George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess first opened on Broadway in 1935 and has ever since fascinated generation after generation, withstanding the passage of time through countless reinventions. There have been untold numbers of jazz cover versions, among which Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald stand out. The question of whether this classic therefore belongs in the classical or in the jazz world seems trivial, baffling, misplaced even.
"Porgy & Bess Revisited" proves this point by bringing together three very different personalities who thrive in both those worlds – the debonair Knut Erik Sundquist, the phlegmatic Pascal Schumacher and the flamboyant Nicolas Dautricourt. Although reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western, this multi-layered composition marks the start of a beautiful and daring adventure outside the familiar confines of classical and jazz. It strikes a fine balance between the improvised and the pre-composed, between control and free-form experiment, a fitting tribute to this timeless musical masterpiece.
Porgy and Bess’ fantasy world knows no bounds, so it has taken both courage and humility to put yet another spin on this score and give it a new contemporary, intemporal narrative. In Gershwin’s own words, ‘life is a lot like jazz… it is best when you improvise’. © Nicolas Dautricourt/Orchid Classics