BY WENDY ZHANG
Echoes of the Jazz Age
City Recital Hall, 6 February 2020
What does jazz mean to you? To me, jazz represented a kind of mood that was relaxed, chilled, free and sophisticated. Echoes of the Jazz Age, presented by John Bell, Blazey Best, and Simon Tedeschi, provided the cultural and historical context of the Jazz Age (1920s to 1930s in America) through words and music in a light-hearted way. It was an interesting concept of performance that combined singing, piano music, and roleplaying to present a unique perspective of where jazz originated from and what jazz was about. The concert took its name from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s essay.
The City Recital Hall was transformed into a 1920s speakeasy with a jazz trio playing in the foyer, drinks from the bar, and a glitter wall where attendees dressed up in glamorous costumes and posed for photos. The performers of the evening – John, Blazey, and Simon – all dressed up in style reflecting the jazz age, and the table where John and Blazey sat even had a gin and a martini at the ready.
Simon, dressed in a white cowboy’s hat, started the concert by playing Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm, which immediately got people tapping their feet and nodding as he played with ease. This was the power of jazz: it can immediately uplift someone’s mood and make them feel relaxed in a matter of seconds.
John, with his deep and familiar voice, recited poems introducing particular elements of the jazz age, such as ‘speakeasy’ and ‘flappers’, and did roleplays with Blazey and Simon to reenact imagined or real conversations between high-profile characters of the jazz age, before Simon started playing on the piano. It was really fun to watch and listen to these dialogues, as things said at the time were outrageous and hilarious but often with an element of truth in it.
All three of them would imitate their characters’ voices and accents. Blazey, in her sparkling cocktail dress and The Great Gatsby Daisy-style headband, did it best with her Mae West voice, reciting quotes such as “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before”, which got the audience to LOL!
Blazey’s voice was versatile and she can switch accent and characters effortlessly. She sang her first song Ain’t We Got Fun in a cheery voice, with a sense of playfulness especially when she emphasised the word “fun”. When she sang Stormy Weather, she changed to more of a drunken, seductive and husky voice that suited the club environment the song may have been written for. For the song Ain’t Misbehavin’, her voice again changed to sweet and flirtatious, and she even sang a few notes off key, which was a deliberate attempt to highlight the mischievousness of the song and the era.
Simon’s piano accompaniment was brilliant, always providing the right kind of light and shade, and superb control of the dynamics – playing soft when Blazey sang, and immediately louder and noticeable during the intervals between. An expert at playing jazz colours, his role changed to more of a main player rather than an accompanist in the traditional sense, as his solos were dominating and charming.
After intermission, Simon took off his cowboy hat, and played Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. I’ve heard this song many times before, and his interpretation was definitely unique. He had strong rhythms and clean executions, with distinct jazz-style grace notes. The last section was very much in control, but lacked the urgency, explosiveness, and power required for this brilliant finale. I was hoping for more out-of-control craziness in the finale but did not find that in his playing.
Simon also played Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer, after an especially funny dialogue between Gertrude Stein (by Blazey) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (by John). Simon’s playing was light and relaxed and not so fast. He switched between loud and soft with so much control and ease, and it was a playful performance. As a pianist, I have played this song before but with a faster speed and louder dynamics, and Simon’s performance of this song had me thinking about the speed and interpretation of my own playing, and inspired me to go home and rework on the piece.
The last song Brother, Can you Spare a Dime? ended the concert on a surprisingly melancholy note, as it signaled the end of the Jazz Age (tears). The piano music was dark and mysterious. Blazey sang with a sense of anger and rage that contrasted with other songs she’d previously presented. John recited the songs that the great age was over and it was time to go home, which made me suddenly very sad for missing out on being a real participant of the Jazz Age. The music was gloomy and full of tension, and the bass was loud, like the sound of a clock, signaling the end of an era.
In all, it was a fun night and impressive performance by John, Blazy and Simon – entertaining and light-hearted, presenting the great Jazz Age through the lens of music and witty conversations.
Image supplied.
