Rudimentary, Ms Evans

(Review by Russell).

Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society’s most recent meeting at Gateshead Central Library heard Jenny Evans explain the rudiments of Western musical composition with reference to jazz and other genres. Newcastle College lecturer Evans made the argument that Elvis, Mozart and jazz artists were, essentially, using the same building blocks to compose, and with specific reference to jazz, improvise.  Three chords and the pentatonic scale were an essential prerequisite to understanding, and creating, a musical masterpiece.

Jenny Evans’ entertaining talk, illustrated at the keyboard, required the dreaded ‘audience participation’ element that makes some look for the exit! Excuse me, I’ve left the gas on.. The task at hand was to write down a series of chords, hand it to teacher, and hear the left hand scale work with a right hand pentatonic melody. Evans caught sight – Excuse me, I forgot it’s – and seized upon, your correspondent’s scribbling – the cat’s funeral…

Well, Ms Evans is a talented sort. Looking at the (hopefully) illegible scrawl she played it as the composer intended! The piece opened:     

C E G A D

A G C E D

D C E G A

G D E C A

The result was a ragime (ish) masterwork! The Society’s regulars thanked Ms Evans for a most entertaining presentation. Your correspondent dashed off to a gig (a corker of a gig; Don Forbes and the boys at the Jazz Co-op playing ‘Modern’ jazz as it should be played), then back to the garret  to work late into the night on that next masterpiece.   

Russell.