The Baylor University Concert Jazz Ensemble Directed By...

I attended the Baylor University Concert Jazz Ensemble directed by Alex Parker on Tuesday, November 10th. This ensemble consisted of saxes, trombones, trumpets, drums, a piano, and bass. The concert showcased many individual talents by including solo’s or duet’s in every song. The program consisted of seven songs with no intermission. The pieces I selected were â€Å"Big Dipper† by Thad Jones and â€Å"Undecided† by Frank Mantooth. The composition â€Å"Big Dipper† by Thad Jones consisted of a duet by Hunter Horby playing the tenor sax and Ryan McArthur playing the trumpet. The tone of the piece was in major. It had a happy feel to it and made you want to get up and dance. It was moderato in tempo, meaning it was an average pace of beats. It kicked off with a quick crescendo from mezzo piano, or medium soft, to forte, or loud. The tenor sax and the trumpet had the melody and the rest of the instruments were the background music for most of the piece however, the rest of the ensemble had their time to shine with the melody a couple of times. I felt as if I was in the 1950’s listening to swing music and jazz. The texture felt dancelike and brassy. Jones incorporated many accents and staccato markings throughout the composition. The song had many contrasts with pitches and dynamics. Most of the crescendo’s and decrescendo’s seemed to be directly related to the amount of instruments being played. If there was just one instrument playing and they started to increase in volume, the other