# Badass violin and cello solos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471 "2013-01-26T21:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/21 "2013-01-28T06:42:25Z")
Itzhak Perlman - Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen [Itzhak Perlman Sarasate Zigeunerweisen - YouTube](http://youtu.be/wEmbFSiJzEQ?t=7m50s) ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/22 "2013-01-28T14:43:05Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I was at O’Hare a few weeks ago behind a very pretty blonde woman who had a violin case. As we went through security, I asked if she worried about subjecting her violin to the scan. She corrected me that it was a viola and we chatted a bit. I asked if she played any music other than classical, she asked what I meant, and I mentioned Hot Club jazz/ Grappelli. > > “Oh, I’m friends with Mark O’Connor” > > Bwah?! > > So we talk and it turns out she’s part of O’Connor’s gang of Appalachian / Hot Jazz players - her name is Carol Cook, she’s Scottish (IIRC) and has played with Mark, Yo Yo Ma, Edwin Meyer, etc - even recorded with O’Connor. It was a nice discussion. > > Obviously, she had the highest praise for O’Connor. Great story. I saw Mark O’Connor’s Appalachia Waltz Trio perform live about 5 years ago but he had a different viola player with him that time. It was a fantastic show. O’Connor has been putting videos on youtube for the last few years; he has over 160 videos up now. [Here is a pretty badass solo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_N64zWzT7M&list=SPAB8FFC33981455DC&index=4). Here he is (with some very talented friends) playing [Blue Men of the Sahara](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dTB0a2prdI&list=SPC6AB33BBA9250A93&index=4). It starts with a badass intro by Edgar Meyer. O’Connor really starts cooking around the 3:50 mark. Here he is playing his classical composition, [Caprice No. 3](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODU7AVEuKp8&list=PL7F9E7EEEF68A4B09&index=4) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/23 "2013-01-28T14:55:47Z")
[Gidon Kremer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gidon_Kremer) does some wicked violinining but it’s not always the easiest listening - check out his Schnittke recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/24 "2013-01-28T15:13:04Z")
Rushad Eggleston is a badass cello player- and a rather eccentric individual. I saw him perform when he was with Crooked Still and he did the whole show wearing a hot pink jumpsuit. Here he is playing [Witching Hour](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOesZbb2rTA). Here he is doing a [flying cello solo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-SAnNQJfI). Here he is with Crooked Still doing [Look On And Cry](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAeyi8IeKA). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/25 "2013-01-28T22:05:31Z")
Itzhak Perlman wins this thread. [Here he is again](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6SEv3icb7o), this time with “Flight of the Bumblebee.” My friend introduced me to this interpretation in a bar. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/26 "2013-01-29T13:57:11Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > and has played with Mark, Yo Yo Ma, Edwin Meyer, etc Is it too nitpicky to correct that to Edgar Meyer? Who would be a great place to start if you were looking for Bass (upright) solos. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/27 "2013-01-29T14:03:58Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Is it too nitpicky to correct that to Edgar Meyer? Who would be a great place to start if you were looking for Bass (upright) solos. Yes, thanks - I just noticed **Bumbershoot** corrected it a few posts up. Thanks to both of you. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/28 "2013-01-29T17:02:41Z")
For non-classical - “Purple Heather”, by Van Morrison, from the album, _Hard Nose the Highway_. It’s an arrangement of the traditional tune, “Wild Mountain Heather”, into maybe the preeminent example of Morrison’s Celtic Soul style. Killer piano & violin interaction, with Van scatting. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JcQDK3cc-0U/hqdefault.jpg "Purple Heather") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcQDK3cc-0U) Also, the violin on “And the Healing has begun”, from the _Into the Music_ album - the whole song is genius but it’s the violin that really wails. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZl96Bciv80) For classical, I keep going back to Jascha Heifetz. Live recording, Rondo from Mozart Serenade #7 [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVSgx7gKc_k) He’s just standing there, a normal looking old guy in a tux and another guy on a piano, and BOOM! magic happens. This recording of Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor (Allegretto) is not live, but it’s hands down one of my favorites. Just awe inspiring - [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JGo1jAyoWMI/hqdefault.jpg "Jascha Heifetz - Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor op.64 (Allegretto)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGo1jAyoWMI) ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471/29 "2013-01-29T17:07:20Z")
Another vote for Zoe Keating, and maybe check out [Estradasphere](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv0-95ltk3M) as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/badass-violin-and-cello-solos/648471.md?page=1)