Pat Egan proudly presents
The original legendary Nelson Riddle classic arrangements from the hit albums by FRANK SINATRA, LINDA RONSTADT and NAT KING COLE performed live by The NELSON RIDDLE ORCHESTRA, conducted by CHRISTOPHER RIDDLE.
Starring the vocal magic of STEPHEN TRIFFIT and FLO McSWEENEY with MC Tom Cole Junior
Sunday 28 April 2024, 8pm
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Hear Stephen Triffit and Flo McSweeney sing the hits of Frank Sinatra and Linda Ronstadt.
Considered by many as one of the greatest arrangers in the history of American popular music, Nelson Riddle‘s music is as popular and beloved today as ever. Having arranged for and played with big band greats Charlie Spivak and Tommy Dorsey in the 40s, he found his own sound in working with many famous vocalists from the 50’s into the 80’s: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin and Linda Ronstadt.
Nelson Riddle arranged and recorded over 100 albums, masterfully conducting The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, often referred to as the “World’s Most Recorded Orchestra,” accompanying the top iconic vocalists of the 20th century. His son, Christopher Riddle, continues to keep the Riddle family musical legacy alive and now conducts The Nelson Riddle Orchestra at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
“One of the remarkable things about Dad is the way he could mingle different, seemingly disparate musical worlds – classical, American pop and jazz. He just heard things, I guess, that other people didn’t hear. He made it his life’s work to study the various instruments and the best ranges to write for them, and then how to double them and layer them.”
Christopher Riddle is the only one of Nelson’s children to go into the music business. He started playing in his father’s orchestra at 19, later doing time with drummer Buddy Rich and in the Hollywood studios. “The big challenge in playing his father’s music,” he said, “is getting the tempos just right, because the figures were written for a specific one. It was often a brisk andante Nelson called the heartbeat.”
“His writing is linked inexorably to the tempos. If the figures aren’t snappin’, they’re dragging. If they get muddy, you’re going too fast.” Getting it right gives him pleasure. “I love to hear this music,” he said.