Some things I heard at the Viking Jazz Festival in Poulsbo WA

A couple of weeks ago, I adjudicated once again at the Viking Jazz Festival. I listened to 18 junior high school & middle school bands and 22 high school groups on Thursday/Friday 4-5 Feb. The festival is co-hosted by North Kitsap HS and Poulsbo JH in Poulsbo WA, where I taught band for a year back in 1991. Kudos to Susan Peters of NKHS and Bryce Adams of PJH for a great Festival! Here's some of what I heard during those two days...

One of the things that really separates the great bands from the good ones is the ability of the rhythm section to play dynamics well. The best bands had rhythm sections who could play at a whisper-soft level to match the ensemble when needed, and then really kick the band at stronger volumes without rushing.

Additionally, bands that could really emphasize the difference between soft and loud volume levels tended to be the better-sounding groups. There were a few bands who played everything too loud, and as a result they didn't phrase well, notes and intonation were sloppier, and they generally sounded less competent. When the details are missing, the music stops being interesting.

Another key is the ability of everyone in the band to play swing quarter notes at exactly the same length as required by the tempo. It's the difference between "daht," "dot," and "dit" - when everyone plays quarter notes the same length, the time/tempo really locks in and makes the band swing harder. It's really hard to describe in words what that sounds like, but once you've heard it it makes perfect sense.

There were some bands that didn't have really strong brass sections - after all, we're talking about groups in which the trumpet/trombone players have been playing for only two or three years. But many of them made up for it by playing very musically - clean phrase endings, nice shape to the melodic lines. I think most listeners would rather hear a great melody played well than a great melody played high but poorly.

Most bands played at least one straight-8ths tune - sometimes Latin, sometimes a rock/funk tune. The bands that could really pull off those charts understood that Latin and funk rhythms must be played very precisely or they don't work. Usually in those kinds of charts, there are lots of cross-rhythms in the melodic lines and other figures, and if the lines are played sloppily you lose the effect of those cross-rhythms. And then the chart just sounds muddy.

As for soloists, you could REALLY tell who's been doing their listening homework. The soloists who took home awards for their performances included several young players from (among other schools) the Bellevue, Mt. Si, and Garfield high school groups. I hope to have some input from those soloists on this blog shortly.

And that's what I heard at the Festival. So...what have you been listening to?

Mingus recordings added to the Suggested Listening list...

Thanks to Tadd Morris for pointing out we should have some Charles Mingus (Mingus Ah Um and Pithecanthropus Erectus) on the List!

Jazz Listening Session - Thanks to attendees and teachers!

We just finished the first Jazz Listening Session - checked out "Each Side Of The River," from the rare LP "The Soul Of Jazz," and the classic "Stolen Moments" by Oliver Nelson. Good crowd of 14-15 people, with students from Centennial MS, Snohomish HS, and Glacier Peak HS in attendance, plus a number of interested grownups. There were a couple of students who weren't already listening to anything just yet - this was a good way to get their feet wet, and to start talking about HOW you listen to jazz music as a young player.

Thanks to the local JH/HS teachers for helping publicize the Session. Hopefully we've generated enough interest to set up more sessions over the rest of this year. And thanks to my wife Melanie for helping get the house ready!

Some particulars on the music:

"The Soul of Jazz" is not in print, and unavailable at iTunes and apparently not at Amazon either. Recorded in 1958 and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, the label number is World Wide MGS-20002, and it's part of the Savoy Records Catalog. Personnel:

• Joe Wilder - tpt
• Bill Harris - trb
• Bobby Jaspar - tenor
• Pepper Adams - baritone
• Eddie Costa - piano
• George Duvivier - bass
• Art Taylor - drums
• Billy Ver Planck - arranger

"Stolen Moments" is from Oliver Nelson's 1961 recording "Blues and the Abstract Truth," available from iTunes or Amazon. Personnel:

• Fredddie Hubbard - tpt
• Eric Dolphy - alto, flute
• Oliver Nelson - arranger, alto/tenor
• George Barrow - baritone
• Bill Evans - piano
• Paul Chambers - bass
• Roy Haynes - drums

So...what are you listening to?