Three disparate musical H’s — (George) Handel, (Jimi) Hendrix, and Harlan (T. Bobo) — come together at the Hi-Tone Café tonight and tomorrow night as part of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s “Opus One” program, a musician-generated, conductor-free concert series that brings the orchestra to nontraditional venues.
For this roughly two-hour program, the full orchestra will cram into the main room of Midtown rock mainstay the Hi-Tone. The program begins with a performance of Handel’s Royal Fireworks Suite, followed by interpretations of the music of Jimi Hendrix, arranged by a member of the MSO.
Local ace songwriter Bobo will join the orchestra for a concluding set of seven of his songs, arranged by MSO cellist and frequent Bobo collaborator Jonathan Kirkscey. “Jonathan did the arrangements while I lay on the floor shouting [at him],” Bobo says, jokingly. “I don’t know if [the rest of the orchestra] knows how unprofessional I am.”
The MSO and Bobo will perform this program at 7:30 p.m. at the Hi-Tone tonight, and again tomorrow night. Bobo and his band will perform a regular rock show later Friday night as something of an after-party. Admission is $25 for the symphony performances, $5 for Bobo’s late-Friday show.
Next up for Bobo is the debut release from his alter-ego band Luv Clowns, a children’s album that will be released — like Bobo’s solo albums — on the local Goner label. The Luv Clowns will celebrate the release of the album on Saturday, December 4th as part of the Memphis Rock-n-Romp.
