a rebellious and novel style of music led principally by African-American musicians.
The quintet performs a spectacular set of jazz tunes composed by Django Reinhardt, Claude Debussy, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Kenny Clarke, Bud Powell, Josephine Baker, and Sidney Bechet. Towards the end of the show, the band plays a upbeat version of Debussy’s Clair de Lune (arranged by Will Anderson), as a six-minute montage made up of bits of the classic French film, The Red Balloon, unfolds simultaneously on screen.
All in all, the production makes for a relaxing and enlightening night filled with fervent, soulful music.
LOCATION
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour and 30 minutes, no intermission
TICKETS
December 3 – 15: $25, $17.5o for members
December 17 – 29: $35, $24.50 for members
Sunday nights: $20
DATES
Performances through December 29, 2013
REVIEWS
Theatre Is Easy
The Anderson brothers present a lighthearted evening as they provide new information to jazz connoisseurs and educate those who do not know as much on the subject. Somehow they manage to accomplish all of these feats with flair and well-placed humor.
Woman Around Town
Le Jazz Hot is illuminating and fun, though a bit more anecdotal and less musically detailed narrative might better serve the layman. Musicianship is top notch. It’s a pleasure to see a band in suits and ties.
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Featuring Peter and Will Anderson, Alex Wint, Clovis Nicolas, and Luc Decker