With scintillating rhythms and interesting twists on familiar tunes, the Brown Jazz Band played its final concert of the semester to a crowded Salomon 101 Friday night.
The 20-piece band included an array of horns and winds and a solid rhythm section of drums, bass, guitar and piano.
The ensemble's conductor, Senior Lecturer in Music Matthew McGarrell, chose a variety of pieces to display the wide range of the group's musical capacity. Most of the songs also featured soloists.
The first song, "Us" by Thad Jones, showcased the band's ability to highlight certain sections of instruments while maintaining a cohesive sound. This upbeat, thoroughly modern piece featured peppy and sometimes clashing trombone chords held together by a tight rhythmic structure. The precise drumming weighed down the dizzying sounds of the rest of the band.
Next was "Basically Blues," which McGarrell introduced as "a little more mainstream jazz." The song was "self-consciously written in the style of Count Basie," he added. Led by syncopated piano chords, this slinky piece had a sleepy, slow beat layered with heady variations on the melody. The occasional solo riffs brought to mind a smoky Harlem blues bar.
The fourth song, Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debbie," was performed only by the rhythm section of the band. The soft, sweet melody had melancholic undertones that showed the easy coordination among these four musicians. Their light touches allowed for an extraordinarily blended sound.
Another song, featured vocalists Leah Segal '08 and Justin Revelle '07 in the adorable interplay of "Baby, It's Cold Outside."
The last song was Charlie Mingus' famous "Fables for Faubus," which is a protest against racist remarks made by a former Arkansas governor, McGarrell explained to the audience. "He also recorded this for Columbia (Records) and they demanded it without the lyrics."
"The way we are going to play it should be enough without the lyrics," said McGarrell, suggesting that it is difficult to mimic Mingus' vocal style.
Indeed, the moaning trills of the baritone saxophone in particular seemed to convey Mingus' message.
