Commodification Of Rap Music

Jeffery L. Wright

Humanities 523

Professor Caldwell

28 November 2005

Performance Review of

The John Proulx Trio at LACMA

By Jeffery L. Wright

The John Proulx Trio performed on Friday, November 25, 2005 at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Musically speaking, John Proulx stands out as one of the most consistent and significant artist in jazz today. Leading a tight, well-rehearsed trio through a mix of originals and well-known pieces from modern Jazz repertoire, pianist/vocalist/composer John Proulx revealed once again why he is one of Los Angeles' premier artist. Proulx's contributions to jazz are widely known in Los Angeles and he has become a sought after composer amongst his peers. He is slowly developing a world-class reputation in the jazz genre as one of the most prolific pianist. The piano is one of the most popular musical instruments. Composers from Sebastian Bach to Ludwig Van Beethoven and many more have played this wooden box of strings with black and ivory keys. In the jazz genre alone, pianists run the gamut from Thelonious Monk's, Favorite Things to Art Tatum. If you think you've heard just about everything that can be done with a piano, hold on to that thought and meet John Proulx and his trio.

Intense communication is not uncommon for Proulx. He leads the trio with Gary Foster (saxophone), Chuck Berghofer (bass) and Tim Pleasant (drums). During the performance at LACMA, Proulx said "with his trio ... it's one of the freest situations he's ever played."

John Proulx began his formal musical education at the age of four in Grand Rapids, Mich. He originally started out by taking violin lessons, but quickly switched to piano lessons and has pursued the piano ever since. His grandfather was a jazz guitarist and introduced him to the world of jazz. John completed his secondary studies at Roosevelt University Chicago School of Performing Arts. In 2001, John moved to Los Angeles and has since become a young, emerging talent. He recorded his debut solo album in 2004. He has also formed his own trio and performs in the Los Angeles area frequently.

Foster is one of the most exciting and in-demand performers carrying on the great tradition of American Rhythm & Blues on the Saxophone, both in studio and clubs, and concert halls worldwide. With his astonishing ability and virtually unmatched energy, Foster brings rocking sax workouts, swinging classics and deep ballads alive like no other player on the scene today.

The trio's drummer, Tim Pleasant made his way to Los Angeles from New York City in the late 1970's. His credentials are impressive. Pleasant's background includes a degree in music from the University of Iowa, and studies with Harold Jones. Furthermore, he is an alumnus of the Count Basie Band. During the concert at LACMA, Pleasant's sound on East of the Sun was wonderful because Pleasant combined the drum knowledge of an elder witchdoctor with the gleeful enthusiasm of a kindergarten tambourine-basher. The sound of Pleasant's drum snapping provided a fantastic undercurrent for everyone to follow and was simply mesmerizing.

Completing the ensemble was Chuck Berghofer on the bass. Berghofer's subtle and often understated sound on the bass while performing Alice in Wonderland was warm in tone and clear in pitch, balance and melody. His solo passages seemed like the steady stream of meditative breathing of a body at rest.

One of the highest musical points during the performance came when the music got to this place where it was unexplainable. The music seemed to be going on and on and it became this thing that if you became conscious of it, it would stop. The music, the melody and the performance became the highest level of communicating music to an audience that I've ever witnessed. For a brief moment it seemed as if nothing on stage had to be figured out or talked about. The music just happened. To think about later after the concert was over was mind blowing.

Sometimes music creates such an intense atmosphere that it begins to control the listeners breathing. The pulse connects to the tempo. Everything touched while listening