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This Thursday at the MCA, Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing takes the stage at 7 p.m. O’Connor, born in Seattle, Wash. in 1961, takes the swing style that was popular 30 years before his time and makes it new again.
The swing music of the 30s is based on jazz, but employing a larger band, with less improvisation and simpler harmonic and rhythmic patterns. O’Connor takes this style and makes it his own through application of his body of unique experiences.
Originally a guitarist, O’Connor switched to the fiddle at age 11. Three years later, he already had three national championships to brag about. Three decades later, he had won every major fiddle competition in the country, a Grammy, six consecutive Musician of the Year awards from the Country Music Association, and collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and James Taylor. He has contributed to the musical scores in several movies and television features, including “Gods and Generals” and “The Patriot.” He has been known to play many genres of music, including classical, country, bluegrass and jazz.
As if all of his awards and collaborations didn’t make him distinguished enough, O’Connor can skateboard. He has, on occasion, been known to play fiddle while skateboarding. He once played a 45-minute show without leaving his skateboard in order to impress a young crowd.
Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing is a tribute to Paris-born violinist Stephane Grappelli, one of O’Connor’s mentors. Grappelli was known for founding Quintette du Hot Club de France alongside another of O’Connor’s mentors, jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Joining him onstage this Thursday will be Jon Burr on bass; Bryan Sutton, guitar; Howard Alden, also guitar; and Roberta Gambarini on vocals.
