Watch the this jazz performance of The Miles Davis Quintet
Parameters for Online Jazz Performance Reports:
In the introductory paragraph, be sure to mention:
1. Who performed (list the names and instruments/voice of all the musicians).
2. The venue or the location at which the performance was held, if this information is
available.
3. What date or year the performance occurred, if this information is available.
4. The pieces of music that were performed, or at least the pieces you are focusing on in
your review, if this information is available.
In the body of the review, analyze at least three (3) of the pieces that were performed. For each
piece, discuss any or all of the following:
1. What was the style of the piece? As best you can, identify the genre or genres (e.g., cool
jazz, bebop, etc.). Use musical terminology where
appropriate.
2. Can you identify the form of the piece? If so, please describe it. It is totally acceptable to write I could not identify the form of
this piece.
3. Describe the melody of the piece. Which instruments played it, or was it sung? What
were your impressions of it?
4. Did the piece feature improvisation? Provide some detail here, for example, whether you
discerned interaction between the soloist and the rest of the ensemble, what you liked or
didnt like about the improvising, etc.
5. What was your impression of this piece overall?
In the concluding paragraph(s), discuss your overall impressions of the performance. What did
you like or dislike, and why? Did you learn anything at this performance? What connections can
you draw from this performance to what you are studying in this course?
Tips:
-Take notes as you watch.
– If the performers introduce their pieces, take note of what they say.
– If a performance is over an hour, for example a show with two one-hour sets, you only
need to watch one set for the purposes of the assignment. Feel free to watch the whole
show if you wish.
– If you reference a piece of music or song, put it in quotation marks, such as Body and
Soul. An album gets italics, such as Kind of Blue.
– There are ballads (slow, quieter songs) in every genre and era of jazz. Cool jazz is
something very specific. If a piece is slow and/or mellow, that does not mean it is cool
jazz.
