Stories from the West Side
4 videos • 0 views • by Aurél Holló When we first played together with Aurél, it became clear to all of us that we had to create something lasting together. Our trio, with Zoltán Kovács and György Jeszenszky, has been performing together for over ten years; we’re a well-synced team. Aurél brought a fresh tone and enthusiasm into our band. His professionalism, refined with Amadinda and the UMZE Chamber Ensemble, blended perfectly with his love of jazz, so from the very beginning, we spoke the same language musically. Two years ago, for my own reference, I wrote down what I felt were the most important songs from Bernstein’s masterpiece. When I thought about what might connect Aurél and me, West Side Story seemed like a natural choice. Leonard Bernstein was a great interpreter of classical works, a composer of contemporary pieces, and someone with a true jazz heart—just like Aurél. West Side Story conveys timeless values. It inherited its theme from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, of course, but it also allows space for fresh interpretations. I hope our rendition will spark new thoughts in the listener. For I Feel Pretty, I asked my colleagues to capture the dizzying passion and intensity of a poor, love-struck girl who, in her joy, feels she could knock down the house. Of course, we know her future is fraught with struggle and youthful tragedy, but in this moment, she is wildly, unbridledly carefree. In Gee, Officer Krupke, Sondheim brilliantly describes why children from tough circumstances so often turn to deviance. Bernstein adds humor and irony to the interpretation. We wanted to play the kids’ joy of life. Sure, they might become dictators or criminals, but right now they aren’t—and with a favorable turn of events, maybe they never will be. Somewhere is a prayer. It’s no coincidence that it’s been covered frequently lately. Turf wars are still bloody battles. We’re left staring in amazement, wondering what could be so valuable in the Sahel, Ukraine, or the Middle East that hundreds of thousands die in these struggles. My grandparents’ and parents’ generations experienced the horrors of live burials, assaults, concentration camps, and deportations. Our generation has mostly avoided such things, but a sense of anxiety, the potential for terror, has etched itself into our nervous systems. Somewhere hopes, pleads, and demands that there be a place and time where these insane turf wars are just distant, faint memories. America is Bernstein’s most famous song. When I transcribed it, I noticed that the maestro obsessively pits three against four, both rhythmically and melodically. It’s a magical piece, like a sacred symbol or a stable crystal structure. The song speaks about the doubts, challenges, and hopes of those seeking a place in the New World, with humor and irony. Tonight and especially Maria are about love, the purest and most beautiful human emotion. When we recorded Maria and listened back, the four of us marveled at the many stories we’d told through our improvisations. It felt as if we understood love in many ways, but only its beautiful faces. We’re lucky guys. Gábor Juhász