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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.

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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 banterand

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.

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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

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Toshiko Akiyoshi. Encyclopedia of World Biography, Vol. 24. Detroit: Gale, 2005.Biography in Context.

Web 24 Apr. 2013.

Stein, Israela. Artie ShawEncyclopedia 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.