Alison Balsom plays Sketches of Spain

Balsom and Guildhall Jazz Ensemble give their take on Miles Davis’s ground-breaking concept album Sketches of Spain, which picked up where Kind of Blue left off in questioning the very nature of jazz. Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, written for acoustic guitar and orchestra, doesn’t immediately strike you as a likely starting point for creating a jazz classic. But Davis’s unique blend of cool-bop lyricism and intensely focused solos, combined with orchestrator Gil Evans’s intoxicating and mysterious harmonies, did exactly that. It all adds up to an album as fresh today as it was when recorded over half a century ago – and Balsom is a trumpet player with all the necessary tools to recreate its moody, heady atmosphere once again. Working closely with talented musicians from her alma mater Guildhall School of Music & Drama – a vital part of the role for every Milton Court Artist-in-Residence – Balsom and co promise a fearless performance that’s perfectly in the spirit of such an icon.

Barbican Hall