Upon entering the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium, members of the audience realized they were not going to be seated in front of the stage, but rather in chairs directly on it arranged in a semicircle. Soon only the stage was illuminated, creating a small, comfortable world, complete with casual clothing, and a table full of free refreshments.
The 9th Annual Improvised Music Festival was held the evening of Friday, Nov. 24, and two student groups and one group of teachers played a total of ten pieces. The music generally fell under the category of jazz, but the common theme was that the soloists were improvising, a skill noticeable only by visual communication between the musicians, and when not improvised, songs were arranged by students.
The Midnight Jams, a small group of nine students from Buckingham Brown & Nichols School, started off the night with three numbers that were admittedly all of the calm, bouncy variety which had only barely enough distinction from each other to be enjoyable. The pieces, though beautifully performed, seemed to lack a truly satisfying climax.
My personal favorite of the Midnight Jams’ songs was the second, called “Totem Pole” by Lee Morgan. It felt the most energized, and the brass instruments created interesting, suspenseful harmonies over frantic piano chords, building up to the trumpet’s, then the piano’s moment of improvised glory over the same fast beat. Occasionally, the performers whispered briefly to one another, and every musician was featured at some point, giving the impression of a cohesive team overall. However, the musicians were rather stiff, and it would have been preferable to see them appear to truly enjoy themselves.
Brookline High School’s Music Collective was quite a contrast to Midnight Jams. Almost twice their size, they were also an incredible amount livelier. There were bodies moving, heads nodding, and the kind of intense expressions only seen when people become completely absorbed in their art.
It probably also helped they started out with “Well You Needn’t” by Thelonious Monk, which was louder, faster, and more triumphant than anything played until that point, and had other songs in a similar vein. The larger group was also more able to create complex sounds, and the audience’s sudden increased interest in the songs became evident. Certain instruments became overwhelmed or washed out by the volume of one instrument over another. Luckily, some pieces were played in smaller ensembles to overcome this.
One of the more notable performances was “Oblivion” by Astor Piazolla, played by four saxophones and a clarinet. It was a stark contrast to everything else the audience heard that night, although there was still a decent amount of diversity in style.“Oblivion” in particular was special because it was the most minimalistic, the most bare. It also had a mysterious, creeping kind of melody that would not reoccur in anything else, and it was a refreshing break in tone in the middle of the concert.
But what made this performance the most memorable was the fact it had to be restarted twice over fits of laughter brought on by off-key notes and distractions from rest of the band waiting in the wings. The first time, it was amusing, but by the second time, the crowd was rolling their eyes. Luckily, the quintet eventually got it together and the incident was forgiven on account of the magnificent talent of the musicians and the fact that the song was worth waiting for.
Lastly, the adults took the stage in an unnamed group that was simply credited as Jim Hobbs with Pandelis Karayorgis, Winston Braman, and Carolyn Castellano. They admitted to having no idea what they were about to play because it would 100 percent improvisational. And it was a miracle. The group somehow came up with something that sounded amazing on the spot, something that could only be performed once.
The teachers didn’t play it safe, either. There were high, screeching notes on the saxophone, intricate drum beats, and fast journeys up and down the piano. There still remained a sense of balance in the amalgamation of sounds, it was restrained just enough so it would not go completely wild, so it was always pleasant to the ear.
The only problem was the fact the group was unsure of when to finish, and there kept being moments where they faded out and a silence was expected, before someone launched in again. It felt like everyone was trying to have the last word before the group finally gave up and just got quiet.
Improvisational music will always be a little rough around the edges, and you’ll never know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. But in the end, the flaws didn’t prevent the experience from being uplifting. The event was an unpretentious celebration of talent and dedication, and it provided an opportunity to just sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in truly free-spirited music.
Mairin Quillen can be contacted at [email protected]
