April 17, 2011
As the Director and Composer of the often twenty strong Grand Union Orchestra, Tony Haynes is clearly no stranger to mixing musical styles from around the world: their influences drawn from many diverse cultures and emotionally enriched by the genealogical backgrounds of its musicians.
Although the intriguing title, Bengal Tiger Shanghai Dragon, would suggest a straight fusion of Indian and Chinese music, it was clear from the show’s outset that the evening’s music would not be confined by such geographical restrictions, with West African, South American, North American and English influences popping up along the way. And though the styles didn’t always blend as well as they could – rhythms and tempos occasionally clashed – it was an enjoyable experience watching these accomplished world jazz musicians working together to find and maintain those magic moments.
Of course, there were some quibbles: Tony Haynes is clearly an accomplished Trombonist and a great jazz composer, but he is not a natural presenter – a fact that became abundantly clear when he forgot the surname of one of the musicians he was attempting to introduce. And though one must applaud his attempts to educate us with very technical sounding explanations of the music we were about to hear, one can’t help but feel the show would’ve flowed more smoothly without such intermissions.
Fortunately for the performers and the audience, though uneven, the music he introduced was peppered with some breathtaking moments, most notably two fantastic instrumental solos from one of the titular Bengal Tigers, Baluji Shrivastev and Shanghai Dragon, Zhu Xiao Meng.
Overall, Tony and his band have crafted a deeply eclectic and often playful tapestry of sounds, which though grounded by Chinese and Indian influences, evoke an intriguing musical journey across the globe.
Although the intriguing title, Bengal Tiger Shanghai Dragon, would suggest a straight fusion of Indian and Chinese music, it was clear from the show’s outset that the evening’s music would not be confined by such geographical restrictions, with West African, South American, North American and English influences popping up along the way. And though the styles didn’t always blend as well as they could – rhythms and tempos occasionally clashed – it was an enjoyable experience watching these accomplished world jazz musicians working together to find and maintain those magic moments.
Of course, there were some quibbles: Tony Haynes is clearly an accomplished Trombonist and a great jazz composer, but he is not a natural presenter – a fact that became abundantly clear when he forgot the surname of one of the musicians he was attempting to introduce. And though one must applaud his attempts to educate us with very technical sounding explanations of the music we were about to hear, one can’t help but feel the show would’ve flowed more smoothly without such intermissions.
Fortunately for the performers and the audience, though uneven, the music he introduced was peppered with some breathtaking moments, most notably two fantastic instrumental solos from one of the titular Bengal Tigers, Baluji Shrivastev and Shanghai Dragon, Zhu Xiao Meng.
Overall, Tony and his band have crafted a deeply eclectic and often playful tapestry of sounds, which though grounded by Chinese and Indian influences, evoke an intriguing musical journey across the globe.