A Musical Ethnography:
“Jazz in the Atrium” in the Dallas Museum of Art
Introduction
Originating at the onset of the twentieth century as a fusion between African and European music traditions, the music genre of Jazz quickly claimed its indelible perch in American history. Amazingly, the art of Jazz has and will forever remain unrestricted in terms of its definition, composition, performance, and its location. Besides its ability to create and maintain a centuries’ worth of unique American cultural significance, Jazz has transcended many other markets around the globe. Moreover, the genre has served to captivate audiences by enlightening and broadening the scope of music all the while conspicuously assuming a part of the world music canvas. In narrowing the focus for the purpose of this musical ethnography, great attention will be paid to the influence Jazz has consigned to the city of Dallas, Texas. In particular, the weekly event entitled “Jazz in the Atrium” hosted by the Dallas Museum of Art will serve as our backdrop. The goal of this research is to show that despite the daunting significance Jazz has on the global scale, its relevance and since of originality can still be heard and enjoyed in small, intimate urban settings.
Setting and Methodology
In the beginning, the decision on the location of the research was somewhat overwhelming. I wanted to secure a venue that was classy yet casual, and large enough for a great experience but small enough for a personal touch. The Dallas Museum of Art was chosen because of its location, familiarity, and convenient event scheduling. The physical location of the event within the museum is just inside the main entryway. Across from the main information desk, you will find a vast open area that could accommodate approximately three to four hundred people. The stage is up front and center with smaller dimensions that are not necessarily proportional to the room size. Just in front of the stage are chairs and tables for patrons. To the rear of the seating area are a small mini bar and eatery for guests to enjoy an evening meal and cocktails while being serenaded. Thursday February twenty-fifth was the official day the field aspect of my research took place. In typical fashion, Dallas weather was predictably crazy and the skies opened up while the rain fell. Given the weather conditions, most would think that the audience would be scarce, while in fact the opposite was true with very little room to spare. The event was very casual in nature with people mingling and eating. There was great diversity among patrons with young to old and singles to families. The crowd was very energetic. One couple even jumped up from their seats and started to dance.
From the onset of this project, I knew most of the material research would draw from print resources while relying on one solid personal interview to serve as support. It was my objective to obtain as much information as possible about the activities involving music, the repertoires and material culture of music, whereas the interview was mostly geared to the individual’s definition and ideas of his/her music culture. Having established the setting of the event, the focus will now shift to the flow of the event itself.
Aspects of This Music-Culture
The weekly jazz sets start at six o’clock p.m. and last until approximately eight o’clock p.m. I arrived well in advance of the start time with a guest in tow. I was informed that if I arrived early there might be an opportunity to speak with a musician during set up, so such were my intentions. Fortunately, this was the case and I had a brief opportunity to conduct an interview. The musical guests that evening were a Dallas based band known as Fingerprints and were led by saxophonists Claude Hardrick. In addition, to the tenor saxophone, there was a flute, keyboard, bass, and drums featured. Much of their sound was heavily infused with Caribbean and Latin flavor. All of the songs they chose to play were upbeat and the saxophone took the melody most of the time. A tremendous portion of each of their songs consisted of improvisation, where each musician would take a turn and go wherever the music led them. In some cases, a piece would go on almost ten minutes without a traditional melody while the band was feeding off the crowd’s response to their improvisation. The crowd really showed their appreciation after each segment in the form of applause.
To the untrained ear, most see Jazz as a boring uneventful type of music, which is often relegated to such labels as “elevator music.” On the contrary, most of Jazz music has complicated undertones and counterpoint melodies that make it rich in nature. In the book A Jazz Improvisation Almanac, author Marc Sabatella points out that the counterpoint is a rhythmic component of jazz in which “several instruments are playing melodic lines at once, each with a different rhythm” (Sabatella). Additionally, the syncopated nature of the genre usually promotes a since of swing and pumps up the rhythm. Syncopation refers to the style of rhythm where the emphasis/accents are placed between the beats rather than on the beat.
During the brief time before the concert, I posed a few questions about the culture to which Mr. Claude Hardrick belonged to get more insight into his perspective. Since most of the music his band had been known to play was influenced by rhythm and blues music, I asked him could their music be classified as “Urban Jazz” (a confluence of R&B and Jazz). His response included, “Everyone has an opinion about our music. Instead of worrying about the definition we focus on playing good music.” I followed up that question by asking him what role the music played in his life and in the role of the current setting. He in turn responded, “Music has been like the glue that has kept the pieces together. Without music there is no me. Now , at events like this and especially since we are home, our fans appreciate us so much more and it’s our privilege to give what we love. Settings like this really speak to why we do what we do.”
In terms of the activities about music that this culture portrays, much of what you see is what you simply get. Jazz within this context is much like that of all other places because it is a style of music about expressing who you are and ushering up a sense of relaxation and being laid-back. Much of the message that comes through jazz transcends all differences and unites people. This was evident at the event where there was a scene of people laughing, talking, dancing, etc.
The Dallas Museum of Art jazz culture isn’t exclusive in terms of the repertoire but more so the setting itself. The subgenre of Jazz that was played called Urban Jazz fits well in this setting because of the location and personable setting. The music had a way of just taking over and moving you through different emotions. As mentioned before, some were inspired to dance, another woman near me began to stand and clap, and for me it was very soothing after a long day of work and school.
The material culture in a setting such as this is distinctly more informal with a “do as you may” type attitude. The equipment was rather limited in comparison to what you might see at a concert at the American Airlines Center. The material culture is the area that probably provides the most difference between other music culture environments that share the same environment.
It was a great pleasure to be a part of this personal growth and learning experience. Never having attended such a personal affair where Jazz was concerned really moved me and taught me that the setting can truly make all the difference. More specifically, my research exemplified my initial claim that Jazz is not confined to restraints of a particular definition or standard. Conversely, Jazz is a free spirit that takes many shapes and forms and moves from the musician (producer) to its audience ever changing.
Works Cited
Hardrick, Claude. Personal interview. 25 February 2010.
Sabatella, Marc. A Jazz Improvisation Almanac. Outside Shore Music. 2000
