[Dixielandjazz] audience participation

[Jim Kashishian]

I just saw an excellent "audience participation" example on tv.  It was
filmed at the 25th Montreal Jazz Festival....
Chick Correa on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Dave Wecki on drums.  The
song was Rodrigo's "Spain".  Chick got the men in the audience two sing two
notes (prompted by playing each note on the piano)...one note for each side
of the auditorium.  Then, he split the females into 3 sections & three
notes, creating a 5 note harmony.
 
During the song, then, he prompted the crowd by playing the harmony (one
note at a time), and that set off the different moods & sections of the
song.  Excellently done, and very much enjoyed by the audience.
 
Not suggesting any of us do anything as complicated, but it was great to see
that some "modern jazz" guys also worry about audience participation, and
understand it is a good thing.  He also did the old trick of getting the
crowd to imitate the licks he was doing, and of course, ending with one that
was too complicated to replicate.
 
The participation by the audience at this concert, of course, was due to the
fact that Mr. Correa had every one of the persons in the audience "in his
pocket" before he even walked on stage.  Many of us more "common folk" have
to "win our audience over" before we can get that kind of cooperation, and
passing crowds at Mall concerts, etc., make it almost impossible to achieve.
 
Jim