Some Pop Stars Understand Classical Music?
A qualified yes, answers this article. I’m not sure I agree with the assessment, but I do concur that pop stars dabbling in classical is ‘definitely a white thing…and always has been. It was Gershwin who first wrote a jazz concerto, not Armstrong or Ellington. Miles Davis wanted nothing to do with what he called “dead-ass shit,” and you wouldn’t have caught Little Richard or Ray Charles dabbling in it.’ Further: ‘The classical bug bit when pop decided it was time to become “important.” It really got underway with prog-rock bands such as Emerson Lake & Palmer (pictured), the Nice, and Yes. If you want a defining moment, it’s the day in September 1969 when Malcolm Arnold, vastly prolific composer of symphonies and film scores, led the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in…”Concerto for Group and Orchestra” with Deep Purple.’
