jazz as a language what the improviser does

Jazz as a Language: What the Improviser DoesWriten by Ed Byrne

Jazz is a language. Its practitioners are public speakers. Think of what happens when one learns to speak English, Korean or Japanese, for example. The process is the same as when learning jazz. You learn by listening and picking up figures of speech, then you learn to use them in your own personal manner to make statements by putting them together in paragraphs and sentences to tell your story.

If you were to speak publicly, you would want to know the story well (in this case the tune or composition), and you would want to know the vocabulary. You would practice telling the story, work out the rough parts, and then learn how to vary the story in a variety of ways, for example, short vs. long versions, different introductions, and endings, substitute words and phrases, rhythms, moods and pacing, and so on.

As with public speakers such as politicians, you get all kinds of jazz performer: those who are insincere, those who are slick, those who are brilliant and have their own voices and styles, those who are spontaneous, those who use easy to understand vocabulary (soft jazz), those who use complex language (Miles Davis, John Coltrane), those who are mediocre, and those who deliver a memorized or prompted (written) statement.

You get the comparison, so contemplate it in every aspect and you'll understand. The only difference between an extemporaneous art form such as jazz and the spoken language is the fact that you can't use it for such practical purposes as ordering a cup of coffee.

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musical guide review of the producers

Musical Guide - Review Of The ProducersWriten by Michael Russell

In this article we're going to review a musical that has had more revivals and renditions than any musical in history.

For those who were not around in the 1960s it is really hard to know which came first, the chicken or the egg. Or, in the case of the musical The Producers, which version came first.

The original version of The Producers was actually a movie from back in the 60s that starred Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. It wasn't until the movie was turned into a Broadway musical play by creator Mel Brooks years later that its popularity really soared. To confuse things even more, the play was turned back into a movie just recently, with the latest version looking more like the play than the original movie. As a matter of fact, the movie starred the two people most identified with the popular play, Nathan Lane as Bialystock and Matthew Broderick as Bloom. This cast has been said to have performed the definitive version of this critically acclaimed play.

For those not familiar with the story, it is a simple one. Bialystock tries to think of a way to make a lot of money on Broadway. He figures out, with the help of Bloom, that the best way would be to create a play that was so bad that it would close after one performance. Then they could take all the money that backers gave to them for a long run and make their way to Rio with it. Well, things didn't quite work out the way they planned. The horrible play, Springtime For Hitler became an instant smash and the two crooks were eventually sent to jail for their diabolical plan.

Mel Brooks is no less than a genius, not only because he wrote such a clever and insane plot but because he knew to get two of the most talented people in the business, Lane and Broderick, to play the lead roles.

Musically, the show is full of memorable pieces. None, however, became more popular than the timeless Springtime For Hitler. Most pieces of music are great because of the music. This was one song that was a lyrical masterpiece. Done totally tongue in cheek, this song shows off Brooks' genius like nothing he has ever done before or has done since. Just to see this done live on stage is worth the price of admission.

The rest of the music is simply meant to fill out the story, and this is done well. The Producers may be one of the few musicals in history that was really greater than the sum of its parts. The music itself was okay outside of Springtime. The actors were okay outside of Lane and Broderick. And the story was, in all honesty, kind of ridiculous. But everything put together as a whole created something that is just beyond description and has to be seen. It's too bad Land and Broderick are no longer on Broadway but if you can see the movie remake, do so. It's something you won't soon forget.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Music
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can music heal old wounds

Can Music Heal Old Wounds?Writen by Bob Ollman

New York, New York: May 20, 2006

Is music the answer to creating a peaceful society? We've all heard it said that music soothes the savage beast, but what about the civilized animal? NYC native Jerald Wolf, a singer and songwriter, may have stumbled upon a solution of sorts for bringing people together. It seems that a young pianist named Marina Vesic from Serbia, heard Mr. Wolfs' music and fell in love with it. So much so, that she asked Mr Wolf for permission to perform his songs at an upcoming concert that she was putting on at The Hall of Culture Center in Krusevac on Friday, May 5th. Hesitant at first, Jerald was more than willing after hearing her classical interpretations of his acoustic rock songs and recieving an overwhelmingly positive feedback from many new fans in Serbia. The two came to the conclusion that perhaps this is a good way to bridge the ever-widening gap between our countries. Mr Wolf and Miss Vesic agreed to giving ten percent of the proceeds from the concert and subsequent CD and video sales to the charity WHY (World Hunger Year/ Artists Against Hunger and Poverty). Miss Vesic has also appeared on Serbian TV on several occasions to help bring attention to and plug the upcoming concert, as well as the new-found ties with the USA and her home country of Serbia.

In her concert, Miss Vesic, who studies at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade and was a first place winner at the International Competition of Young Composers, also in Belgrade, featured her original pieces, as well as two songs by Jerald Wolf from his new CD Winter's Emptiness. She was accompanied by the talented vocalist Jovana Jovanovich. The two performers are known in Serbia as the duo Hedija, meaning present. As a grand finale and a fitting rousing tribute to New York (and new friendships), Miss Vesic and company performed the standard hit New York, New York, with the audience singing out at the end of the song in one loud joyful voice...NEW YORK!

Although the concert recieved little publicity or attention in the USA, there was an outpouring of genuine enthusiasm from the Serbian music lovers. Miss Vesic has been approached by several music and peace affecionados and asked if she will perform future concerts at different venues in and around her country. The answer was a resounding yes! There has also been a steady stream of new visitors to Mr Wolfs' website leaving messages of love, peace and hope, as well as invitations to come to Serbia to perform.

Is this the beginning to the end of hate and misunderstanding between people of the world? A small step perhaps, but certainly in the right direction.

Bob Ollman

Bob Ollamn is a well-respected indie music critic from NYC and is currently following the careers of several promising musicians including Jerald Wolf.