Jazz critique assignment

Monique attended the Swing class at Ambient Studio on March 14, 2009 to heard and dance to the rhythms and sounds of the Etowah Jazz Society. The concert was from 9pm to 12 am in the morning. There look is like a big band but they have a swing feel to them. The bands whole persona is that of a big band that you would see on a dance television show back in the older days. There sound was very mellow and not loud at all. After Monique talked to a couple of the members in the band I found out that there influences on music where commonly set around the swing era, big band jazz, and Natalie Cole.

The band is comprised of 18 members who all have different skill levels. When watching the band it looked as though the brass section was more skilled than any other section because they got the most solos. The band is comprised up of the following instruments: trumpet, saxophone (alto, tenor, and bari), trombone, piano, singer, drums, bass and percussion. Monique could tell that just like most jazz bands that play around and in the Atlanta area do it because it is a passion of theirs. Watching the band perform Monique could see that they wanted to give the audience an enjoyable, quality and meaningful performance.

They played songs ranging from the whole swing era to a little big band. They played “ Almost Like Being in Love” which is a jazz standard that has been sung by the greats Nate Cole, and Dean Martin. There version was a little slower than original, the brass section has a solo as where the trombones get the biggest solo part within the brass section. Unlike the other version where you here more percussion and piano, there’s was kept very mellow and soothing appose too loud and upbeat. “ Stormy Weather” was played to and it was pretty much played the same way as the original version.

It had a singer with a band section playing behind the singer. The drums and percussion section get a little more glory in this song as a pose to the one played before it. The Band liked to play a lot of mellow and soothing tone songs than the more upbeat songs usually played by artist on today’s jazz scene. Another major song was played called “ Somewhere Over the Rainbow” it was sung by a singer backed up by a soft brass instruments and accompanied by a piano. The drums where played with drum spinners to give them a softer sound.

This gave for a well balance musical piece because no one sound was out doing the other. Monique couldtell that this bang was not as skilled as other bands that she had seen. She thought that for the band to big that they would have more skillful people playing. I was a little disappointed only because she was looking forward to hearing good music as she danced. As a result of the band playing mellower sounds of jazz the class Monique was in wasn’t very interesting. Overall Monique didn’t like the Etowah Jazz Society.