Julliard Jazz Quartet

Tuesday was a jazzy kind of night! As you all know we had the wonderful opportunity of seeing some of Julliard’s finest perform in a jazz quartet. Prior to the event I had listened to jazz with some of my friends and thought it was a pretty cool genre. However, I felt that it sometimes gets a bit repetitive after a while. I was also a little apprehensive about the event because I wondered how we could just sit there listening to music for two whole hours without any lyrics, dance moves, or story. Needless to say, my apprehension was somewhat nullified upon seeing the show. I actually found it much more interesting to watch the performers play the music rather than listening to it on a CD. Their stage dynamic was very interesting and held my attention. Ron Blake, the saxophonist, was especially fun to watch when he performed. He was very expressive and even did a few “dance moves” as he played. I also didn’t expect one of the musicians there to be a sort of “MC,” but Carl Allen, the drummer, was very interactive and added a more casual and somewhat comedic aspect to the performance. One thing that we discussed in class that I wish I had known before seeing the show is that much of the music in jazz performances is improvised. I would have probably appreciated the show much more if I had known that the musicians were playing “off the cuff.” Hearing this piece of information did make me further appreciate Carl Allen’s drum solos, however. He is an extremely talented musician, and the way he played the drums that night blew my mind. My two favorite songs on the set list are Ah, Rio and Nutty. The music in Ah, Rio really captured the feeling of being relaxed and on vacation on a beautiful tropical beach, and the musical arrangements in Nutty seemed to be extremely intricate and unconventional. One last thing I would like to mention is the love that the musicians showed for the audience. I could really tell that they fully appreciated just us being there to hear them play, and there humble gratitude added to my already extreme respect for them.