Night of Jazz. [9.17.13]

I’m unsure about how I feel about jazz as of right now. I think it would have to take some adjustment because I’m so used to listening to music with singers and for me I noticed that without a singer it just starts to seem like background music to me. Jazz singers are my favorite, next to soul and R&B singers. I got so excited when the drummer picked up the mic because I thought he was going to sing and from hearing his voice, it seemed like he could actually be able to sing well. I start zoning out for some reason which is something I’m hoping will change. I know that if I throw that habit out the window, I would have enjoyed my experience so much more. But my favorite piece of all was the last one called Little Jordan written by Karl Allen. The backstory was so sweet and listening to the piece, I felt like I can assume that it was about a child even without the backstory because of the change in dynamic. There were parts that seemed almost menacing and as if you were up to no good and then it goes to a softer tone that shows the love he has for his son even despite all of the trouble and destruction a little kid can bring. Even if they flush your most prized possession down the toilet, you can’t help but stop yourself from having a nervous breakdown when you seeing the loving smiles on their faces.

And on that note, love is exactly what you felt throughout the room. Not mushy gushy love, but the welcoming kind of feeling. The dynamic between the quartet and how Karl Allen was telling us how grateful they were for us and our support. It had this warming informal-ness that I loved. It was really that audience-performer relationship. At times my eyes would wander and I would look around at the other people in the audience. My eyes landed more often on two particular people in the front. One was an older woman, who had quite a unique hat on and she was basically dancing in her seat as was the other person I saw in the front. Their reactions to the quartet showed that this was definitely the music that they grew up with. That got me thinking about the differences between the music then and now. I bet some of the elders in that woman’s time probably were covering their ears in disgust just as my dad covers his ears whenever he hears music of today.

But anyways, I guess one other thing that had my confused about jazz initially was not knowing that some parts were improvised. Liz was sitting next to me and we were wondering why people were clapping in the middle of the piece, especially before the saxophonist began playing. That really amazes me. Some parts of the pieces,  I felt like I was at some fancy gala that required a glasses of champagne, black ties, passed hors d’oeuvres, and long sequined gowns – I though it was funny because Professor kept saying that he felt the need to be in a club, filled with smoke and what not. But, I guess that shows how much jazz has leaked through everything. I never really was associated with jazz except through the cocktail hours at weddings or the jazz some of my friends sang.

All-in-all, I’m extremely grateful for this experience. It has opened my eyes to the face that music can be beautiful even without a voice, and most of all I was able to get closer to the people in our class with the help of Snapchat and the amazing combination that smoked salmon and cream cheese make on a bagel.

*notice the red hat in the front – that was the woman I was talking about.