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"the Gerald Clayton Trio" - Music Appreciation Essay [7]
The following essay is for a Music Appreciation class. I am definitely musically challenged and this essay has been a struggle for me to write. Any advice will be appreciated! Thank you -
The 34th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, regarded as one of the country's largest free jazz festivals was experienced by thousands this past Memorial Day Weekend at Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta. I attended this concert on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Searching the nearby tables and vendors for a program, I was disappointed to discover that there were no programs available for the 7pm show. Since this festival is sponsored by and is offered as a No-Charge event, I have no ticket stub to verify my attendance! I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out my smart phone. I snapped a couple of pictures of the stage area and looked around. Over my shoulder was the most beautiful sun setting behind the Atlanta skyline. I snapped a few photos of the beauty and prayed that the Professor will accept the snapshots as proof of my attendance.
As I found a comfortable place on the grass to rest my tired feet, I listened to a group of three playing what sounded like elevator music. I closed my eyes and attempted to recognize what instruments were being played. I heard a bass, drums and of course, the piano. The piano was heard well above the other two instruments and sounded redundant to me. As I felt my body relax, I realized I could easily fall asleep. I quickly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The huge screen to the left of the stage verified that the three instruments being played were the piano, the bass and drums. I was pleased in my accuracy and silently thanked Dr. E for teaching me how to actively listen! After several more minutes of active listening, I concluded that the particular piece of music now being played sounded uncomfortably similar to dental office style of music, which, considering the recent 5 hour surgery I recently endured, horrified me! The musical beat felt redundant in nature and the tri-tone was monotonous. The piano beat was beginning to match the rhythm of my own heartbeat. I felt myself becoming anxious and the desire to leave the area was nagging.
As the crescendo increased, I knew it would be in my best interest to focus on anything other than the musical piece that was playing. I chose to pause my active listening and research the musicians' information for my essay. I discovered that the pianist was Gerald Clayton. Mr. Clayton was born into a musical family with his father being the bassist/composer John Clayton and his uncle is the well known saxophonist Jeff Clayton. In 2009 Gerald was nominated for "Best Improvised Jazz Solo", and most recently was Grammy nominated for "Best Instrumental Jazz Composition" in 2010. I was very interested in learning more about the drummer and the bass player of this trio. However, I was unable to locate any information whatsoever about the drummer or the bass player. My disappointment increased as I realized the pounding of the piano had softened and the pleasant beat of the drum and bass was increasing. I enjoyed listening to this phase of the concert very much. My mood lifted and my heart beat settled back into a much more relaxed rhythm.
As the Gerald Clayton Trio concluded their performance, I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. I did not enjoy the main performance of the piano playing, but I did enjoy the bassist' and drummers' performance immensely. I was very disappointed that there was no mention of their names or biographical information.
Atlanta Jazz Fest Stage
Jazz Fest Sunset
