Miles Davis's Performance of Around Midnight - Article Example

?Jiayan Zhou MCY 124 Charles Bergeron 09 April Miles Davis – Around Midnight Jazz music, this lively, enjoyable music was started back in the 20th century within the African American communities. It has given rise to popular Jazz music and much new age American popular music. It is spread to all the communities in America and has many distinctive styles. Saxophone being one of the major instruments used in the composition of Jazz Music adds the distinction to this music. As a means of this unique level of ethnic development, jazz represents something special within the field of music that cannot quite be claimed by any other form of music that currently exists in the world. The video refers to the Miles Davis performance of “Around Midnight” in Berlin, Germany, which he takes us through a story by the expressions that can be perceived through Jazz music. Miles Davis one of the most famous jazz players worked on the modern jazz musical concepts that have helped to grow this genre to a next level. One of the most interesting aspects of jazz music is the level to which the genre continues to grow and redefine itself long after its heyday of popularity. Whereas the full music of the hippie movement has long since faded into the past, the music of the roaring 20s has been lost from memory, and the music that brought a nation together during the Second World War has been forgotten, jazz continues to maintain a subculture of popularity, continues to be performed by a wide range musicians, and continues to redevelop and reengineer the means by which it sounds on nearly a continual level. The very first jazz melody “Agitation” gives the listener a very exotic feeling by using his trumpet. It combines the different aspects from the musical perspectives. The song follows quick transitions with specific background sounds. The background music keeps the flow of the music steady and continuous. The trumpet is used throughout the music owing to its main emphasis on the intensity to the certain point it shows. In much the same way that saxophone is used within other jazz pieces to represent the missing vocalist, the trumpet within this particular piece gives the depth and complexity that a vocalist might give. Miles Davis improvisation in this specific type of Jazz know as Modal Jazz music has helped specifically to stretch out the harmony of the music into certain parts which makes the it more systematic and helps the music to proceed in an organized manner. Miles Davis stretched out certain improvements in different types of Jazz music, such as bebop, hard bop, cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion. This specific piece from Miles Davis joins in with different instruments to give the feel of the environment producing a story of its sort. Ultimately Miles Davis exhibits the ability of the genre jazz to continue to reinvent itself and provide new forms of fusion between bebop, hard bop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz fusion. In such a way, the full depth of evolution of this particular genre is aptly demonstrated to the reader. This modal jazz requires knowledge of musical nodes beforehand. Miles Davis, the most well-known protagonist of Jazz Music history had been on top of creating creative method for Modal Jazz. The video specifically has piano to create the specific background rhyme to the music that follows throughout the length of the video. Throughout the video there are specific changes in the chords, which at times follow a certain transition and after a break follow another set of harmonies. What can be understood with regards to jazz is that it has the unique ability to incorporate a range of different ideas concepts and emotions within a single piece and somehow wrap them up altogether so that they work cohesively. This is of course unique as compared to many other forms of music due to the fact that the average three-minute song only has a chorus are melody that exists for the space of about 15 to 20 seconds. Although the purpose of this analysis is not cheap and aspects of popular music that exists, it can be understood that a great deal more musicianship is required to engage listeners with a 7 to 10 minute piece of music that continues to develop new concepts as opposed to a mere three-minute piece of music that repeats attired concept multiple times. In its historical aspect, this piece shows the jazz music that followed up in the 60’s. Miles Davis, who was a pro trumpeter, performed his music based either solo or like in the video, along with different instruments such as French horn, Tuba, and Woodwinds. The video reflects on the charismatic methods of attaining the attention by progressive music. This video stretches one in into its depth of harmony and composition. This level of charisma with regards to the means by which the music is played, has a powerful impact upon the means by which the listener integrates with the music. Whereas previous forms of music that had existed prior to the development of jazz represented musicians who are almost stoically stroking or blowing into their instruments, jazz musicians have broken this mold and integrated something of an active participation in the process and means by which the listener appreciates the music. This is of course been carried forward within the means by which modern music is played and the means by which modern musicians seek to interact on an active level with their listeners. In such a way, jazz can be seen as a contributing factor to the level to which musicians, regardless of genre, seek to integrate with and plan active part in the music that they are performing. The whole concert “Around the Midnight” gives the listener a great exciting yet relaxing environment. The trumpet just immerses the listener in the music completely with the piano completing the essence of perfection. Jazz music has its sudden increase in the melody with slow smooth variations. The quality of music is tense building with a theme to create drama. It creates the crowd to be attentive at all time and yet enjoys the music tapping to their feet. Due to the fact that the jazz song on average is much longer than a typical pop music song the need for fluctuations in speed and volume is necessitated. This is due to the fact that in order to engage the audience with something of suspense with regards to the means by which the following idea will be elaborated upon, the music must continually seek to provide an element of suspense and/or surprise. The very decent musical notes create a very mysterious thematic sense to the whole jazz aura. The very distinctive jazz mixture with the drums allows the trumpeter to merge in the piano harmony. Drums create a much-exited environment for the listening which the trumpet plays the major commanding part along with the piano. Miles Davis command on this sense of jazz music just enlightens the very mental cores of a musicians mind. The enriching experience of listening to the music of Miles Davis is a mystery and mastery by itself as he professionally mixes up different aspects of musical feelings in a note. The harmony goes from fast paces to slow and then fast again, which doesn’t let the listening to the melody get bored. This very modern style of jazz has been influential in most parts of America and is the very start of the modern jazz music, as we know it. The highly dramatic tone of the jazz music takes the person to some story of its sort assigning a certain memory to its specific moment. Ultimately this representation of memory and the means by which a particular story is told within the jazz music forms the basis by which jazz music can and should be understood as well is appreciated. Miles Davis Jazz music like other famous jazz musicians sparks some complexity within one person that is tough to figure out and pinpoint. It has a very meaningful, yet optimistic, prolonged yet completed feeling inside. It’s takes a person to its own thoughts and the Miles Davis music throughout takes one on a roller coaster ride. It makes one listen, feel, and comprehend things more than other music. Whereas many times individuals are tempted to refer to jazz music as merely easy listening music, the fact the matter is that suspense, mystery, and strong elements of excitement and surprise can just as easily exist within jazz music as it can within any other form of music. Accordingly, the reader should understand that jazz music, properly performed, has the same ability to evoke emotional responses within the listener that is does any other form of music. Contrary to a lot of popular music which may be very good, yet superficial, jazz requires deep thinking. It is a mixture of complicated emotions and feeling which ascent and descends accordingly to the harmony. Such as this video that portrays the perfect image of the emotions that comprise from the very start. The music in the video takes us from the sudden tension phase, to the relaxed soothing harmony of the piano, to the fast paced drums along with some tremendous piano. Within the example dictation and release of tension within the piece, the listener is made fully aware of the integral roles that all of the musicians play with regards to such an emotion. Taken by themselves, their respective roles are ultimately not interesting and do not contribute munch to an understanding of the means by which the listener engages with somatic elements of the music. However, in the same way that the symphony orchestra exhibits cohesion and displays a market degree of instrumental collaboration, the same can of course be said for the jazz band. This specific piece in itself is quite complicated and creates feelings of nostalgia at times but doesn’t create hate. It soothes and excited the listening but doesn’t make them stand on their feet. It’s much more complex than a lot of musical genres in its harmony, style of deliverance and process of creation. Miles Davis musical performance is in other words complex. This jazz music actually interacts with the people and hence produces complex feelings. People have it in them to never forget feelings; jazz is what it does to a person. It stamps on feelings which are unforgettable, such as this piece of music. When jazz music reaches to the right ears it creates strong emotions and a deep connection within on self. Naturally, this again requires that the individual listener has at least an open mind and overall appreciation for the type of music the jazz represents. Without such an open mind, the nuances of the genre as well as the means by which individual pieces are related to the listener, will likely be lost upon a listener that has already come to a predetermined position with regards to whether or not they appreciate and/or like jazz music. This jazz concert through its vast variety of elements and systematic progression of musical ascends took me through deep thoughts and emotions. The approach of the musician towards music is commendable and so is the technique used. It is impossible to guess which way it is going to take a turn and change the pace or pitch of the tone. All the instruments are choreographed very timely and this free style of jazz is a tough decision on the musicians as every note counts and has to make sense. Ultimately, the variety of music that is displayed within jazz is one of the aspects that continues to keep the genre fresh. Whereas it is previously been discussed that other forms of music have long since faded from memory, jazz continues to be relevant due to the fact that it uses such a very broad variety of styles and means to engage with the listener Hence, having the sense to understand jazz music is very important. The video puts the very relaxing feeling in one’s shoe and lets the person enjoy the music to its depth. Miles Davis transposes his message through jazz; it’s a representation of black culture and a true identity of a jazz genius. His diversity in style and techniques gave birth to many different jazz styles that are still used in modern music. This concert is a representation of his class and beauty of control of his gentle play with the emotions that transfer through the audience which certainly impacted me. Miles style of introspective melodic style creates his distinct personality. Regardless of how impressive and musician that Miles Davis might be, the fact of the matter is that without a rich subject matter and diverse choice of material, the performance would necessarily been flat and otherwise uninteresting. Accordingly, due to the diversity of the subject matter that the musician had to deal with, the performance was able to take on an interesting dynamic that gripped the viewer/listener’s attention. Miles Davis is also considered one of the most important jazz musicians. That is easily a proof to how much in depth he took his music too, especially jazz music. His music has touched many souls and that too very deeply, his music is a mental challenge, not disruptive, but soothing. It finds itself across through its trumpet, digging itself through the piano which constantly adding the drums to it. The joy and excitement Miles Davis music video gave was tremendous. The music reached out to me and literally touched the heights of my musical capacity. Bibliography: Davis, Miles. Around the Midnight, 2001. Video. 5 April 2013. Work Cited Author name, Book Name, Publishing place, Publisher name, Year Author name, “Article Title”, Journal name, volume (issue): page number, year Read More