aaamusic | On 17, Nov 2010

London, ,12/11/2010

On Friday lunchtime I had the pleasure of attending James Rhodes’ album showcase for his forthcoming record Bullets & Lullabies. The release follows his two critically acclaimed studio albums to date – his 2009 debut Razor Blades Little Pills and Big Pianos and the 2010 follow-up Now Would All Freudians Please Stand Aside. In listening to Rhodes play you are subscribing to an experience that far transcends the music; you are taken into the convoluted minds and lives of the composers he admires, you are drawn into the life and experiences of Rhodes himself, you become as engrossed in the man as in the music he plays. Rhodes openly speaks of the role of music within his own life as a form of escapism and salvation, something that becomes obvious when watching him perform. He obviously has a great affinity for the pieces he chooses to play as his knowledge and admiration for the composers and their work was made clear not only through his performance but also through the introductory and insightful talk he gave on each piece.

During the showcase Rhodes played a selection of classical pieces from some of the worlds greatest composers. Whilst importantly retaining the essence and authenticity of the pieces he played, Rhodes demonstrated the ability to uniquely infuse such pieces with his own personality and vitality thus removing any sense of pretension that is often associated with this genre. Rhodes’ unassuming style of performance creates a presence around him that has the ability to bring what is often seen as a distant and inaccessible form of music for a large portion of our contemporary society to the masses without taking anything away from the original masterpieces. Bullets and Lullabies is split into two discs each fitting the corresponding name and will feature Rhodes’ performance of compositions by musicians including Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and Grieg.

Rhodes is a true musician who I cannot recommend highly enough, his talent is obvious and speaks for itself, the fascinating life of the man and the lack of pretension exhibited in his style of performance makes his music even more alluring. Rhodes pours his very being onto every note he plays, submerging each piece in a sense of passion and urgency to create an unparalleled beauty that anyone can appreciate and admire.

(Bullets and Lullabies is set for release on 6^th December, a television show entitled James Rhodes: Piano Man will also begin on Sky Arts 2 HD on Thursday 16^th December at 9pm)

Author: Alice Cuddy