Some songs stand as an icon, representative of an artist, and evocative of emotions just by the name alone. Eric Clapton’s “Layla” is one such song, carrying with it the history and distinction of its famous performer. Clapton is covered by prolific flutists Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara, returning again to reimagine another classic song.
Steve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara are both impressive impressive flutists, on alto and concert respectively. On “Layla” they are joined by Allison Brewster Franzetti, accompanying them on piano. Together they form an elegant and energetic ensemble that blends the classical with classic rock.
Listen to “Layla” Here
They make their woodwinds sing on their rendition of “Layla”. Mirroring the melodies in the original song with the pleasant timbre of the flutes. Techniques like vibrato and use of dynamics give a lot of character to their playing and color the performance.
Markoff and Lazzara play off each other well. They complement the others by playing in a call and response fashion for instance and bring some impressive back and forth to this song. The flutes are all grounded by Franzetti’s piano chords. They all come together to make this recognizable tune complete.
If you enjoyed Steve Markoff and Patricia Lazzara’s cover of “Layla”, check out some of their other work. They have been releasing other single year such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Collide”. Be sure to keep up with them in the future to find out where they go with the flute next.
