From Mark Kelso, creator of The Elvis Goes Jazz Project:
"In February of 2022, Oliver Vadas (Organizer of the West End Jazz Festival) contacted me regarding playing drums for a project of classic Elvis Presley tunes done in a jazz format. Being an Elvis fan myself, I was intrigued by this possibility. The original arranger had to suddenly remove himself from the project due to a family emergency, so I ended up taking on the arranging duties myself. For the first performance I was able to put together 18 classic Elvis tunes, spanning the 1950’s to the 1970’s, using the big band styles of Frank Sinatra, some New Orleans grooves, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. What an interesting mix! For me, the main focus was to change the songs in a way that would make them interesting to a jazz listener (and the musicians playing) but without being disrespectful to the original songs and melodies. All and all, with these fabulous players, I think we have succeeded in doing just that!"
Featuring:
Mark Kelso (drums, leader, arranger), David Statham (lead vocals), Colleen Allen (tenor sax), Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Mike Downes (acoustic bass), Ewen Farncombe (piano), Karen Thornton (host) – Click on Karen’s name for her bio
