More Tian Just An Impresario – Derek Jowell peats the experiment. Box-office losses he claimed in New York as well as London, lish provinces to the unique art, now ac- in the process of winning over the Eng- Bach-with-jazz trio succeeded. He is still a long time in England before the French He persevered with Jacques Loussier for will accept when he believes in an artist. artists - but when he does, he never re- his fortune when he first toured Duke El- takes - I mean in terms of affinity with art he presents. Sometimes he makes mis- He has to feel for the artists or at least the is why he has been so successful so early. subtly constructed than that. Tiis, I think, tainly, but he has motivation much more ends. Tie profit motive is within him, cer- of Cleo Laine. And he didn’t exactly make lington in Britain. allied with al almost fanatical determina- telephoned from the Far East with the guy,” he once said almost mournfully. though. “Tie promoter’s always the bad Paterson doesn’t fish for compliments just switched the hotel booking. the guy’s razor. He didn’t blow his top; artist into didn’t have a socket that fitted complaint that the hotel he’d booked an really switch off,” he says. He was once More Paterson qualities: He will flog sonal service business and you can never with calls from California. “Tiis is a per- from Japan or Australia and goes to bed to stop working. He wakes up with calls than most impresarios. He never seems companies them personally on tours more himself unstintingly for his artists and ac- tion to achieve what he sees as his artistic Paterson, as I soon began to learn, nerve is I first met Robert Paterson in 1965. I’ve worries them, what they remember, what the flesh, spellbinding the matrons and on record was only a hint of Aznavour in And Robert Paterson was right. Aznavour So I flew over to the Olympia in Paris. be very big here and in the States”. him in France, talk to him. He’s going to their hopes are. You ought to go and hear When he sings, he seems to know what uninhibitedly. to women, and men too, in a fantastic way. funny scratchy voice, but he gets through he’s rising 40, a little guy, crinkly-faced, a though I’d never seen him perform. “Well, vour - you’ve heard of him?” I had indeed something like: “Tiere’s this man Azna- forgotten what he said exactly, but it was teenagers too; and a man who talked very He made a marvelous many great showmen have had. But with moter a couple of years earlier by ringing impertinence, which is a quality I guess To start that way takes nerve bordering on sented. the first concert Paterson had ever pre- composer to Europe. He did too. It was sky and asking if he could bring the great up Robert Craft, amanuensis of Stravin- he was 25 and had started life as a pro- story; and he did become very big indeed aged. Paterson was all these things, except bonhomous, cigar smoking and middle- the impresarios I knew then were intense, stage, I could scarcely believe in. Most of discovery as Aznavour. Paterson, at this But Robert Paterson was as much of a in London, New York, allover. 1
tween artist and promoter at all, but this Greco, Jacques Brel, Manitas de Plata and nated about Duke Ellington not having fluenced Paterson - I rang him and fulmi- among the few ways I believe I’ve ever in- brought to Britain. One night - and it’s Andy Williams and Henry Mancini were lighter (if that’s the word) music generally. Tien, around 1968, he ‘began to move into Gilbert Bécaud among others. Swingle Singers, Jacques Loussier, Juliette jumped on a plane to San Francisco and bled audiences outside Europe to hear the was only one of his firsts. He first ena- market of Britain and beyond. Aznavour eration of European stars to the wider was instrumental in bringing a new gen- vin, Leontyne Price and many more. He Katchen, when he presented André Pre- by early friendship with the late Julius been to Europe for a long time. Paterson signed Duke within 36 hours. He was the long story in itself. He continued the and played with him. I think that’s what with, and the empathy didn’t work be- group I’d have chosen for him to begin and signed them. Tiey were not the rock another of his fast hops to San Francisco, ter Revival were coming to Europe, did was tipped off that Creedence Clearwa- By 1970, Paterson was into rock too. He changed his mind.” the old members of the band came back first jazz artist Paterson had ever present- at his 60th birthday party in New York, all said he wanted to play classical music. But years to persuade him to come. He always man to meet,” Paterson says. It took four “He’s so shy and says nothing - a terrifying to Europe in 1971. is Benny Goodman, who was lured back ed, but now Duke’s a close friend - and so classical vein, which had been nurtured sky - and that relationship is worth a very “Impresarios have got to be wrong in the he is not that. Tie tension of his life-style and is a man with immense respect for art- cause he is fundamentally fair and straight ship with him has not been difficult, be- to extend professional contact into friend- He has had his share of legal hassles. But business, to drive a tough bargain. is stretched. He knows how, in a tough often shows. He can grow angry when he like a paragon of virtuous modesty, then attempt to take professional advantage of If all this makes Robert Paterson sound and you put up with it, or you quit.” fascinating. Either you love the business properly. Artists are difficult but very, very you haven’t done your job of promotion enough. If you don’t sellout, then they feel the show, they feel you haven’t paid them artist’s eyes, haven’t they? If you sellout ists and the arts. I have never known him friendship. He has never murmured about He began, as I’ve explained, with Stravin- disappointed in any Paterson lead I have show business has ever seen. lic impresarios even the bizarre world of at 33, rank high among the most catho- tainment judiciously expand until he must, been to watch his taste in art and enter- serving the growth of Paterson’s career has Above all, what has been satisfying in ob- followed up. orable example - but cannot recall being the bad reviews I have on occasion writ- guitarist Manitas de Plata was one mem- enthused about - the incredible gypsy taking an early interest in a new artist he’s ering about. I’ve sometimes regretted not does the artist is always one worth both- steer. He telephones seldom; and when he about artists, he never gives a writer a bum ten on his artists. And in terms of stories 2
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