Concert Critique # 1 Essays - Accompaniment, African-American Music

Concert Critique # 1 Essays - Accompaniment, African-American Music MUL 2380 M W - 7:05p 8:20p 10/28/2015 Concert Critique # 1 On October 2, 2015, The Jazz Station in Homestead hosted a unique and spectacular jazz concert playing the Afterglow Party. The performance was primarily a display for Harmonic Laboratory, a collection of artists situated in Florida International University. The concert was located in the Hult Center Lobby and featured works from several promising musicians who came up with an assortment of unique musical combinations. This was an ideal chance to witness an extensive diversity of music, which for the beginner jazz enthusiast, was wonderful. However, it was not only the music but also several different works of art that made this show successful. The ambiance in the Hult Center Lobby was largely responsible for the success of the jazz concert. The management had installed dim lighting and added the sensitive touch of a candle on each table that gave the whole concert a romantic feel. Although the Hult Center Lobby was packed with revelers and artists, the atmosphere was generally peac eful and soothing. There was likeability and effortlessness in the way each of the performances took place. One of the spectacular aspects of this performance was the addition of Harmonic Laboratory. The performance by this group was tremendously enjoyed because it seemed easier to listen and analyze the music. The first song that the group played captivated the whole crowd while the second performance was equally entertaining. Immediately the first song began, I realized they were singing several familiar tunes. In the music, I managed to grasp a basic right hand melody being played that gave the piece a lighthearted sound. The next showcase was a quartet with a tenor sax, the piano and trombone. This performance could be categorized as my favorite performance in the whole event. The music had a supernatural and mystifying tune achieved by playing with minors. There was a strong prominence on the antiphony aspect (call and response) particularly at the start of the music. Using minor notes and keys generated conflicting noises occasionally in the process of the performance. In this quartet, the audience was given the privilege of viewing all the instruments on stage including the tenor sax, the piano and trombone. One skill the saxophone player was particularly adept at was the repeated use of sequential chords instead of the conventional ringing (arpeggios). The piano player would also play a strong tune simultaneously and then simmer down gradually. There was undoubtedly a rough feeling to this performance. The song would have made a convincing soundtrack for a James Wan movie such as Saw. This music had everything an accomplished jazz song should have and I was beside myself with satisfaction and admiration. Towards the conclusion, the music gradually developed its climax and then it abruptly ended. The next performance was the whole group Harmonic Laboratory and involved all the instruments on stage. The song began slowly and disorganized but soon picked up into the conventional stay rhythm that is common to jazz. The trombone began and followed by the trumpet and lastly, the piano. This blend and the way the music was played gave off a genuinely depressed feeling. The sound was somewhat gloomy. The two instruments were also competing with each other and kept overlapping and increasing in volume. In between the pauses, the leader of the group casually talked to us, and he kept us engaged as they prepared the next set. The song entitled What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong was played by a quartet having a drum set, a bass guitar and piano. The drum set started the piece and applied exceptionally strong kicks and snares to stress the melody. The bass guitar joined in a little later with a rougher accent after which Jeremy Schropp finally kicked in with the piano. All the players used a 4/4 time with a temporary interjection by the bassist who resorted to chords one and three using the right hand. The music was unquestionably a combination of soul and blues. It had strong beats and ostinato (repealed bass lines) that made most of the audience starts to nod their heads and tap their feet. Towards the conclusion of the song, the piano started to get more dominant