Concert Critique: PCC Lancer Jazz Big Band

Humanities Through the Arts (32578)
Prof. Hallinger
Angella Valpolini
ID: 10146952
Concert Critique: PCC Lancer Jazz Big Band
On April 19, 2016, I decided to join the PCC Lancer Jazz Big Band performance at the West
Patio of the Center for the Arts. Though I have never heard of them before, I thought it would be
an interesting idea to see the talent of our college. The band was compound by 21 students who
were directed by Kyle Luck. They sat in front of the Center for the Arts so that the public could
join them on the front patio as if it were a real concert. It was an outdoors performance which
allowed the public to be surrounded by nature and get the chance to sit wherever they wanted.
Since I decided to join it by myself so that I could appreciate the music without distractions, I
went to a spot near them and sat on the grass. It was a beautiful and sunny day. In fact, it seemed
perfect for their performance. At the beginning, it was not too crowded. People passed by. Some
of them stay a couple minutes, others until the end of their performance. Some joined the
performance from the start while others felt attracted by the music and joined later. Beyond how
many we were in the audience, what truly mattered was the reaction they promote on us. They
played seven different songs, which I believe were from the Jazz and Blues styles. Some of them
were completely slow, but others were not. Some of them were joined by a singer while the
others did not. In brief, they performed Blues for Stephanie by John and Gerald Clayton,
Avalon by Al Jolson, Letter from Home by Pat Metheny, First Circle by Pat Metheny, I
Still Be Diggin' on James Brown by Tower Power, Chromazone by Bob Berg & Mike Stern
Band, and Basic Applicatie. Among all these great songs, I was really attracted by three of
them.
The first song by which I was attracted was First Circle by Pat Metheny. What I liked about
this song was its smoothness and sweetness. At the beginning, it was interesting to hear how they
welcomed the song by clapping their hands. Not only did the claps welcomed the song, but also
they got mixed with the voice of a singer and the rhythm of the instruments. Even though she did
not use words, she followed the harmony of the clapping hands, the guitar, and the piano. This
gave the song another tone, a sweet, soft and acute tone. For the most part, it kept its tone sweet
and soft; however, the rhythm got faster as the song continued. The double bass, saxophone,
drum kit, clarinet, and trumpet joined the rhythm bit by bit. It was actually hard to focus just on
one instrument because most of the time they were all mixed together. Nonetheless, I believe this
is one of the things that captivated my attention about this song. How they managed to mix all
these different instruments to make it sound great. As an outdoor performance, it made the
rhythm sounds better. The open space gave the opportunity for the music to get spread and to
surround not only where we were but also beyond the west patio. In essence, its smoothness and
sweetness gave the ambient a sense of relaxation and enjoyment. It was noticeable how pleasant
the audience was with its soft but swinging rhythm. Furthermore, the other song by which I was
attracted and delighted was I Still Be Diggin' on James Brown by Tower Power. This song was
totally different from the rest. It was vibrant and loud. It was actually my favorite song of them
all. It had a loud beginning with the trumpets and the drum kit, which were joined by the voice of
a man singer after a few notes. The saxophones and the piano joined after, and together they
created a moved, loud and rhythmical song. Its rhythm had its ups and downs. It stopped at some
points and in others it got louder. However, it was always faster and faster. This song sounded
even better on its outside performance than how it could sound on a video. I think that because it
was outdoors, it got the chance to get the sound louder than what I expected. In addition, I
believe the band promotes the same feeling on the rest of the audience. Everyone was enjoying
the music. It was sticky and it got stuck in your head and your body. As I believe that it was my
favorite song, I also believe it was the favorite one for many of the people who were at the event.
Moreover, the last song by which I was attracted was Chromazone by Bob Berg & Mike Stern
Band. It was not as vibrant as I Still Be Diggin' on James Brown, but it still had a lot of
rhythms. What I really liked about this song was the beginning. How the guitar, saxophone and
the drum kit, which were the main instruments in the song, welcomed the song. It had a different
tone and rhythm that I usually do not hear in other types of music. The compass of the rhythm
had an evolution throughout the song, which later was joined by the bass. It was a nonstop and
acute melody that truly captivated the audience. It was in fact, the faster song they played. Most
of all, the talent and effort the artists showed while playing the guitar and saxophone was
amazing. It was a long, yet so fast and rhythmical song that it was hard to believe what they were
playing. This was the part that amazed and excited the whole audience.
Overall, the band showed a noticeable enthusiastic, vivid and active mood while playing the
songs. For this reason, the audience was not the only one who was enjoying the music, but the
band was enjoying it as well. Though I am not personally a lover of jazz and blues, I particularly
enjoyed this concert. It was a different experience where I was not only able to enjoy a different
type of music, but I was also able to enjoy it in a public and comfortable place. In addition, I got
the chance to see how the music was spread in my surroundings and how an outdoors
performance made the music sounds better. After this experience, I realized that I can enjoy other
types of music. However, I still prefer songs with a singer just like I Still Be Diggin' on James
Brown. Beyond my preferences on types of music, what amazed me about this concert was the
talent some people have to play for such long periods of time and the power they have to mix so
many instruments in just one song. These are the people to whom I feel a great respect.

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Humanities Through the Arts (32578)

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