Nigel Kennedy

The Cavern, Liverpool
13th & 14th of June

Reviewed by Ariadna Olteanu

Given Nigel Kennedy’s reputation, I knew I was going to be surprised – it was a new project, a jazz night with Krakow’s legendary Jarek Smietana Band – but nothing could have prepared me for this. He played to a small crowd in an intimate atmosphere – a perfect setting to watch his performance closely – about a metre away from the stage, actually… Nigel’s presence and his sense of humour won the audience over straight away, and his violin playing was phenomenal. In fact I was anticipating nothing less. Once the musicians started playing I was expecting some sort of cataclysm to occur any moment – the intensity was amazing. From classic pieces such as ‘Sidewinder’ and ‘Song for my Father’ to Hendrix’s ‘1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)’ (yes!) and some of Nigel’s heavier compositions from ‘Kafka’, it was just masterful. The communication between the musicians was sensational, each improvising, playing their solos and then fading back for Nigel Kennedy’s electric violin. It was music in its purest form. Personally, I was transfixed by the experience – I’ve always been a fan, but this was beyond imagination.