London, Bill Murray is Coming To Sing For Us

It seems like a pretty unlikely friendship, Hollywood legend Bill Murray, and acclaimed German cellist Jan Vogler. Yet what has come out of it is even more surprising.

New Worlds is Murray’s debut album, created out of a collaboration with the classical musician. What they have created is a ‘theatrical album’ which combines music with the best of American literature, aiming to explore the themes of American history and identity. The inspiration for the album came from their curiosity to explore each other’s artistic world and vision, and to communicate how art can bridge the gap between the US and Europe.

Intrigued and maybe a little confused? Here’s a breakdown. Murray performs various classic American works of literature, such as Whitman poems, passages from Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, interspersed by pieces of music. The music is performed by a chamber trio, including a violinist, a pianist, and Vogler on cello, playing everything from Bach and Bernstein to Van Morrison.

Does this sound like a scene out of a Bill Murray comedy or a meeting of two artistic geniuses? There’s only one way to find out. Fresh from a tour of the US and Canada last year, they will be embarking on a European tour in the summer, kicking off with a one-off performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall in June. Definitely worth checking out.