ABC Classic FM radio station puts on free music performances every Sunday and broadcasts them live at 3pm. The performances move around Australia, and April is Canberra’s month. Last Sunday CJ and I went to this performance by members of the ANU jazz course, led by Mike Price on guitar (the picture below was taken from the ABC Live site).
I find jazz really challenging in much the same way as listening to Gamelan music (which uses a five-note scale): the rules are just. . . different. But it’s not difficult to fall for the mellow spontenaeity of jazz: the round sound of the trumpet; the smooth groove of a good bass; and the swinging singing of a sax*. The guitar is my favourite instrument, and it’s always good to see it wielded with such skill. I especially liked the original pieces scattered among a whole lot of Miles Davis.
Drums miss out a bit in jazz, I think – at least with this selection. I love a good rock and roll drum solo, but in jazz most of what the drummer does is to keep time (while everyone else seemingly ignores them). Or maybe I just don’t get it 🙂
*I like rhymes and alliteration, yes.
A good bit of alliterated rhyme sends me all aflutter. It’s one of the reasons I love The Raven so.
W: Glad I’m not the only one.
. . . with an alliteration addiction.
Sequences of sounds with similar setting? Of course!
W: LOL
Yeah, I was never a big jazz fan. Just never got into it. But I can appreciate it when it’s done well, if I should happen to hear it.
Stace: People who get jazz are just so cool that I’m willing to make that extra mental effort.
Cool? Pretentious, maybe. 😉 haha
Stace: Not if they genuinely enjoy it! True joy is never pretentious.