Your Live Performance Report must be at least 600 words to receive full credit. Hint: Microsoft Word indicates how many words your document currently contains at the very bottom of its (Microsoft Word’s) window. Your goal on this report is to sound knowledgeable and professional. Avoid colloquialisms or slang. Proofread your work. Take into account that grammar and syntax are factored into the grading of your assignment.
Jazz Performance Report
For this assignment, you will need to plan ahead. You must attend a jazz club date or concert and write a report on it.
For those not in the Stillwater OK or Tulsa OK area, try Google searching the name of your city (or nearby city) and the word ‘jazz’. There will likely be some websites or advertisements that will provide concerts and venues for you to check out.
Some jazz performers talk more about their repertoire than others during their performances. I, for example, speak a fair amount regarding the pieces that are performed on OSU Jazz Orchestra and OSU Jazz Ensemble concerts. In the past, some students have found this useful for their writing. The OSU Jazz Ensemble and OSU Jazz Orchestra concert itineraries can be found at http://jazz.okstate.edu/calendar/
Write a report of at least two pages (600 words), giving a review of the performance you attended. In the introductory paragraph, be sure to mention:
Who performed (list the names and instruments of all the musicians).
The venue at which the performance was held.
The pieces that were performed.
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:
What was the style of the piece? As best you can, identify the genre or genres (e.g., cool jazz, bebop, etc.)
Identify the form of the piece, and describe the sections. Who played the choruses?
Describe the melody of the piece. Which instruments played it? What were your impressions of it?
Which instruments had solos? Provide some detail here, for example, whether or not the soloists interacted with the ensemble or other musicians, how long the solos lasted (number of bars), whether you liked them, etc.
Did the piece feature improvisation? If so, was it collective or solo improvisation? Which instruments participated in the improvisation?
What was your impression of this piece overall? Did you have a favorite section?
In the concluding paragraph(s), discuss your overall impressions of the performance. Did a particular piece stand out? Did you have a favorite soloist? Would you want to see these particular jazz musicians perform again?
