Quint has recorded much of the standard repertoire for a violinist including the concerti of Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Korngold and Rozsa. What prompted him to record this goes back to his childhood in Russia when there were just three television channels and Chaplin’s films were regularly broadcast. That was where I started my phone conversation with him last week.

“I think the one thing about Chaplin movies and his music is that nostalgic feeling that gets everyone to travel to a certain time or memory,” he says. “In many ways it was a journey back to my childhood.”

Many people know the song Smile, but few may know that it was written by Chaplin. Fewer still know that the great comedian, director, writer also composed the music for his films. Bringing greater awareness to Chaplin’s work as a composer was just one impetus for Quint to record this album.

“There is a great degree of sincereitywe don’t see these days,” he reveals. “Chaplin resonates with so many people because his films and his music is a heart-on-a-sleeve approach. He was a one-man show: producer, director, writer, composer, arranger, everything. But what he was able to achieve is the great mockery of social issues. The same social issues we are dealing with today from political to personal to tabloids of the time to inequality and diversity. It was all in his films.”

Given how much control Chaplin had on his films, Quint hopes that if he could hear the record, Chaplin would like it for one simple reason.

“One of the big challenges in putting these arrangements together was to preserve the simplicity of his music. In other words, not create some impossible Pagannini-like arrangements.”

When he was writing scores for his film, Chaplin favored the violin. Which comes in handy for a musician like Quint.

“He played the violin left-handed. He loved the violin. Lucky me! Just two weeks ago I got to hold that violin. It’s the violin he purchased when he was 16 years old and you can see it in The Vagabond. Of course I could not play a note because it is set-up in reverse. Besides, it was way too precious.”

The only way an experience like that could happen is through the support of Chaplin’s family – which Quint has.

“I’m now close friends with his granddaughter, Kiera, who is trying to preserve his legacy. She described how strict he was with his family and children and grandchildren, but family and home were essential ingredients of his life. Also I understand he was very sincere and very loving and very generous with his emotions and financially. I feel I have gotten to know him as a man and a composer.”

To be who he was and accomplish all he did, Chaplin had to be a dreamer. As he wrote in his auto-biography, “There are mystics who believe that our existence is a half-dream and that it is difficult to know where the dream ends and reality begins. Thus is was with me.” An idea that Quint can relate to.

“This is what I love. 50% of our lives we spend dreaming and so we don’t know what reality is. Certainly performing for me, especially in the last decade, has become a supernatural multi-dimensional experience where my physical body is on stage, but my soul and my mind are really elsewhere. I would equate performing to a dream.”

He concludes by paraphrasing another quote by the great filmmaker, “We think too much and we feel too little.”*

Photo of Philippe Quint by Isi Akahome/Courtesy of the Artist

*The full quote: “We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.”

The post Charlie Chaplin’s Music Makes Philippe Quint Smile appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Smile came from Chaplin’s 1936 film Modern Times. It remains to this day his best-known composition and was recently used in the film Joker. But Chaplin wrote a lot more music than just this song. In fact, if you look at most of Chaplin’s films, particularly those in the sound era, you’ll find that he was the composer of each film’s score and that there were multiple songs amongst those scores.

Quint has recorded all of the standard classical music repertoire for the violin. He has made appearances with most of the best-known orchestras world-wide. Chaplin’s Smile is his 17th recording. Joshua Bell joins him for two tracks on the record. Marta Aznavoorian plays piano for the recording. Joining Quint for this concert is pianist John Novacek.

Quint created new arrangements for the thirteen tracks recorded. There are literally dozens upon dozens of compositions written by Chaplin that he could choose from. In addition to Smile there is music from Limelight, City Lights and tracks that will feel like completely new discoveries on Quint’s recording.

The concert will not be, according to the website, strictly music by Chaplin. It will also include music by Debussy, Stravinsky, Brahms, and Gershwin. Quint will perform to clips of Chaplin’s silent era films. There is also the promise of rare video footage of Chaplin conducting his orchestras in recording sessions.

Go here my interview with Quint about his project.

For tickets go here.

Photo by Isi Akahome/Courtesy of the artist’s website

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Gonzalez has two shows this weekend (one at The Soraya on Saturday and a second show at Irvine Barclay Theatre on Sunday) and she has invited Muñoz to join as her special guest.

When I spoke yesterday with Muñoz by phone he was effusive in his praise of Gonzalez, looking forward to performing different material and most importantly being truly and unapologetically himself.

You and Mandy were original cast members in In the Heights. How did your friendship develop and what stood out to you about her as both an actor and a person?

Oh my gosh. It’s a dream to know Mandy. We nicknamed her “The Beast” as a cast during In the Heights.  Her work ethic, she is invincible, she’s a powerhouse and she puts everything – her heart, her soul, her guts – into everything she does. And she’s really a trustworthy confidant in my life. To have been friends and colleagues all these years is a genuine gift in my life.

How did your joining her for these shows come about?

There was a school opening for a new rehearsal space and theatre and part of the celebration was she and I sang together. I sang The Impossible Dream. For all the years we have known each other, we have know each other in the very specific style of Lin-Manuel Miranda. We rarely get to hear each other sing other types of material. And it really sparked a conversation between us about doing something together.

I jumped at the chance to perform with her and also to learn from her. The concert circuit isn’t something I do very often. She’s mastered this art and what a beautiful way to learn from one of my dearest old friends in the business.

What can people expect from the concerts?

Folks can expect the same powerhouse passionate performance from Mandy and I will bring in some Latin style and some classics that are dear to me. We’ll share our In the Heights and Hamilton journeys that are so special to us. This will show off a different style of what I do. There are other colors to what I do.

You live your life unapologetically on all levels. You are openly gay. You were open about your battle with cancer during the run of Hamilton and you are open about being HIV positive. No doubt there are people who discouraged you to do that. What would the price be to your soul if you weren’t as open as you are?

It would mean no happiness. It would be like a cancer growing in my heart. It’s how I’m built. It’s who I am. I see artists and celebrities do this pseudo-activism where they become a name and face for something, but they don’t get their hands dirty. This is literally how I was born and raised. I have been an activist since high school. This is as vital to me as much as my art is.

I assume you specifically chose the word cancer?

I didn’t use that lightly. It would kill me to not be part of the efforts and energies in the world to change things. To help those who need help. To give food to those who don’t have it. It’s part of my life’s blood. I won’t ever apologize for that. That’s the work I do.

You told GQ that you flew to California to have a face-to-face with the person who transmitted HIV to you a couple years after your diagnosis. When he said nothing, you said you realized, “how much pain he must be in.”  How do you think that compassion influences your approach to the characters you play and the songs you sing?

I really am drawn to the imperfection in all of us because I see it in myself and I look at it and I try to love it and own it. I see my friends doing the same – trying to throw away the parts of themselves that are not so accepted in our society according to our rules in society. I can’t help but see that and think it is beautiful. Humanity is beautiful. We are all imperfect.

The theatre I want to do is the theatre that confronts ourselves and our humanity. I hope we walk away with a little more love around our imperfections. That’s where my performances come from. Act 2 in Hamilton is pretty intense. But I’m sitting in the living history of what could have inspired those choices. How can I love that story? How can I sit in that skin and tell that story to the audience? That is the great gift and power of the art form of theatre.

When you returned to Hamilton after cancer treatments you started a garden on the roof of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Did someone take that over when you left the show?

Unfortunately it is gone. When I left I took what I could from the garden that I could sustain in smaller pots and bring them home. A lot of fans gave me gifts for the garden, but there was no one there to take care of it. It is something I think about often and it was a cherished place. When I got to the final day of removing the soil and the space where it lived, I couldn’t do it. I was sad to let it go.

As a teenager you played a guard in The King and I and knew you’d found your destiny. If you could go back and give that teenager advice about what his life would be and how best to navigate it, what would you tell him?

I would tell him… (and he takes a long pause) I would talk to him about self-worth. I would say to him the hardest journey is going to be saying yes to what life and the universe is going to offer you. You are going to deserve it. I was a hard worker then and I am now. Nothing came as a gift. No one handed anything to me. I would tell myself to make choices that were true to your self-worth because you deserve it. You deserve to be happy.

Photos of Javier Muñoz courtesy of Javier Muñoz

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The show is advertised as songs from Stephen Schwartz to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Given that Gonzalez played “Elphaba” in Wicked, that helps guide what the Schwartz component will be. Obviously the two Miranda shows are signposts for what that aspect of the show might offer. What happens in between…who knows? But it will be good!

I saw Gonzalez perform last year at Feinstein’s at the Nikko in San Francisco. She’s utterly charming, makes interesting song choices (maybe you’ll get to hear Born to Run, too) and she sings like an angel.

Joining her for these two shows is an alumnus from Hamilton: Javier Muñoz. He made headlines when he was chosen to replace Miranda as the title character in the musical. That wasn’t the first time he had assumed a role Miranda had played. He also took over the role of Usnavi in In the Heights.

Gonzalez and Muñoz are good friends. Which is very clear in this backstage video they posted while he was in Hamilton.

Good friends. Good chemistry. Hugely talented.

The post Mandy Gonzalez: Live in Concert appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Pizzarelli has two local performances. The first, on Friday night at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, features the work of Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. On Saturday he and his trio will be performing at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center.

I recently spoke with Pizzarelli by phone about his passion for the singer who made such songs as “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy” and “Mona Lisa” standards.

You previously recorded two albums dedicated to Cole. How and why does Cole continue to inspire you?

Nat “King” Cole is the reason I do what I do. He inspires me on a daily basis. It just doesn’t stop. What propelled the making of this record is I got back to just working with piano, bass and guitar, which I hadn’t done in years. I was really enjoying that. The centennial was coming and this was a good time to do this. 

When it came time to doing a third album, how did you decide which songs to include and which songs to exclude?

I always try to pick the jazz tunes, quote unquote, and I never pick any of the popular tunes. It’s always about the tempos for me. I’m trying to find three up-tempo things to make an arc of some sort, even though people don’t listen to records like that anymore. We [the trio*] have been playing “Paper Moon,” “Route 66” and “Straighten Up and Fly Right” a lot. This is the group I’m playing with and I wanted to include those.

Do you make new discoveries when you re-record a song like “Paper Moon?”

I love playing that arrangement. It felt effortless from playing it a lot in the last few years. I felt we really had it down so let’s make a record so it sounds as effortless as it feels. It’s like the greatest thing I could play. You know how people feel when they hear the first notes of “In the Mood?” That’s how I feel with “Paper Moon” and Nat “King” Cole.

Beyond wanting people to enjoy your record are you hoping they’ll go back and listen to what Cole did with these songs?

Oh sure. I think that’s the fun part. Where did he find this? I’ve done that with other people’s records and I hope they’ll do it with mine.

In today’s “gone in 60 seconds” culture, what would you tell people is the reason Nat “King” Cole is still relevant today?

Everything about him is flawless. He’s natural and sincere, whatever songs he’s singing. And he’s an amazing jazz musician. Everyone keeps discovering him and it is every generation. But Nat Cole has this other thing that just doesn’t go away. It’s a stunning story and musically, every time I listen to him I think, “I can’t believe what they’re doing and where they’re going.”

You seem deeply passionate about Cole.

I’m promoting myself, but this guy got me here. Nobody had the material he did. He cultivated this group of songwriters who kept throwing these songs at him: “When Sunny Gets Blue,” “Walking My Baby Back Home,” “Red Sails in the Sunset.” No one has this interesting catalog of songs.

Cole once said “I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.” Is that how you see your work?

I guess I’m trying to convey that. I do stay away from a lot of the material that is more story-like. He sings the hell out of “Nature Boy.” I like that  song, but I don’t know if I’m the one to tell that story. There’s a certain storytelling that goes on with singing. The thing I’ve always gone back to is Rosemary Clooney came to see us and she said, “Just keep telling the truth.” That’s the best way to think of it. The second you are phony they’ll always know it. That would be the part I have in mind when I’m approaching the material.

*The musicians who make up Pizzarelli’s trio are Mike Karn on double bass and Konrad Paszudzki on piano.

For tickets at Irvine Barclay go here.  For tickets at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center go here.

Main photo by Brian K. Saunders.

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Last week I wrote about how I discovered Ms. Salvant when she opened for Bryan Ferry at the Hollywood Bowl. You can read about my admiration of this amazingly talented woman. For now, the best thing to do is just let you hear Cécile McLoran Salvant sing!

Photo by Mark Fitton

The post Cécile McLorin Salvant appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Salvant is doing two shows next week at The Soraya (Valley Performing Arts Center) on April 18 and 19. Seating will be on the stage providing an intimate experience with this one-of-a-kind artist. For those of you who think going to Northridge isn’t worth the effort, let me assure you. It absolutely is to witness Salvant. (If you are in Orange County, she will be performing at the Barclay Center in Irvine on the 20th.)

Salvant clearly relishes legendary performers such as Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald and others. But what she possesses is the ability not just to sing a song, but to approach every lyric like the best possible storyteller. And she doesn’t have to do a thing to show what she’s doing. She completely embodies the concept of keeping it simple – as this video from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris shows. Imagine being in line waiting for a flight and hearing this:

I’m certainly not the only one who has noticed. She won a Grammy Award in 2016 for her album For One to Love. She was awarded a second Grammy earlier this year for her most recent release, Dreams and Daggers.

Last year Fred Kaplan in The New Yorker said of her performance at the Village Vanguard: “…it was clear right away that the hype was justified. She sang with perfect intonation, elastic rhythm, an operatic range from thick lows to silky highs. She had emotional range, too, inhabiting different personas in the course of a song, sometimes even a phrase—delivering the lyrics in a faithful spirit while also commenting on them, mining them for unexpected drama and wit.”

She also makes interesting choices in material. Though many singers have sung “People,” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl, there aren’t too many who have chosen to do “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty.”

If you attended Bill Charlap’s show at the Broad Stage in February, you got a chance to hear Salvant. But these two shows at The Soraya are all hers. And they should be all yours, too. Simply put, I’m mad about the girl. Thankfully Bryan Ferry was, too.

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