This page is an introduction to how jazz reviews are written, to prepare
you for the Jazz Review Draft and Final Paper assignments.
Music reviews are designed to inform readers about a new recording that they may
not have heard, and give them insight into the music. Historically reviews like these
were found in newspapers or magazines. Today these sort of reviews might be found
on a music website or blog. These type of reviews are concise, generally under 1000
words, and are usually 3-4 paragraphs.
Professional reviewers are “experts” in the field of music they are reviewing, and so
they often rate the recordings and sometimes make evaluations about whether a
recording is “good” or “bad”. You will not be doing this as part of your review. The list
of recordings you choose from are all considered great works of art and jazz
masterpieces, so there is no need for you to rate or evaluate the recording you choose
to review.
Here are 2 historical reviews of classic recordings, plus a more modern review of a
contemporary work. As is the case for most jazz reviews, the entire album (or CD) is
reviewed, with different tracks receiving attention in the review. Two of the reviews
below are about albums (CD's) that include tracks that you have heard as part of your
class audio materials. These are provided to give you a sense of the length, content
and style used for this type of writing. You should use various aspects of these reviews
as models for the ways you describe music when writing your review.
Kind of Blue
From Downbeat Magazine Oct 1, 1959
Miles Davis “Kind Of Blue”
Columbia CL 1355: So What, Freddie Freeloader, Blue In Green, Flamenco Sketches,
All Blues
Personnel: Davis, Trumpet : Julian Adderley, Alto : Bill Evans, Piano (all tracks
except Freeloader) : Wynton Kelly, Piano (Track 2) : Paul Chambers, Bass : James
Cobb, Drums.
Rating: 5 Stars out of 5
This is a remarkable album. Using very simple but effective devices. Miles has
constructed an album of extreme beauty and sensitivity. This is not to say that this LP
is a simple one - far from it. What is remarkable is the the men have done so much
with the stark, skeletal material.
All the compositions bear the mark of the Impressionism and touches of Bela Barktok.
For example , "So What?" Is built on two scales which sound somewhat like the
Hungarian minor giving the performance a Middle Eastern flavor: Flamenco and All
Blues reflect a strong Ravel influence.
Flamenco and Freeloader are both blues, but each is of a different mood and
conception: Sketches is in 6/8, which achieves a rolling, highly charged effect, while
Freeloader is more in the conventional blues vein. The presence of Kelly in
Freeloader may account partly for the difference between the two.
Miles’ playing throughout the album is poignant, sensitive, and, at time, almost
morose, his linear concept never falters. Coltrane has some interesting solos; his angry
solo on Freeloader is in marked contrast to his lyrical romanticism on All Blues.
Cannonball seems to be under wraps on all tracks except Freeloader when his
irrepressible joie de vivre bibles forth. Chambers, Evans and Cobb provide a solid
sympathy backdrop for the horns.
This is the soul of Miles Davis and its a beautiful soul.
- This is a good example of a magazine review, from the time the album was released
(1959). You have heard the song "So What?" from this album as part of a historical
video performance in your text software. The review starts with a
description/reaction to the overall album, and the second paragraph includes a
reference to a particular track which explains the reviewers point about the music
and influences (Impressionists, Middle Eastern sounds) The next paragraph identifies
and discusses 2 tracks that are related (both are Blues) and describes each, including a
mention of one of the musicians (Kelly) in order to make his point. The following
paragraph discusses Miles Davis’ performances overall and also mentions the
performances of other musicians on the record, referring to specific tracks. The final
conclusion “paragraph” is short and to the point, only one sentence, but it conveys a
full thought and, in this case, more is not needed.
A Love Supreme
Record Review
John Coltrane
A Love Supreme- Impulse 77 - Part I - Acknowledgement; Part II - Resolution; Part
III - Pursuance; Part IV - Psalm
Personnel: Coltrane, tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner; piano, Jimmy Garrison, bass,
Elvin Jones, drums
Rating 5 stars out of 5
During most of Coltrane’s career, he has been admired and damned for various things
- this technical facility and his ability to run chord changes with lightning speed, his
sometimes seething emotionality that found expression through wildly cascading
solos, his physical prowess to play seemingly for hours without letup......and so forth.
Even his most ardent critics seldom denied he was an outstanding musician. His
supporters called him an artist and he was to a certain extent.
But In truth, the admiration was based more on his musicianship then his artistry, for
art involves more then an ability to play a jazz solo that moves a certain number of
listeners, mostly to excitement. Artistry simultaneously involves structure,
forethought, revelation of self- essence, as well as a wide emotional range. These
elements were not always present in Coltrane’s work in the past, as excellent as it
was.
This record, however, is throughly a work of art.
It is, according to Coltrane, a statement of his rediscovery of God - the supreme love and is meant as praise of the Almighty.
I do not know how Coltrane’s rediscovery has changed him as a man, but there is a
change in his music - not a radical change, but one that has produced a peace not
often heard in his playing previously, and Coltrane’s peace induces reflection in the
listener. It takes the form of startlingly beautiful lyricism that sometimes hovers over
his accompaniment, as on Psalm, a most moving performance. It is evident in the deemphasis of the fury and frustration that had become such a part of Coltrane’s work
during the last three years.
Musically, Coltrane is very much together on this record. The excesses of the past are
conquered. Everything counts, nothing sprawls.
His use of thematically developed motifs is excellent, particularly on
Acknowledgement (a four note, chantlike theme which Coltrane also sings - “a love
supreme” - after his solo.) The melodicism that is such a striking characteristic of his
playing on this album is more often chromatic than diatonic and, consequently,
sometimes creates a bitonality that sets up a wonderful tension with Tyner’s chords
and Garrison’s bass lines. Coltrane’s artistry is evident in his never permitting tension
to overcome its counterpoise, release. His solo on Pursuance contrasts with his other
solos because it is more in the rampaging devil-dance style he has used in the recent
years; but within that soaring complexity he inserts touchstones of simplicity, which
of course, is the same tension-release device he uses in a different way in the other
solos.
Tyner and Jones are their usual excellent selves, and their work, both in solo and
support, is of the nature and quality one expects from them. Garrison deserves special
commendation for his playing on the record. His solo that bridges Pursuance and
Psalm is a masterly piece of work. In it he makes subtle use of the four-note
Acknowledgement theme (which I assume is the four part work’s main theme), uses
tempo for effect rather then point of reference, and brings off beautifully a series of
structured chords and single-note lines thats eventually leads into Psalm.
This is a significant album, because Coltrane has brought together the promising but
underdeveloped aspects of his previous work; has shorn, compressed, extended, and
tamed them; and has emerged a greater artist for it. (D.DeM.)
-You have heard the track "Resolution" from this album in your audio tracks. This
review is also written at the time of the albums release (1965), and is a little more
lengthy than the Kind of Blue review. It also contains more commentary about the
reviewers “professional” opinions on Coltrane’s past music, his reputation and spends
time rating/judging the “worthiness” of the music. Most of this is in the first few
paragraphs, you can read it and take it in, but because you are not rating or judging
the worthiness of the music, it will not really apply to your review. What you
SHOULD use as a examples of music review style writing are the descriptions of the
music and performance found in the final 3 paragraphs of this review. The reviewer
may have a more in depth understanding of musical events and terms than you at this
point, but this is a good example of using musical descriptions to describe the music.
Phrases such as ”uses tempo for effect”, and “ a series of strummed chords and singlenote lines” help the reader to “hear” the music. This review is also a good example of
the use of descriptive terms which help bring the music to life on paper, such as:
”chantlike”, or “rampaging devil-dance”.
Review:
Jack Wilkins: The Blue & Green Project, Summitt Records – DCD 572
Personnel: Wilkins-tenor saxophone, Sara Caswell-violin, LaRue Nickelson-guitar,
Corey Christiansen-guitar, Keith Oshiro-trombone, Tom Brantlye-trombone, Per
Danielsson-piano, Jeff Pinkham-banjo, and others
In JazzTimes
Published 01/06/2012 By Thomas Conrad
Jack Wilkins’ project is a unique attempt to combine jazz with Appalachian mountain
music. The two genres prove to be surprisingly complementary. The inspiration for
the opening track, “Song of the Anvil,” is a field recording of two master blacksmiths
in Spruce Pine, N.C., communicating in the “language of the anvil,” hammering
together in tempo. The ringing syncopations become an authentic, commanding
hard-bop anthem, with strong, clear solo stories from tenor saxophonist Wilkins,
trombonist Keith Oshiro and guitarist Corey Christiansen.
Wilkins is the director of the jazz studies program at the University of South Florida
in Tampa. His compositions and arrangements for up to 18 musicians reflect an
academic’s meticulousness and thoroughness. The intricate 14-minute suite
“Mountain Watercolors,” inspired by the paintings of North Carolina artist Elizabeth
Ellison, contains three movements, each connected to an element of Ellison’s art, each
fully explained in Wilkins’ liner notes.
But Wilkins’ conscientious craftsmanship is neither tame nor dry. “Mountain
Watercolors” includes a wild, whining guitar solo by LaRue Nickelson and a
careening fiddle workout by Sara Caswell. Bluegrass grooves and wailing hoedowns
keep popping up in Wilkins’ through-composed designs. The most memorable piece is
the short, harrowing “Death Rattle,” based on “death ballads” found in mountain
cultures. Christiansen, Nickelson, Wilkins and trombonist Tom Brantley all testify,
darkly. Life in Appalachia was not always a party.
-This review is a modern review of a CD by your Professor. You have one of the
tracks (Mountain Watercolors) from this CD as part of your music tracks. This is a
good example of the reviewer using descriptive terms to bring the music to life for the
reader. Such phrases as : "wild, whining guitar solo" , "wailing hoedowns"
and "short, harrowing “Death Rattle,” help describe the music and his
conclusion: "Life in Appalachia was not always a party." is a creative way to end his
review, bringing the music and concept of the project together.
You should refer to these reviews when writing your own review for the Jazz Review
Assignments. Be sure you read the assignments carefully and include the required
elements in your review. You will submit a first draft and then have the opportunity
to rewrite the final paper after the draft has been reviewed and returned to you.
These are 2 separate assignments/submissions in your Weekly Modules, each with a
due date that must be met.
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