Clubscene - WordJazz

Summer of 2007

Jazz is one of America’s
treasured art forms
a
vibrant and integral part
of our culture
audiences are growing
and
expanding
around the country

venues
indoors and out
presenting
a mélange of melody
in
semi-darkened clubs
with
flickering flames
bistro’s
dance halls in building
with old façade
and
well-treaded stair
casings
and
there are acoustically
equipped
spacious caverns
like
civic auditoriums
on the exotic fringes
of Portland

on the village green
music lovers congregate
in spite of the sun
feeling
like a fireball
or
the sweltering air
and
the clamminess

a variety
of
foods & beverages
vendors
with their awning
flapping
ever so calmly

performers
with a high level
of
instrumental proficiency
with
believable messages
conjuring up
emotions and moods

singers with impeccable
techniques
male and female
vie for venues
or
an invitation to perform

vivacious
full-figures ladies
with
large brown eyes
and
sexy tones
croon
to the sounds
of a floating piano
a vamping bass
echoes of trumpets
flugelhorns
and
a large dose
of
saxophone smoothness
a
groove kicking drum
and
snare snaps adds color
to a syncopated
conversation

young players
in
high schools
learning
the
arcane rudiments
of music
are
aided and abetted
by
old hands
in
workshops
informal chats
and
onstage appearances
are
paying their dues
and
cheered
on by appreciative
audiences

vocalists
with unerring
inner metronome
intoning
the music of human
thoughts
and feeling
like the blues
and
smooth
seductive ballads
and
songs of experience

in a grassy park-like
setting
on
a starless night
impregnated
with
fresh and clear air

the
soul of a trumpet
throbs
round sounds
emanate
without attitude

a
muscular
bass rumbles
and there’s
an infectious joy
in
the double stopping
stretching
a
melodic solo
to its ultimate
limits

a
noticeable
preponderance
of
syncopated rhythm
cleanly executed
on
percussions
giving a feeling
of
mass euphoria
to
uncontrolled
bodies
moving through space
in sync

honeyed voices
timeless melodies
like
“Stella by Starlight”
“Summertime”
and
“Green Dolphin Street”
done with
a
double serving
of
soul and sensitivity

on a
modified version
“Penny From Heaven”
words
dissolve into
sound
skoobie – doobie
an
harmonica is added
to
created
a
dynamic contrast
building tension
and then
releasing it masterfully

“penny must be from heaven
because it damn
sure ain’t
from
me”

days and nights
of
listening
to
catchy riffs
infectious grooves
and
persuasive vocals

the
intimate
ambiance of clubs
or
being stirred
under
blue skies
the
whole lot bathed
in
sunbeams
and
at days end
an
incredibly beautiful
orange sunset

Redd Williams
08/11/07