different. Here’s a minor observation. In pop and rock, we refer
to songs; in jazz, we call them
tunes. (And in the classical realm
they’re called pieces.) Different
ways of talking about the same
thing. That’s similar to various
religions.
Pop and rock will please a
crowd because it plays to the
familiarity of songs and a standard way of performing them.
In jazz, however, originality in
performance is what impresses.
Jazz musicians are expected to
re-interpret a tune. So, while the
classic rock tribute band nails
the difficult and exciting kick off
to a song, first thing a jazz player
will do is take his tune apart. It’s
called re-harmonization. Revising the melody or chords adds
interest and variety.
When you see a Janice Joplin
tribute show, you want to hear a
close approximation of Joplin’s
singing. It’s what you look and
listen for. When a fan goes to
listen to a jazz singer, he or she
wants to hear a new interpreta-
PREVIEW
For the fourth year, the TD
James Moody Jazz Festival,
one of the largest gatherings
of jazz fans on the East Coast,
showcases an all-star lineup of
the country’s best musicians.
The festival takes place NoNewJerseyStage.com
vember 7-15, on and off the
New Jersey Performing Arts
Center (NJPAC) campus at 1
Center Street in Newark. Over
the next few pages we will
showcase a few of the festival
highlights for this year.
2015 - ISSUE 10
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