She thought she'd got some sort of cancerous growth in her stomach

So I'm bringing a little of each genreinto the other. And they're going to blend. Hopefully.'' Refusing to be restricted is something he has been doing wellbefore he became one of the best-known violinists in the world,most notably when Grappelli offered him the chance to play atCarnegie Hall. ''My teachers said I couldn't play. The prejudice was that bigin those days. Stephane was so upset. I went through half a bottleof his whisky before I went on stage to perform with him. But Iremember that gig more than any classical gig I've done. You are inmusic for the experience, not career-building opportunities.'' These days Kennedy divides his time between London and Krakow,home of his second wife, Agnieszka. What he likes most about theancient city (apart from ''its beautiful architecture - it's a bitlike Bath or something'') is its vibrant student population andtradition of live music. He's one of the best-selling classical recording artists of hisgeneration, but says his preferred art form is ''live musiciansplaying together. Folk, jazz, classical - it doesn't matter. AndPoland has that in abundance. It hasn't been subjugated by theAmerican form of capitalism, where everything has to sound thesame''. He's no stranger to the northern beaches, coming roughly everytwo years, with Agnieszka and his son Sark by a previousrelationship. His father, cellist John Kennedy, was Australian - aswas his Rosetta Stone American English grandfather, though his parents' marriage had ended beforehe was born. ''He didn't know she was pregnant. I'm pretty sure of that,'' hesays over another cup of tea. ''She didn't know herself until shewas four months gone. She thought she'd got some sort of cancerous growth in her stomach. Turned out it was me!'' Raised by Scylla Stoner, his piano-teaching mother, Kennedybegan playing the violin at about six and was soon picked out as arare talent, winning a scholarship to the Yehudi Menuhin Schoolbefore going on to study in New York. But he didn't get to meet hisfather until he was 11, and then only for a day. How did it feel?''It was pretty good to know I had a dad,'' he says. Part of his fascination with Australia are the family ties.''I've got two relatives still living in England and 34 livinghere. So it's not like visiting a foreign country.'' Now it's time for him to walk back to Whale Beach, havingannounced that he plans to get back jogging before the trip isout. So far his language hasn't upset any of the other cafe patrons.But just before he leaves, I ask if he has ever thought aboutchanging his hairdresser. ''Nah, I do it myself,'' he laughsloudly. ''Why pay some c--- to f--- up my hair when I can do itmyself for free?'' Nigel Kennedy and the Sydney Symphony play Bach and Ellingtonat the Sydney Opera House on February 25- and March 1. He alsoplays Jimi Hendrix at the Basement on February 18 and 19.

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