Kurt Weill

At the Rose Theatre Ute Lemper and Wynton Marsalis headed a lineup of fifteen superb jazz  musicians who paid tribute to the music of Kurt Weill.   Ms Lemper is an established interpreter of Weill's work so it must have been a very interesting journey for her to explore her familiar repertoire in totally new arrangements created by many of the ensemble's players. They created wonderfully exotic images which ranged from seedy waterfront locales in the South American jungles to waterside dives and even New Orleans funeral parades. Some relished the beguines and tangos and others were thick with canons of brass and riots of war cries. Ms Lemper was a cat ready to pounce. She seized the songs and spat them out with wryness and raw sexuality, anger and loss. Her face is a theatre. She evokes Dietrich and, now especially, Garbo. She is a master musician and now can add jazz to her trophies. She clearly loved the lads. A highlight amongst them all was the trumpet duet she did vocally with Mr Marsalis at the top of Act 2.  She became a trumpet!  She is incredible. And  so is Mr Marsalis  (tt)