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Herald Sun Newspaper

“THE HOBBIT” – ALLAN ZAVOD

WIZARD OF OZ MUSIC SCALES HEIGHTS IN HOBBIT
The Herald Sun

Keyboard  wizard Allan Zavod compared notes with troublesome stage puppet Bilbo Baggins in the Victorian Arts Center at the weekend.

Baggins, a Middle Earth resident of some distinction, is the star of the popular stage show of J.R.R Tolkien’s fantasy novel “The Hobbit”, which ends its sell-out season in Melbourne this week.

It reopens in Frankston on February 23. Zavod is one of Melbourne’s living musical treasures: in addition to having written, performed and recorded the music for “The Hobbit”, he is an ace jazz tinkler and a noted composer of serious music.

His “Concerto for Trumpet, Jazz Trio and Orchestra” premiered last year by Zavod, James Morrison and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, is scheduled to be performed by the Sydney Symphony and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra’s in 2001.

Zavod can be found, from time to time, in smoky jazz clubs and providing musical direction for Bert Newton on Ten’s “GMA”.

“I scored “The Hobbit” a couple of years ago, but it was only recently that I found time to record the album,” he told me. “And now it’s selling like hot cakes at the theatre.”

Baggins, at this point, began to quiz Zavod about royalties and the like.

So I made my excuse, and…..

-Rhapsody in Blue Concert-

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