Adelaide raised now London based cellist William Jack was for me a highlight of Adelaide Fringe 2024, performing tracks from his first solo album This Old Cello Box, recorded in Adelaide during a previous visit in 2021.
Whilst here last year he recorded a second album, sequentially entitled This Old Cello Box Vol 2, and tracks from this album form part of his concert today. Elsewhere there are some repeat songs from last year, and some new choices including some very recently written original pieces.
Having studied cello at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and then in Vienna Will knows his classics, establishing his classical credentials with a performance of a Bach prelude. However those expecting a concert of entirely classical solo cello music are immediately disabused when he opens the performance by stating that his first musical hero was Chuck Berry, the source of inspiration for his first selection from the new album, a song called Tell Tchaikovsky The News. With some musical quotes from Tchaikovsky, but also with some guitar slide!
Forever experimenting with how he can find new sounds for the cello, a peg is attached to one of the strings to achieve a Middle Eastern sound for Lights Of Dubai, from the first album. Another standout from that album is a song that references one of his favourite places in Adelaide – Morialta.
Oasis’ Wonderwall is back. As too is his outstanding version of Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love. But this year he is singing more, and a tasteful version of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon is a real highlight. His Beatles choice this year is a medley of Lady Madonna and Penny Lane. Penny Lane in particular is a great choice and his arrangement is sublime.
Another track from the new album, A Favourite Place resonates beautifully, before he brings out his ‘party piece’ – turning his cello horizontally and playing it like a guitar for one of his most popular tracks – Cellopickin’. The effect in some ways sounds a little like bluegrass music, and he related his huge surprise when he found that Spotify had included his track on a Bluegrass playlist. Brand new Bowdown Hoedown continued in this vein.
As with last year, Will ends his performance with an Irish jig, Samantha’s Jig, written for his sister. All in all an eclectic selection, but once again a very enjoyable afternoon.