Brenden Abedin

Professor Elder

MUS 113 Jazz In American Music

Untamed Elegance by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is a

50-minute suite written by Victor Goines. It was performed on October 28th, 2016, at Rose

Theater in New York, with 1109 seats available. The vision behind the suite was an attempt to

replicate the themes of the roaring twenties. The roaring twenties were a period of significant

freedom and expression in America. The suite is composed of 6 movements with varying moods.

The first movement, "The Business of America is Business," a quote by Calvin Coolidge, is a

tranquil, light piece featuring solos on tenor saxophone, trombone, and bass. There was less

power in this movement than in other movements. However, combined with the quiet, soothing

mood and expert technique demonstrated by each instrumentalist to keep the listener entertained,

it makes an upbeat composition and steady flow via the heavy influence of brass instruments. I

especially appreciated the tenor saxophone solo in this piece. The saxophonist Jon Irabagon, who

is not a member of the JLCO but is a featured player prominently throughout the suite, has a

timbre varying from smooth and melodic to a shrill sound at some of the more climatic moments

in the movement. Altogether the piece provided a fantastic starting point for a great suite.

Following "The Business of America is Business," the orchestra picks up the tempo in

the following two movements. The third movement, titled "Laboratories of Ideas," culminates in

a skillful high-energy trumpet solo from Wynton Marsalis, which depicts the Jazz Age as a

"laboratory" of ideas for musicians of the young generation to research anything they could

imagine. Following these two pieces, the orchestra dials back the energy for a sluggisher,

respectful piece titled "The It Thing." The piece was inspired by Clara Jordan Bow, a prominent
actress nicknamed "it" girl from the Jazz Era who was described as the decade's leading sex

symbol. The movement consists primarily of a beautiful tenor saxophone solo by Jon Irabagon.

Nevertheless, the remainder of the orchestra will periodically merge to recreate the rhythm of

Irabogon's melody. Irabagon's timbre in his first solo varied from melodic to shrill; in the third

movement, it was solid and firm throughout, infusing love and trust in the audience. Irabagon's

work in this movement did wonders in transforming the motion the piece meant to express, a

longing homage to a character of magnificence and expression. Another important aspect of this

piece was the harmony between the baritone and tenor saxophones; the baritone added an entire

layer of depth and would have been sorely missed if left out.

"The It Thing" served as an intermission for the suite, although this is not to say it was a

break in the movement, as it was just as gripping as any other action in a distinct manner.

Instead, with mutes on the orchestra's trumpets, it was a pause in the high-energy movements

that forewent and followed it, as the subsequent movement, titled "Drunk as a Skunk," was

written to resemble a drunk man's frenzied rampage through the metropolis. Featuring a frantic

tenor saxophone solo by Irabagon, in which his timbre was frequently thin and strained, with an

occasional growl incorporated. The tension throughout was high, as there was extremely little

predictability as to what the orchestra would do next or in what path they would bring the piece.

The piece burst with power and kept the audience on the edge of their chair. When no solo was

played, the melody was played harmoniously by the brass section, making a distinctive

polarizing sound.

The final piece, "Bold, Naked, and Sensational," was a fantastic finish for an excellent

suite that was not as vibrant as the movement before. The ending song showed how the roaring

twenties was a period of accomplishing what you desired to do when you desired to and not
caring about what others felt about it. The piece featured solos on trumpet that uses a derby

mute, trombone that uses a cup mute, and drums and naturally ended with a Jon Irabagon solo on

tenor saxophone and had a considerably more relaxed, refined tone. Generally, Untamed

Elegance by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis was an impressive suite.

The mood varied sufficiently to keep the listener entertained but not so much that the suite's

mood entirely became irrelevant. As for tempo, the sequence of the slowest, most somber

movement in the middle was an intriguing choice by Victor Goines, but in doing this, he added

more intensity to these tones. The instrumentalists' technique was expert, particularly Wyton

Marsalis and Jon Irabagon. I would give this suite a grade of 8/10. I already listen to 1930s pop

and jazz; however, this made me want to get into more music from the roaring twenties/flapper

era, which is a part of what Goines intended to do.