Originals Vs Convallaria

This review is about the Studio Big Band and their performance in the Casa Loma Room at the University of Redlands on Thursday, February 23rd at eight in the evening, under the direction of Prof. David Scott. The concert was made up of the following tunes: “High Maintenance” by Gordon Goodwin, “Four” by Miles Davis (arr. Dave Bardhun), “Nica’s Dream” by Horace Silver (arr. Frank Mantooth), “Witchcraft” by Cy Coleman (arr. Sammy Nestico), “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter (arr. Mat Harris), “Category 4” by Jeff Jarvis, and “Giant Steps” by John Coltrane (arr. Mark Taylor). The music on this program was very relevant for the eras we are covering or will be covering soon in the class, and to this end, the piece I will be focusing on

On November 17th, 2016, I attended a jazz concert and had quite a time. The experience was captivating, and gave me a warm feeling inside. There were three different bands that play in the hour slot, and all of them sounded magnificent, but “The Santé Fe Jazz Combo” and “Santa Fe Big Band” stood out the most. The only thing these two bands have in common is that some of the musicians play in both bands. Otherwise, these jazz fanatics are polar opposites.

The music is rebellious and its uncompromising intensity is uncatagorizable for its urgent flooding past genre definitions. Miles’ music of the five-year period is unlike any music that preceded it, and still, 30 years later, so original, so Progressive, and so inadequately described.

Thus, while the blues sound fresh in “Blues For the Bronchs” and the warm strokes of reggae hit us again in “Jam & Toast”, the Latin pulses of “Previously a Thing” takes us to the euphonic universe of Horace Silver.

The syncopated rhythms that initiate “Duality” are also velvety. They are an integral part of a magical soundscape, which, even shifting along the way, maintains both the consistency and stability. The improvisations are further extended here, beginning with Cowherd, who pulls out interesting melodic lines over exuberant chord changes. Giving the best sequence to a short bridge, packed with horn unisons and counterpoint, it’s Walden who, taking advantage of the recently appeared balladic tones, makes his alto saxophone cry and beseech intensely within an outstanding, repeatedly motivic post-bop language. Holding an absolute control of tempo, “Broken Leg Days” closes the session, flowing elegantly while Blade's drumming brings together simple rudiments and dynamic rhythmic

Head pianist of Brophy's jazz band, I've studied and played piano for 11 years. And jazz band became a double-edged sword: it not only exposed a new musical realm to me, but it also paved a new avenue for my expression––listening, reacting, jamming.

Manga” and “Qubits” share vibrant pulses characteristic of the alternative rock genre. The former shifts tempo with resilience and autonomy, unraveling into interesting experimental passages, while the latter adopts a cool danceable posture reinforced with syncopation and the presence of a shaker.

Villafranca and his band kicked in at a mid-slow tempo with the first movement, ‘Cinqué – The Capture – Troubled Waters’, superbly outlined through a balanced groove adorned by the expected Afro-Latin outfit, slight classical intonations on the piano, and enhanced by inspired solos of both Vincent Herring and Greg Tardy, who know how to catch us with their absorbing sound and improvisations.

Mark Wade is a proficient double bassist and composer who has been playing in NYC for two decades, showing off his fluid, athletic sound. The follow-up to his widely recognized debut album, Event Horizon, is entitled Moving Day and like its previous, features a classic trio with Tim Harrison and Scott Neumann on piano and drums, respectively. Together, they achieve an impressive triangular tightness that can be heard without delay on the first track, the 6/4 post-bop wonder that gave the album its title. It kicks off with the pianist delivering an ostinato, which, minutes later, is reutilized by the bassist to install the groove. The bandleader embarks on an effusive back-and-forth solo, discharging equal parts of melody and rhythm, and the energy doesn't faint when Neumann unleashes his clear-sighted chops over a rock-inflected vamp.

Boasting an impeccable tonal control and range, saxophonist Geof Bradfield hires a sterling cast of musicians to give wings to his seventh album of originals, Yes, and…Music For Nine Improvisers. The album title was taken from an improvisational theater game implemented by Compass Players, a cabaret revue from the 50s. Combining genres and moods to achieve a versatile sonic palette, the group works dynamics whether in nonet or trio, following written material and free improvisation as convenient.

Having started life as a melodic hardcore band with debut album Dear G-d,the band migrated towards post-hardcore with sophomore effort How We Both Wondrously Perish. This record continues the post-hardcore theme, with vocalist Joel Quartuccio’s aggressive shouts being equally weighted against guitarist/vocalist Michael McCough’s cleanly delivered choruses. Musically the guitar tones are crisp, providing a clean sound that offers definition rather

Rawness in extreme metal album can be an effective tool as it enhances the mysticism and primal ideologies that surround the genre, forcing you to pierce the hellish surroundings and peer deeper into the music. However, it also runs the risk of appearing coarse and stifled. While Falls of Rauros avoid stumbling into this production pit they do have a tendency to tiptoe around the edge of it. Unfortunately, Ray’s talented drumming abilities are often lost in the mix due to the layered guitars and vocals that take precedence over the album which is a shame because the intense blast-beats on “Vigilance Perennial” are often the driving force behind the album’s emotional

The title track opens doors for a relevant modern music that is both fulfilling and evolutionary in the way jazz is heading these days. This piece can be dark and feathery at the same time, bringing Andrew Hill’s cryptic universe to my mind. A crystalline trumpet that evokes Kenny Wheeler

“My Secret Love” is an uptempo quartet rampant where Ferrel’s gleaming tone buoys up sharp phraseologies.

The second vocal ensemble of the night started out with a song which included a twelve bar blues, called “ I use to know you”. This performance consisted of the most combinations of solos of the night as well as using an improvising style. The entire band started all together which led to a Trumpet solo. Then Jose on the Sax did his solo followed by the pianist comping. Then the choir along with the band joined together to lead to a female solo which was particularly interesting since she was scatting. The second performance of this ensemble was “Spring can really hang you up the most” which consisted of 3/4 time and 4/4 time. This started with a female solo vocalist then a male one. The band as a whole played together and ended with a male solo scatting. The third and shortest performance of the night was a vocal acapella piece, “Love walked in” which was short and sweet. The fourth performance of the night was a Richmond Rogers piece. This had a rhythmic swing/salsa feel from the “Lady is a tramp”. This started with the rhythm section, with the male vocalist and horns. Then the female vocalist from the choir joined and concluded this piece. The fifth performance for the group was a sequel to voice stand an acapella piece by Greg Jaspers. This song started with the choir using their voices as the instruments altogether. The final performance of the night was one of