Live at the Village presents Francois Rabbath in concert on Sunday, September 11, 2pm at the Presbyterian Church, 160 Macquarie Rd, Springwood. A legend among bassists, Francois Rabbath is described as a pied piper who can make the humble bass sing like an orchestra. At Springwood he will play two sets of about 30 minutes with his son, the jazz pianist Sylvain Rabbath. There will be jazz standards and some of Francois’ own compositions.
As a teenager, 70 years ago in Beirut, Francois fell in love with the bass and taught himself to play. He saved up, went to Paris and found work backing the likes of Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. He wrote music for films and theatre and is said to have played with Simon and Garfunkel, the Moody Blues and The Beatles. In the early 60s Quincy Jones encouraged him to record and in 1975 he made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall with jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He is a magical performer.
Rabbath’s individual style has inspired composers to write for him and some say that through his teaching he has revolutionised the way the bass is played. His importance to double bass playing has been compared with Paganini’s to the violin. In the 1800s Paganini established the violin as a virtuoso instrument for solos.
Unlimited by genre, Rabbath can make the bass sound like a range of string instruments, he plays all of the Bach cello suites, pop, folk, jazz and his own fascinating compositions.
The Sunday afternoon concert will be held in the tiny historic Presbyterian Church in Springwood’s main street. On line bookings are coming from across Sydney and as far away as Canberra. Seating is limited.
Tickets: $35/$25 concession. From the Turning Page Bookshop, Springwood, 4751 5171. Or www.trybooking.com/219892
