The very words "Nigel Kennedy" are enough to raise hackles in some circles. The self-consciously punk sensibility of the spiky-haired violinist who spurned white tie and tails, and who was as adept at glottal stops as he was utilising double-stops on his fiddle, irritated the hell out of the classical establishment in his youth. In incipient middle age, his antics - such as punching knuckle to knuckle with his orchestra's leader after the successful conclusion of a movement - strike others as either ludicrous, or as fool-like pandering to the middlebrow audiences who can never attend too many performances of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Enough of that. His classical concerts are showy, yes, but also exhilarating. And the debates over whether he squandered the opportunity to be the next Menuhin have overshadowed one fact: that
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Kennedy is one of the most talented and exciting jazz violinists on the planet. True, he leads in a limited field. But his forthcoming CD on Blue Note, his first jazz album for many years, finds him holding his own with an illustrious cast which includes saxophonist Joe Lovano, drummer Jack De Johnette and veteran double bassist Ron Carter. Kennedy inhabits old favourites like Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue and Horace Silver's Song For My Father as though they were clothes he has long worn. And he refreshes them too, for they are seldom heard on a violin.
Even better than this is the chance to catch him live with his terrific Polish jazz group. His virtuosity, sense of time and daring approach make for sets that positively sizzle. He'll be over this autumn. Go. Be surprised. And remember why there was such a fuss over Kennedy in the first place. 
FIRST POSTED AUGUST 24, 2006
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