A groovy duo, Bob Sneider and Gabe Condon, put on a phenomenal concert in the All Night Reading Room this Monday. A welcome interlude to the beginning of a busy new week, Sneider and Condon presented their musical prowess in a variety of jazz songs. Although I regrettably have no knowledge or experience related to jazz, the concert was both informative and delightful.
Sneider, a professor at the Eastman School of Music and an accomplished performer, came to Hamilton to play with his former student, now colleague, Condon. As students and faculty entered and helped themselves to refreshments courtesy of Olive Garden, Sneider chatted and joked with audience members. When one spectator asked, “how many guitars do you have?” Sneider responded, chuckling, “my wife says too many.” Once the guitars were tuned and the amps adjusted, Sneider and Condon began with a piece by Wes Montgomery, a famous, inventive and influential American jazz guitarist. I was immediately struck by how synchronized the two were, seemingly communicating with nothing more than their eyes and their guitars. With no music in front of them, they laid down a quick, thumping beat with a bold melody of strumming and plucking. As one of them held the rhythm, the other improvised, jumping octaves, fingers flying, yet never playing a dissonant note. The audience nodded and bopped, choruses of “woos” and “yeahs” erupted whenever either guitarist played a particularly good piece. Sneider and Condon were highly expressive players, sometimes furrowing their brow in focus, other times smiling. When the first song came to a close, Condon deflected praise, stating “well, I stole all of my licks from this guy,” as he gestured at Sneider.
The duo struck up a new tune, Ceora by Lee Morgan. A sweet, smooth and catchy song that reminded me of a bright Sunday morning. They added in little rhythms, experimental yet still fitting into the same melodies and chord progressions as the song flowed back into itself. They moved on to Charlie Parker’s music, and gave a miniature lesson on jazz as they did so. The duo explained that jazz musicals learn melodies and chord progressions, then create solos over this form. They each alternate a longer solo, then move into shorter ones, alternating fours or eights depending on the song, just like a conversation. Sometimes, the musicians joked, that conversation is an argument, and Sneider likes the Patriots, while Condon roots for the Jets. Although I had no prior experiene listening to jazz, I found myself coming to understand these concepts, and was able to hear the music in a completely new way. As they played, it was nearly impossible to keep from nodding your head as the immersive, entrancing, playful musical conversation continued.
In appreciation of the glorious, bright fall day outside the windows, Sneider and Condon played Autumn Leaves. This apparent jazz classic is regarded as one of the great tunes to study as a musician. It contains built-in lessons, allowing one to play a million other songs through the theory of 2-5-1. In this song, one can focus on tweaking just a few notes, or can move on to more complex improvisations over its beautiful melody and harmonies. I found this important pedagogical song lilting and autumnal.
It was clear that everyone who attended the event had a great time, and were impressed by this exceptional performance.
