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Wynton Marsalis Discusses History of Jazz

“Marsalis is not only a world-class musician but also a captivating and engaging speaker,” says Joe L. Choe ’17, a jazz enthusiast and musician. “His message was made that much more effective because he incorporated live music into it. The music added texture to his speech and provided a context for the audience.” According to Choe, “There was never a dry moment, and every time his ensemble played, it was as if the audience was taken to a different world.”

For Abby L. Westover ’17, the show was a chance to learn more about jazz in the 1920s, a musical era in which she is interested. “I've always enjoyed [jazz], but have never been extremely knowledgeable about the different nuances and specific names,” she says.

Westover says that the orchestra’s performances and Marsalis’s commentaries were in perfect union. “I was completely floored at the talent and artistry Marsalis and the orchestra exhibited,” she says. “I came out of the show wanting to learn more about jazz and having a much higher appreciation for it.”

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Cherie Z. Hu ’17, who is currently taking Henderson’s class, Music 153: Jazz Harmony, found ties between the class and the event. “In the past few weeks, we’ve been doing harmonic analysis of basic jazz pieces, which really contributed to my liking of the show,” she says. “Last week in class, we learned about a musical concept called the ‘circle of fifths,’ which says that some of the most famous jazz songs use a similar loop over and over again…. I noticed that a lot of the songs during the concert used the circle of fifths, which I thought was really cool."

Hu had previously attended a jazz concert hosted by the same orchestra at Lincoln Center. She says that Thursday night’s show was a lot more engaging due to its format and amount of audience interaction. “My last jazz concert at the Lincoln Center was a really good and I really liked it, but the Marsalis concert went much more in depth and I came out learning a lot more about the background of music rather than just listening to it for a few hours.”

In addition to speaking of the history and composition of jazz, Marsalis spoke of each individual’s artistic potential. He discussed how musicians during the early jazz period learned through their music that each person offered a world of possibilities. “There is nothing deeper, or more personal, than interest,” Marsalis said. These encouraging words were received warmly by an admiring and enthusiastic audience.

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