Miles Davis Reborn through the Turtle Island String Quartet by Haema
MILES DAVIS REBORN THROUGH THE TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET
Foot tapping, barks of excitement, joking, rhythms, and jazz music were all part of the lively performance by the Turtle Island String Quartet. With just four musicians, the essence of Miles Davis emerged from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Trapped into the swinging, relaxing, ambience of a downtown club in the 50s in the wee hours of the morning, even the ignorant members of the audience, concerning jazz music, were transported to another time by the sounds and actions of the Turtle Island String Quartet.
Immediately when the music started we all knew we were in for a treat. Not being a jazz specialist, I didn’t recognize all the music, but that’s not to say that I didn’t move to the rhythms produced. Already, being in a more intimate setting, Fisher Theatre, it was easy to travel back to the 50s, to the musky, dark, and flowing bar listening to real jazz music, not the stuff produced for the radio, but the jazz that makes your heart want to expel all its deepest secrets. You could see the range of emotions the artists on stage showed on their faces, keeping that one note suspended in the air just as long as you could hold your breath. All of a sudden you’re snapped out of the dream you were once in and see an artist come up and talk.
However, when the musicians came up to talk they still managed to keep you in the mindset that you were in a bar. Telling stories of Miles Davis, the songs, and incidences within the quartet, the musicians transitioned between the spectrum of songs they played. From ballads, to Indian inspired pieces, to heart ripping blues, the soul of jazz was fully exposed.
Not only did the artists seem to capture the audience with their knowledge of jazz, on and off stage (as we saw when we were asking them questions after the performance), but they also managed to exude jazz by their music and their actions. To talk of the music they made is amazing by itself, but they accompanied it with the true unadulterated actions that a real musician does. Such as, individual types of foot tapping, shouts of excitement and persuasion to keep on producing the moving music, or even the looks they gave each other on stage, as well as how they communicated with the audience.
When the time for the last piece came, the whole audience knew we were getting kicked out of the bar; it was closing time and we needed to go back home to our families. We left Miles Davis, the jazz, and the 50s to go back to regular snowy life in Ames, Iowa. As we opened our eyes we saw that there was no bar, in front of us was just a stage with a few chairs, stands, and couple of string instruments. True, we left Miles Davis, jazz, and the 50s behind, but the Turtle Island String Quartet made sure they would never leave us.
Foot tapping, barks of excitement, joking, rhythms, and jazz music were all part of the lively performance by the Turtle Island String Quartet. With just four musicians, the essence of Miles Davis emerged from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Trapped into the swinging, relaxing, ambience of a downtown club in the 50s in the wee hours of the morning, even the ignorant members of the audience, concerning jazz music, were transported to another time by the sounds and actions of the Turtle Island String Quartet.
Immediately when the music started we all knew we were in for a treat. Not being a jazz specialist, I didn’t recognize all the music, but that’s not to say that I didn’t move to the rhythms produced. Already, being in a more intimate setting, Fisher Theatre, it was easy to travel back to the 50s, to the musky, dark, and flowing bar listening to real jazz music, not the stuff produced for the radio, but the jazz that makes your heart want to expel all its deepest secrets. You could see the range of emotions the artists on stage showed on their faces, keeping that one note suspended in the air just as long as you could hold your breath. All of a sudden you’re snapped out of the dream you were once in and see an artist come up and talk.
However, when the musicians came up to talk they still managed to keep you in the mindset that you were in a bar. Telling stories of Miles Davis, the songs, and incidences within the quartet, the musicians transitioned between the spectrum of songs they played. From ballads, to Indian inspired pieces, to heart ripping blues, the soul of jazz was fully exposed.
Not only did the artists seem to capture the audience with their knowledge of jazz, on and off stage (as we saw when we were asking them questions after the performance), but they also managed to exude jazz by their music and their actions. To talk of the music they made is amazing by itself, but they accompanied it with the true unadulterated actions that a real musician does. Such as, individual types of foot tapping, shouts of excitement and persuasion to keep on producing the moving music, or even the looks they gave each other on stage, as well as how they communicated with the audience.
When the time for the last piece came, the whole audience knew we were getting kicked out of the bar; it was closing time and we needed to go back home to our families. We left Miles Davis, the jazz, and the 50s to go back to regular snowy life in Ames, Iowa. As we opened our eyes we saw that there was no bar, in front of us was just a stage with a few chairs, stands, and couple of string instruments. True, we left Miles Davis, jazz, and the 50s behind, but the Turtle Island String Quartet made sure they would never leave us.
posted by Haema @ 3:57 PM
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