Let me see. The last time I stopped what I was doing to listen a world class violinist was… Okay, it hasn’t happened yet. But after watching Philippe Quint move gracefully between classic violin and pop-jazz in David Grubin’s new indie film Downtown Express, it is definitely more likely to happen in the future.
PHILIPPE QUINT audio excerpt: "I have great respect for the craft of acting. So when I was cast in Downtown Express, I took acting lessons with a wonderful teacher, Sondra Lee. She really trained me while the film was in pre-production. It was extremely beneficial." Order from Amazon.com by clicking the CD cover aboveDowntown Express stars Quint – who is a four-time Grammy Award nominee for his violin virtuosity – as a Russian immigrant struggling to balance his love and respect for his domineering father with his desire to be part of Manhattan’s much broader musical melting pot. That, and, of course, there’s a love story, as his character, Sasha, meets and plays alongside funky Ramona, played by another accomplished real-life musician, Nellie McKay. This is an irresistible movie that magically melds the Julliard School of Music, Russian immigrant society, American jazz and classical music and not one but two romantic stories. I especially recommend it for inspiration if you have kids studying music in high school or college.
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