Bill Murray goes classical and releases an album
<p>It was on a trans-Atlantic flight from Berlin to New York in early 2013 when actor and comedian Bill Murray met German cellist Jan Vogler. Through this chance encounter the pair struck up a friendship, sharing enthuse for each other’s artistic worlds and interests, and soon after, decided to work together on a musical project.</p>
<p>The result? An unexpected and enchanting collaboration of music and literature, marking Murray’s first classical music album.</p>
<p>“After we knew each other [for] a little bit, I invited him one night to go to this Poetry Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and then a couple of days later said:<span> </span><em>You know, we could do this. We could do a show with this</em>,” says Bill Murray.</p>
<p>The debut album<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://umusi.cc/BMNewWorldsMR" target="_blank"><span><em>New Worlds</em></span></a>, features songs paired with literary readings, which are brought to life with classical music.</p>
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<p>Murray – as both singer and narrator – brings his charm and wit to songs by George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, and recites the works of Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway, and Mark Twain.</p>
<p>He is joined by musicians Jan Vogler (cello), Mira Wang (violin), and Vanessa Perez (piano) – each at the top of their fields to bring together an unexpected collective of creative forces.</p>
<p>“We are from four different continents,” Murray told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/arts/music/bill-murray-new-worlds-jan-vogler.html" target="_blank"><span><em>The New York Times</em></span></a>. “And when the continents come together, the music moves right across the peninsulas from one to the other. It’s just a short journey from one continent to the other.”</p>
<p>The 67-year-old<em><span> </span>Groundhog Day</em><span> </span>star recognises no limits. With a penchant for<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://time.com/3378575/bill-murray-crashed-birthday-danced-to-turn-down-for-what/" target="_blank"><span>crashing parties</span></a><span> </span>or showing up in the most<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.billmurraystory.com/" target="_blank"><span>unexpected places</span></a>, Murray has however had an ever-present passion for literature, particularly poetry.</p>
<p>He has also made past vocal appearances. A recent musical collaboration was with former<span> </span><em>The Late Show</em><span> </span>bandleader, Paul Shaffer for the upbeat song ‘Happy Street’, and performed festive tunes with George Clooney and Miley Cyrus on his 2015 Netflix special,<span> </span><em>A Very Murray Christmas</em>.</p>
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<p>Though the classical direction may be a bit of a surprise, the eccentric comedian and actor has forged an independent Hollywood career and seems to love exploring new and serendipitous opportunities.</p>
<p>“I am bathing in this experience, really. I can’t get enough of it,” Bill Murray comments.</p>
<p>One recording has Murray reading a painful passage from<span> </span><em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em><span> </span>as the group plays ‘Moon River’. The classical crossover showcases American values in literature and music, and the bridges artists have built between America and Europe.</p>
<p>Cellist Jan Vogler’s distinguished career adds credence to the concept, whose strong curatorial approach to his music making and contemporary style of performance has pushed the boundaries of classical music.</p>
<p>Tracks from the album include, Van Morrison’s ‘When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God’ and Stephen Foster’s ‘Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair’ as well as numbers from West Side Story.</p>
