Nigel Kennedy changed the course of classical music in the late
1980s with his interpretation of Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’. He
was revolutionary: in his performance and presentation; in his
technique and his open-minded attitude. A natural boundary-pusher
and musical adventurer, Nigel Kennedy blew minds - and sales
records - as he became the best-selling violinist of all time.
Instead of an Introduction, Nigel opens with a tongue-in-cheek
‘Warning’: readers should beware of his politically incorrect
writing style and his frank take on the BBC, record companies, the
Bavarian Police and any other ‘self-appointed wielders of
power.’ It sets the tone for a truly original memoir that is as
playful, unconventional and carefully executed as his music. The
book is structured like a musical performance, with
‘Interludes’, ‘Outros’ and an ‘Encore’ separating the
regular chapters which cover Nigel’s life story, from his humble
beginnings and scholarship to the newly created Yehudi Menuhin
School - and then New York at The Juilliard School - to his
flourishing career and break-through as a world-class superstar.
‘Interludes’ cover subjects varying from Nigel’s best and
worst gigs (“It might seem strange that shit gigs stick in the
mind so much more than the good ones but I suppose it makes
sense…”), to run-ins with rock stars and Police forces around
the world. His anecdote on the London Metropolitan Police’s
handling of a noise complaint at an after-show all-star jam is
particularly funny: “These guys (the Met) were cheerful, they
dealt with the situation and didn’t escalate the problem when
there wasn’t one. 10/10” ‘Outros’ cover Nigel’s thoughts
on classical music today - fascinating reading from the perspective
of a virtuoso - to Brexit, where the spelling of the word alone
leaves the reader in little doubt as to which side of the fence the
author sits. ‘Encores’ is a comprehensive section on Nigel’s
recorded output, covering his early classical work, the Four
Seasons and later albums. There are insights into his work with
rock musicians including Robert Plant, the late drummer Michael
Lee, Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman, and producers Eddie Kramer
(Jimmy Hendrix) and John Leckie (Stone Roses). Nigel’s writing on
Gershwin, Yehudi Menuhin, Stephan Grappelli (‘my biggest
inspiration’), Jimi Hendrix and the Doors is compelling. Nigel
writes of his interests outside music - boxing and football - which
provide inspiration and balance to his creative output (on Aston
Villa - “a true blessing for me to have an outlet in which I was
surrounded by normal, honest, hard-working people who did ‘proper
jobs’”). There is a splendid chapter on ‘Kitchen Golf’, a
not-without-risk variation of the game, conjured up with close
friend and mischief-maker Gary Lineker, during a messy late night
kitchen session. “My whole life has been spent breaking down
barriers between people and this book is proof of that.” states
Nigel in his ‘Warning’. It’s a Mission Statement borne out in
‘Uncensored’ with aplomb.
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