The Hallé – Kind of Blue: 100 Years of Rhapsody in Blue at The Bridgewater Hall

Gershwin Strike Up the Band
Gershwin Lullaby for string orchestra
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue 100th anniversary
Davis Symphonic Kind of Blue orchestrated and arranged By Guy Barker

Miles Davis made many stand-out records in his long career but Kind of Blue from 1959 is arguably his finest. A masterly blend of small band composition and jazz improvisation of the very highest order, it stands today as the biggest-selling, and perhaps best-loved, jazz recording of the post-war era. Guy Barker’s fascination with Miles’s music offers a very personal insight into the emotional depth of the original recording. Guy, an artist with a rare command of large-scale instrumental resources, has combined orchestral sweep with swing and a string of fine soloists to re-created an unparalleled arrangement for orchestra and big band.

Guy Barker’s career has encompassed work with artists such as Paloma Faith, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Sting, Alison Balsom, Anthony Minghella and countless others across a vast array of genres. He has carved out a niche as one of the planet’s most inventive and respected jazz composers/arrangers.