Badass violin and cello solos

[rowrrbazzle]

Itzhak Perlman - Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen Itzhak Perlman Sarasate Zigeunerweisen - YouTube

[Bumbershoot]

@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.

Here he is (with some very talented friends) playing Blue Men of the Sahara. 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

[Gyrate]

Gidon Kremer does some wicked violinining but it’s not always the easiest listening - check out his Schnittke recordings.

[Bumbershoot]

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.

Here he is doing a flying cello solo.

Here he is with Crooked Still doing Look On And Cry.

[EmilyG]

Itzhak Perlman wins this thread. Here he is again, this time with “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

My friend introduced me to this interpretation in a bar.

[Quercus]

@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.

[WordMan]

@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.

[Merneith]

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.

Purple Heather

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

For classical, I keep going back to Jascha Heifetz.

Live recording, Rondo from Mozart Serenade #7

- YouTube

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 -

Jascha Heifetz - Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor op.64 (Allegretto)

[Cuckoorex]

Another vote for Zoe Keating, and maybe check out Estradasphere as well.