The Budapest Café Orchestra

Don’t let their trilby hats fool you, these are serious musicians, with a very special sense of humour. Chris Garrick (violin), Eddie Hession (accordion), Kelly Cantlon (double-bass) and Adrian Zolotuhin (guitar, saz  & balalaika) are great entertainers. They played most unorthodox versions of Grieg and Brahms alongside music from Hungary, Turkey, Romania and wherever else a good tune can be found and set to their own style of mischievous harmonies and infectious rhythms. Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ was stretched out on an extraordinary creaking string.

The music was amplified by Steve Parfrement, transforming Ropetackle’s dry acoustic into a stone-vaulted Bierkeller – quite magical!

Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, 20 September 2012
Rating:
Andrew Connal