Lalo Schifrin & The LSO
London Barbican
10th April, 2008

View: seated stage-left, next to Fred from Lemon Jelly

This rare appearance by Schifrin, with the LSO, formed an ambitious part of this year’s La Linea Festival of Latin music in London. The Barbican was packed to the rafters and brimming with excitement as the grey-haired maestro slowly hit the stage, wearing a natty tux and cool reactolite shades. And over the next two hours, he just got cooler.

The first half throbbed with Afro- Cuban rhythms, the centrepiece a vibrant jazz quartet of bass, trumpet, drums and Schifrin’s piano, intertwined with the 80- strong professionalism that is the LSO. Familiar tunes such as Begin The Beguine and The Peanut Vendor were morphed into sinister, throbbing murder tunes, with killer strings and disjointed percussion, and his Dirty Harry Suite reminded you where the sound of screen pyschosis comes from.

The second half continued with a magical rendition of The Fox, some original Schifrin Symphonics and a spine-tingling suite of Enter The Dragon. A twisted, tequila-soaked El Salon Mexico and a homage to Schifrin’s biggest mentor, Dizzy Gillespie, brought the spellbound audience to an ovation. Unforgettable moments included a showboating trumpeter James Morrison, a mental drummer, and Schifrin’s wicked sense of humour. Standing ovations brought the man back for a classic version of Mission Impossible, and prompted even more jazz. It was an unforgettable night for the audience, soloists and Schifrin.

Reviewed by Jonny Trunk
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