It’s funny how when you have not heard jazz music performed live in a long time, you forget how magical the experience can be. I for one have not been to a jazz concert in over a year. However, this concert rekindled my love and need for jazz in my life, and now I suddenly feel a passion for going to as many jazz performances as possible.
Going to a jazz concert is completely different from going to a classical performance. For one, jazz seems to bring in a very diverse crowd. The music is more accessible and there is less of a stigma around it being for an upper-class audience. Each piece at this concert was introduced by the director while he sat in his chair. The director would even tell a joke and tell us it was okay to laugh. The orchestra really had a way of making you feel like you were at an intimate concert where you can connect with the musicians. Additionally, you will never hear people hootin’ and howlin’ while listening to the New York Philharmonic. Wednesday night I had the pleasure of hearing people around me revel in the music being performed on stage. It reminded me of how important it is to connect with the music, and feel it flow through you. It can truly be a religious experience if you open yourself up to the power of music.
Of course, the evening was uniquely special given that the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra consists of some of the best musicians I have ever heard. Every solo that was played on that stage had a precision to it that is hard to find. The trombonist in particular, Vincent Gardner, also the music director for the evening, was astounding. He handled his solos with complete ease and accuracy. Of course, Wynton Marsalis was spectacular, and the entire woodwind section was marvelous. Each of the saxophonists could also play one more, if not two or three more, instruments with just as much facility as their primary instrument.
On top of all these reasons for the concert to be spectacular, the music they played was particularly accessible. They played pop music from the last century, including songs such as Eleanor Rigby and Blame it on the Boogie. Every arrangement, done by a member of the orchestra, was original and intriguing and kept you listening. In their finale, Gardner even arranged so that the orchestra got up out of their chairs and walked off stage while still playing their instruments.
It was an incredible concert with such life and verve. I definitely plan on going again next year, and I hope you can join me!
