On March 6 I attended the BRAZZ jazz ensemble’s concert during the Wednesday Noon Hours at the UBC School of Music. The program featured a wide range of pieces. However, one piece in particular that interested me was “Fanfare for the Common Man”. It stood out to me as it seemed less like a typical jazz big band piece and more of dramatic, heroic, and almost biblical piece. The piece started off with a gradual introduction of each brass section, with each playing the same theme.With each repetition of the theme and addition of brass section the piece increases in grandeur. Furthermore, in between each phrase of the theme there is the dramatic playing of the drums and percussion. This pattern continues until the piece ends with the swelling brass and crescendo in the percussion. What is so interesting about this piece is how effective it is at creating such a grand and dramatic sound while having a simple form and moving at a relatively slow pace. However, all of this is deliberate and perhaps a commentary on the everyday life of the “common man” which may be common or regular, however, no less compelling.
The next piece “Jitterbug Waltz” features, for the most part, the piano softly accompanied by the snare drum. As the piece continues, there is the a slow gentle introduction of other instruments. Overall, the arrangement of the piece builds as more instruments are added. Furthermore, although it seemed as though there was no discernible rhythm as the piano seemed to be playing almost in an improvisational manner as each chord and key was played so nimbly, there actually was a constant triple meter underneath the piano played by the snare drum. So while the drum provided a constant rhythm which served rather discreetly as the backbone of the piece, the piano, played over top of this with a very dreamy and hypnotic melody.
The next piece after was “El Camino Real” by J.J. Johnson. This piece in particular sounded like what one might expect to hear from a large jazz brass ensemble. The opening of this piece featured short punctuated phrases in between a constant theme played by the trombone. After settling from the introduction, much of the piece features a trombone solo. The same minor theme is played here and there throughout the piece and sometimes in the major key as well. Throughout the piece, there were occasions when the trombone and the rest of the brass instruments would play together, with the trombone playing the main melody on top while the rest played a little more quietly in the background, sometimes repeating the same minor key heard at the beginning. Other times, there would sort of be a call and response between the trombone and the rest of the instruments.
The programme also featured jazz arrangements of popular songs such as “A Sleeping Bee”, “Nite Life” by Willie Nelson”, and “Close your Eyes” by Bernice Petkere. Overall, the wide range of music played by this jazz ensemble reached many different genres and therefore, made for a very exciting and varied performance.