An Analysis of the Performance of the Jazz Ensembles Concert
I attended the Jazz Ensembles Concert, which consisted of 5 pieces of the composer Charles Mingus's music. All of the songs were lively and bright, and I felt as if they embodied the streets of a downtown city while the sun shines bright on the busy city, and then during the night when the nightlife brings the city alive again.
The composer talked about Charles Mingus in between songs, and described the meaning behind each song. When they played the song, I really heard the meaning and emotion behind the composer's melodies.
The first piece started off very energetic. The piece, as well as all of the pieces were 4 counts by 4 measures. Included in the ensemble was a piano, a bass, a drum set, 5 saxophones, 4 trombones, and 3 trumpets. After getting off to a strong start, the tenor saxophone played a featuring part, and then the piano played a part with just the bass and drums in the background. Then the bass had a featuring part, with light piano and drums supporting him. The piece had a big finish to end the first song.
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The next piece was called Love Chant, and was slower but still jazzy with it's active and dynamic tonality. The higher-pitched saxophone melody contrasted in a beautiful way with the lower pitch of the rest of the band. Featuring movements intertwined with all of the band playing harmoniously to make a lasting and pleasing set.
The piano played chords for the first part of the song while the rest of the band held the melody, until the piano played it's own melody. Shrill sounds with a blues melody made the song a wonderful composition. I personally thought that the song sounded like it embodied a grand hotel.
The third piece was called Fables of Faubus, which was Charles Mingus's protest to the segregation of schools. You could feel his passion in something he believed in throughout the song. The exposition began with a deep saxophone solo. The bass came in with infrequent and low notes, adding to the dynamic of the song as it continued.
The solo continued until all of the band chimed in. This transitioned into two lone sax players playing in unison, until the trombones came in with high pitched notes. This song featured a more foreign melody, which was also foreboding and in-your-face. As the song progressed, the tempo also progressed into a faster pace. The song went on to a crazy and jumbled playing that turned into a saxophone solo, and then the song repeated from the beginning, until the coda came with a big bang.
The fourth piece was called Goodbye Porkpie Hat, and it had a sense to harmonic progression. The song begins with a tenor saxophone solo, and the bass comes in bringing a slow, sensual, and strong vibe. Slowly, the whole band chimes in, but then goes back to a saxophone feature, with just the piano, bass, and drums in the background.
There's light trumpet notes which are slow and long. I felt like this song was like the night, with a jazzy bluesy vibe that continued throughout. The piece ended with a slow finish.
The last piece featured a bass solo to begin, where the piano and drum bursted in with a single note three times before the whole band came in fast-paced like a train. Again, the song ended with crazy jumbled dissonance, playing of all the instruments in a loud and joyous finish.
Overall, I enjoyed the concert and loved that a concert that wasn't popular music was so good. I love music because it invokes emotion and you can feel the emotion that the writer of the song put into the piece. As a whole, the concert made me appreciate jazz music so much more. The rhythm was fast-paced and vibrant and made you happy.
It was the music of a city where all the people have bustling lives that are full of events and life, with good and entertaining friends and family. The songs also demonstrated Charles Mingus's joy and sense of humor. I look forward to the next jazz concert that I can attend.
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An Analysis of the Performance of the Jazz Ensembles Concert. (2023, Feb 28). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/an-analysis-of-the-performance-of-the-jazz-ensembles-concert/
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