The first concert that I attended for the class was the Brazz jazz ensemble during the music program’s Wednesday noon hour. I was pleasantly energized after witnessing some of the best jazz I have ever listened to, let alone seen in person. The ensemble preformed seven different pieces that varied from classic blues/jazz pieces from artists that lived in the early 1900s to a Willie Nelson tune.
The ensemble was composed of eighteen musicians. Fourteen horns in total attributed to a sound that was always full and dynamic. With no saxophones, their sound relied heavily progressions played by a combination of french horns, trumpets and trombones. A euphonium and tuba were also in the back providing support. Every piece showcased a soloist that was either a trumpet or trombone. The percussion contributed a variety of tasty fills and meter changes throughout the performance as well.
Before going into detail of the pieces that stood out to me, the thing that pleased my the most was the atmosphere this type of ensemble created for the listener. Firstly, the emphasis put on the horns was an interesting sound which is very different from a full orchestra. Without the presence of strings, the horns fill that void and support soloists by playing chord progressions behind the focused homophonic theme presented by the player being showcased. The ensemble was also unique as it was kind of a different take on jazz. Usually free flowing, filled with new, emerging themes and the use of ostinato to form more spontaneity; this jazz was very rehearsed. The musicians themselves were still playing off of each other similarly to a jazz band but not with the same spontaneous manner. They were playing off of each other because there was a lack of a conductor (which was sometimes played by the role of Fred Stride, the pianist, at some points of the performance). The genre of music and the fact that the were arranged by members of the band made it feel spontaneous. However, their tightness can be attributed to how the pieces were arranged and rehearsed.
The piece that stood out to me was an original arrangement done by the pianist named Higher Groovin’. The play on words paid homage to the original piece, Grooving High which was composed by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. The performance also paid homage to the original by showcasing the ensemble’s trumpet soloist Derry Bryne. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker wrote the original with alto sax and a trumpet. The arrangement done by Brazz did use the primary theme from the original. The arrangement did also have many instances in which the meter changed. When looking on, it was fun to see the bassist and drummer nod with resolve when returning to the original theme after a break. The use of staccato was very present during this piece. The horns used staccato as a dynamic tool at some points, and the percussion section noticeably syncopated the beats more and more which provided a sense of tension throughout the latter part of the piece.