With music by Julian Joseph and a libretto by Mike Phillips, last night at the Mermaid in Blackfriars saw the première of the jazz opera Shadowball, the second such collaboration following their work together on Bridgetower three years ago.

Subtitled “A Baseball Opera in Nine Scenes”, Shadowball opens in 1938 and spans “nine innings” of baseball through to 1947. The title itself derives from a warm up game played by the Negro League players and serves as a metaphor for the way the players of the league had to play their game in segregated America before baseball became slowly integrated. Played by Cleveland Watkiss, Satchel Paige, a famed real-life player and member of the Kansas City Monarchs was an inspirational figure for his colleagues and Paige serves as a mentor and guiding spirit to his team, played by a young cast drawn from Hackney primary schools.

Jazz musicians of the era who attended games and even owned teams are also portrayed by the young cast, with Samson Adeola impressing as Cab Calloway, and Nile McKenzie a dapper Duke Ellington. Joseph conducts his score from the piano with his quintet and it is an attractive musical narrative that harnesses music from the period inspired by Count Basie, and above all Cab Calloway, allowing a fine setting for Watkiss’ stirring voice. It is also a score that complements the excellent, carefully nuanced libretto.  

— Stephen Graham

Jazzwisemagazine.com is the media partner for Shadowball. 

Shadowball continues today with performances at 1.30pm and 7.30pm For tickets go to www.ticketline.co.uk