Peter Herbert (1960-)
You're My Thrill

Peter Herbert (cond)
Christine Tobin (voc)
Ensemble Plus

Bassist / composer Peter Herbert presents a new work, the main part of which, You’re my Thrill, for jazz vocalist, jazz piano and nonet, is an homage to Billie Holiday. The life of the singer, legendary even in her lifetime and probably the one most important voice in jazz, was marked by professional triumphs and private fiascos. From the songs Herbert used, including Gloomy Sunday, Solitude or Porgy, he only kept the text and intimations of the melody. The music for the Ensemble plus (a chamber orchestra of the Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra) is Peter Herbert’s own composition completely. The overwhelming result, for which UK singer Christine Tobin of course deserves her fair share of the credit, is acoustic chamber music based on songs interpreted by Billie Holiday. The title of the second part of the production is Communications Error for nonet and tape. In New York, social distinctions are particularly pronounced. A homeless person: “Would you have some change? Think of me as your son, Happy Mother’s Day …” Hardly anyone takes notice, let alone gives some change. A “subtle” communications error. A cry for help ignored. Communications Error for nonet and tape is about feeling one’s way towards possible nuances – perhaps some sort of musical reconciliation for hopelessly entangled human situations. The tape plays noises Peter Herbert recorded in the subway and in the streets of New York.