Adam Smith 04/28/2013 Music 101 Concert Report

An Evening of Jazz: A Review of the Spring Jazz Band Concert As I walked into the auditorium looking to take my seat, my eyes were immediately drawn to one of the band members on stage, bebopping on his guitar and grooving with a huge smile on his face. The energy was high and it set the mood for me. I found my seat and settled in as they were tuning up and eagerly anticipated what was to be a most spectacular performance.

I sized up the band during their moments just before their first piece: a piano on the left, a couple of guitars and bass guitar, behind them were the drummers and percussion, on the right were the horns being seven trumpets and five trombones, and right in front were six saxophones comprising of three alto, two tenor and one baritone. The first song was a welcoming and lighthearted number: Tuning Up by Toshiko Akiyoshi. Born on December 29th, 1929 in Liaoyang, China to Japanese immigrants, she eventually moved back to Japan as a teen and it is there that she began to grow her love of this style of music. I find it remarkable that she was so successful as a jazz musician and composer in her time despite being female, or even a Chinese-born Japanese immigrant. Having studied in Boston, she is known to draw on her Japanese heritage for inspiration. I learned in looking further that the song was actually a piece from her first live concert recording, dubbed Road Time for having been recorded from concerts performed while on tour in Japan in 1976. The album cover is a bag check claim ticket with the departure listed as Los Angeles and destination as Tokyo. This is a clear example of her permeating reference to her heritage. Incidentally, the album was nominated for a Grammy the following year.

At first, I thought they were indeed just tuning up, but it quickly took off and instantly gave you that foot-moving feeling with the trumpets trilling and percussive pop on the cymbal keeping the beat moving forward. There were some tricky improvised solos by one of the trombonists and another breathtaking standout by a trumpeter. I say breathtaking, because I found myself holding my breath watching him perform, thinking how controlled his breathing must have to be in order to pull that bit off. His face was flush with the crimson color of blood as he blasted out those notes, wowing the audience with his skilled interpretation of the piece. Following the initial performance was a song by a man named Bob Seibert, Medium Rare. It was bit brash for my taste, and I did not care for its lacksidasical manner and moody undertow. Overall, Id have to say it just wasnt my style. The third song, however, was right up my alley: In the Mood by Joe Garland. It was a big band swing piece that showcased the saxophones, building and playing to the drummers banter and showing off their knack for improv. I had a percolating feeling with the way they would crescendo softly and then come back quickly with a finesse that leant itself toward an easier release than expected. Giddy excitement is the only way to describe the part leading into the strong finish that was ripe with enthusiasm and gusto. I really enjoyed that one.

The concert went on, touching on more elements of Big Band jazz and swing by artists like Artie Shaw & Teddie McRae doing the Back Bay Shuffle and Errol Garners Shake It But Dont Break It. The last two pieces were special jazz arangements: Big Johns Special by Horace Henderson as arranged by Berger and Malaguea by Ernesto Lecuona as arranged by Kerchner. They all featured various solo performances, and the arrangement of Malaguea especially took me away, making me want to Tango. Ernesto Lecuona was born in 1895 in Guanabacoa, Cuba. He was a piano virtuoso and a most important figure in Cuban music throughout the 20th century. He was also a noted conductor.

I had never been to a live jazz concert before this, and having been to one now, it has definitely opened my eyes to a whole new way of appreciating this particular style of music. I really enjoyed the unique variations possible within each piece, the solos and arrangements and seeing the performers movin and groovin on stage. I am definitely going to be looking for another opportunity so I can take my daughter with me next time.

Bibliography

Source Citations

Toshiko Akiyoshi. Encyclopedia of World Biography, Vol. 24. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Biography in Context. Web 24 Apr. 2013. Stein, Israela. Artie Shaw Encyclopedia Judaica. Ed Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, USA, 2007, Biography in Context. Web 24 Apr. 2013. Ernesto Lecuona. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 23. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Biography in Context. Web 24 Apr. 2013.