19. New Black Eagle Jazz Band, “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam)

For use with Lesson #22

 

Listening Exercise

Personnel: Tony Pringle cornet, Billy Novick clarinet, Stan Vincent trombone, Bob Pilsbury piano, Peter Bullis banjo, Eli Newberger tuba, C.H. “Pam” Pameijer drums. Recorded in 1996.

Issued on Daring DR 3025.

This soulful interpretation of a Christmas ode makes the point that traditional jazz is an approach to performance, not a repertoire. This approach can be advantageously applied to a wide variety of material. The Black Eagles’ hymn-like version of this timeless tune unfolds layer by layer, building gently but insistently towards a joyous conclusion. Tuba players will do well to study the elasticity and dynamics of Eli Newberger’s lines here.

Sequence for this track

0:00 Cornet solo, melody (16 bars); with clarinet (16 bars); full ensemble (16 bars)

1:27 Clarinet solo (16 bars); ensemble (cornet in harmon mute with stem in) (16 bars); piano solo (16 bars)

2:54 Ensemble outchorus

New Black Eagle Jazz Band