For my concert review, I went with my friends who gladly agree to join me in order to run deep into the roots of contemporary jazz and to perceive all the peculiarities of that genre. The concert that I have attended recently was the jazz concert with the participation of Diane Reeves, the four-time Grammy winner with a brilliant voice and excellent feeling of rhythm. Actually, it was a great experience for me since I love jazz music that perfectly fits my inner world. The audience was impressed by a marvelous and rather touching improvisation and a wide range of emotional vocals. Everyone in the hall flew with the elevated spirit and greatness of the jazz performers. Hence, I could surely say that the concert was one of the most incredible events in my life (Panken, 2009).
While viewing the concert, I ask myself what actually I know about jazz music and its history. My knowledge about this genre was rather poor since always thought that this music is mostly associated with the rhythm and blues era opened by the African American race. However, this concert of Diane Reeves let me understand that jazz music is the art of improvisation that propels you to create your own vision on the essence of music. Hence, when I attended the festival of jazz music, I came to know about the modern tendencies of contemporary jazz and about its major features. Contemporary jazz emerges in different forms of popular music thus changing the current outlook on jazz as a taboo genre. So, it is natural that the rise of interest in rhythm and blues has reappeared nowadays. In addition, when talking about the current tendencies in this particular genre, it is necessary to resort to free jazz based on the improvisation and free performance. Diane managed to perceive the form, melody, harmony, and rhythm of this style as well as to preserve the frame of classical jazz (Lawn 1996).
The main voice and the source for the audience’s inspiration, Diane Reeves, could not cease to amaze the jazz connoisseurs. Her virtuosity, unique jazz, and R&B styling fascinate the listeners and involve them into the world of beat and rhythm. Reeves’ jazz is rigidly differentiated among the other performers of that genre since this music was not only the ability to say and to express; jazz became the essence of her life. Her voice is able to impress which does not hide behind the instrument but reveals all the beauty of the melody. The singer compares jazz with the fusion of colors and tones where tone prevails at one time whereas the others are latent but help to enrich the general sounding. She introduces the audience to the new tone of the contemporary jazz thus rendering the story from her own life but not for entertaining only. While singing a song, Diane lived right on the scene.
At the concert, Diane presented the public with her latest album of 2008 called When you know, which is considered one of the best album for the whole career of jazz singer. The songs from the album were created with engagement of various musical instruments and musical material gathered for the latest 5 years of her creative work. The idea of the album is tremendous and left no one to be indifferent. Blessed with the divine voice of the pop and jazz diva, the songs empowered the strength of her voice and pierced with Reeves’ personal experience. Fresh presentation of the old songs caused the burst of emotions and high appraise of the jazz music fans. At first sight, the topic of her song could seem simple and superficial, but still, the theme of love is the trigger force that inspires and unites the masses. Due to her technical grace and sincerity, Diane Reeves managed to carry out the hard task and to make each of her lyrics emphasize the deepness of her emotions. However, most of the songs accompanied by the singer were quite serious and it forced the audience to feel the importance of the plot of each song. Reeves revealed her unique talent to mix the versality and virtuosity into one bouquet of tunes. Despite the fact that the musical works inserted into this album covers a large period, it was interesting for both the students and for adults. Diane Reeves proved that she was the only jazz singer that was able to span across the time and preserve the initial idea of the songs. Moreover, she managed to insert the hues of the contemporary atmosphere thus involving more listeners into the world of the rhythm and blues.
The band successfully rendered the idea concert and brought to life the musical compositions. Rouben Rogers, Peter Sprague, Peter Martin, Terron Gully create the captivating atmosphere thus establishing the connection between the listener and the viewer. The ambiance of the hall was both rather professional but still casual and warm so that everyone was able to feel comfortable and exciting and to enjoy every beat of the drum.
The concert itself was more than impressive. It inspired me and made love jazz music even more. The moment when Diane Reeves started to sing, the atmosphere of the concert hall immediately changed the tremendous spirit of the audience. The auditorium was touched with every note of the instrument. As the pitch varied, I could taste the mixture of drum and bass with a sophisticated and spicy voice of Diane Reeves. Due to the vivid performance of all the musicians, there were moments when the music itself was alive so that it overwhelms me with a feeling of ethical satisfaction. The rises and falls created by the guitar and piano in the brilliant play of Peter Sprague and Peter Martin were transformed into the lows and highs of my mood. I was also impressed by separate improvisation of the members of the band. Hence, I enjoyed that feeling of constant anticipation and unpredictability where each tune inspired me and praised me to the sky. The melodies of the compositions seem to jump from one musical instrument to another. It looks like a struggle between the piano and guitar that tried to capture the attention of the singer and when she honored them with her marvelous voice they play even more enthusiastically.
From all the songs heard at the concert, I liked her When You Know from the album of the same name. The song is an eccentric interpretation of the hopeless romantic in all her expressions that dynamically combines the old and the new motives. The song grasped all my attention since it approved all my expectations from the concert. However, other songs of this evening also impelled everyone trebling from pleasure since each song was succeeded by a burst of applauses. The atmosphere of the concert hall influenced my elevated mood. Anyway, each song embodied the deep feelings and revealed a separate story that acutely felt by Reeves and the band.
When listening the songs, I tried to harken to the sound of each instrument: to the excellent play of Peter Martin whose did the audience as if following the magnificent voice of Reeves; to the rhythmic drums of Terreon Gully whose performance are always under evaluated but, in fact, drums are the basis of the magic secret of jazz. The bass of Rouben Robin managed to add some piquant sounding of the compositions and to create some mesmerizing spirit of the night. Finally, the string of the Spague’s guitar uttered a single story that magnificently interacted with the story of Diane Reeves’ songs. The illumination and the corresponding costumes of the performers fitted the total theme of the night was deeply perceived by the auditorium.
After the concert, I completely changed my outlook on jazz music and the contemporary jazz in particular. This music based on the improvisation and a mere feeling of rhythm taught me that the main goal of music is create the mood and to share it with other listeners so that they could understand the main idea of the composition. I was also persuaded that nothing could be compared with the unique and moving voice of Diane Reeves and a skilful and touching play of the band. Now, I am waiting impassionedly for the next jazz concert.
Reference
Panken, T. (2009). “As you prepare” Concert Program.
Lawn, R., Hellmer, J.L.(1996). Jazz: Theory and Practice.