Newbury Spring Festival: Budapest Café Orchestra, at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday, May 13. Review by TONY TRIGWELL-JONES.
CERTAINLY at the smaller end of Newbury Spring Festival orchestras, the four-piece gypsy swing and folk ensemble, Budapest Café Orchestra delighted a sold-out crowd at the Corn Exchange on Saturday.
Combining virtuosic musicianship with light, larger-than-life characters and a handful of visual gags, their exciting set ran the gamut of traditional music, from classical to pop drawing influences from across the globe.
Band leader Christian Garrick’s roguish charm and occasional antics give way to some jaw-dropping performances, whether he’s managing swift, complex dynamic changes through Manuel de Falla’s Fire Dance or making the strings of his violin soar in their original composition The Maids of Schielling.
It becomes clear why he is considered one of the finest jazz violinists in the world, with an illustrious career working with luminaries such as Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, as well as Winton Marsalis and Caro Emerald.
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Garrick’s excellent working relationship with button accordionist Eddie Hession is quickly apparent during the second number (originally by Taraf), in which the two have lots of fun playing a call and response between their two instruments.
Hession himself is an exceptional performer, playing with what appears to be a sixth sense, his fingers dancing over the myriad buttons without skipping a beat. He is also a highly celebrated artist across many genres of music, having worked with everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to Chris Rea.
The enigmatic Sultan (Adrian Zolotuhin) is an authority on all things strung, playing guiter, saz and domra in this set. In the second half, his witty and informative lecture on Russian musical traditions brings a new dimension to the performance (if you’re not laughing, you’re learning).
But it’s his playing that left audiences awestruck whether he was keeping us guessing with a well-paced Misirlou (on saz) or performing an ode to the domra (which was almost wiped out by Tsar Mikhailovich in the 17th century) with intricate, passionate syncopation.
Providing some backbone on the bass was one of Jimmy James’ former Vagabonds, Kelly Cantion who plucked, strummed and bowed his way through this varied, entertaining evening without batting an eyelid.
This was the Budapest Café Orchestra’s third visit to Newbury Spring Festival – let’s hope it’s not their last.
If they do return in future years, book early – you won’t be disappointed!