Mainly Mozart has been celebrating the 250th birthday of its famous namesake in a style that befits the great composer and his beloved music. For the last concert of its 10th annual Spotlight Series, the bi-national San Diego arts organization brings British jazz trumpet star Guy Barker back for his fourth Mainly Mozart appearance.
A distinguished and award-winning musician and composer, Barker has enchanted audiences here with his works inspired by the characters in Mozart’s operas.
The premiere performances of “Amadeus Jazz Suite” by the Guy Barker Octet take place the weekend of April 28. The group will appear Friday in Tijuana and Saturday at a special event at Lindbergh Field. On Sunday, April 30, they will play in the acoustically exquisite auditorium of The Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla.
For those who have heard Barker in previous concerts, his performing Mozart-inspired compositions may sound familiar. Indeed, he has presented a few of them since his first Mainly Mozart appearance here almost seven years ago. But while the source is the same ” the operas of the renowned Austrian composer ” this is an altogether fresh and different body of work.
“In 1999, I was asked [by Mainly Mozart] to compose some jazz pieces for a quintet based on Mozart’s opera characters,” Barker explained in a recent e-mail from Europe. “Several years later, I have composed a brand new suite of pieces for a larger ensemble of nine musicians. This is all new work composed this year, based on several opera characters I have not visited before.”
These characters include Zerlina from “Don Giovanni,” Dorabella and Despina from “Cosi Fan Tutte” and three key characters from “The Marriage of Figaro.” The finale of the “Amadeus Jazz Suite” centers on Tamino, Pamina and the Three Ladies from the “Magic Flute.”
Barker won’t be going it alone in bringing these roles alive through his compositions. In fact, his octet is comprised of top-notch musicians well versed in jazz, classical and other genres. Los Angeles-based pianist Roger Kellaway is not only a composer like Barker, but a Grammy-winner arranger as well. One of his best-known works is “Remembering You,” the closing theme of the 1970s TV series, “All in the Family.”
Hailing from Italy, alto sax player Rosario Giuliani is a regular member of Barker’s European quintet. He has played with jazz legends Charlie Haden and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, among many others. Terry Harrington, who doubles on clarinet and tenor sax, is a busy studio musician in Los Angeles.
The others have local ties. Drummer/percussionist Jim Plank performs with the San Diego Symphony, as well as many area and national jazz groups. Baritone saxophonist John Rekevics, another composer/performer, teaches at San Diego State University. Trumpeter Brad Steinwehe has taught at SDSU, Palomar College and Miramar College. Last year, trombonist Scott Kyle released his album “Full Circle,” an homage to jazz pioneers that was recorded in a San Diego studio. Completing the lineup is San Diego bass great Bob Magnusson, whose new solo album titled “Liquid Lines” will be released in May.
With richly varied careers, these musicians are definitely up to the task of performing Barker’s jazz interpretations of Mozart’s operas. Barker himself has played trumpet with a broad range of artists, from George Michael and Sting to Carla Bley and Ornette Coleman. His critically acclaimed 2004 album called “Soundtracks” featured his beautifully crafted, half-hour-long composition which honored the music of 1950s film noir and used individual instruments to identify characters.
It’s no surprise, then, that the fascinating roles in Mozart’s operas have intrigued Barker since his first serious encounter with them in 1999.
“I realize that the Amadeus suite is an ever-growing piece,” Barker said. “One day I expect the pieces to grow in number, as will the groups of musicians that play them, and I thank the Mainly Mozart Festival for continuing this journey.”
The Guy Barker Octet performs “Amadeus Jazz Suite” on Sunday, April 30, 7 p.m., at The Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive. Other performances: Friday, April 28, 8 p.m., at El Foro, Antiguo Jai Alai, Ave. Revolución, Tijuana, tickets $5, $15 and $30; Saturday, April 29, cocktails at 7 p.m., concert at 8 p.m., Jimsair Hangar, Lindbergh Field, San Diego, tickets $42.
For tickets and information for all concerts call (619) 239-0100, or visit www.mainlymozart.org.