Last Tuesday night experimental jazz quintet The Subjects gathered in Gibson Hall to showcase a selection of pieces, most of which were composed by the group’s own members.
The performance marked the campus debut of new Assistant Professor of Music Tracy McMullen, who plays the saxophone and contributed a composition titled “10 a.m. Blues.”
McMullen said the piece was inspired by a 10 a.m class she is teaching this semester, called “History of Hip Hop.”
“Sometimes for the students it feels like it’s 5 a.m. instead,” McMullen told the audience. “Even though I’m wide awake.”
The performance provided an opportunity for students to see her familar face in an entirely new context.
“I was used to seeing [McMullen] in the classroom so it was awesome to watch her in her element,” said Tommy Spurlock ’13. “She really let herself go, getting into the music and wailing [on the saxophone].”
Tuesday’s concert was The Subject’s first performance. While McMullen worked with bassist Jeff Schwartz in Los Angeles, finding the other members was pure chance; the day she moved to Portland, drummer Jan Voorst heard her practicing the saxophone and knocked on her door to introduce himself. Voorst was instrumental in recruiting the other musicians, guitarist Garrison Fewell and saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase.
Jazz has a long tradition of improvisation, a tradition embraced by The Subjects. Before practicing in person, the musicians familiarized themselves with a set list of chords and graphics that provide guidelines for the concert. The musicians only rehearsed for a few hours prior to their performance, leaving much room for improvisation.
Group chemistry is vital for jazz, as improvisation requires a great deal of mental focus and technical skill. Fortunately, McMullen said, The Subjects were able to collaborate effectively after only a short amount of time together.
According to McMullen, the experimental aspect of The Subjects’ concert was a reminder for the audience to expect the unexpected, rather than a “straight ahead jazz” performance.
“One of the songs used some old recording of outer space sounds that the band played over to a really interesting effect,” said Spurlock. “There were also spoken-word aspects, which combined unexpectedly well with the jazz.”
In the future, McMullen says she hopes to teach more jazz-oriented classes and strengthen the jazz performance community at Bowdoin.
The Subjects ended their concert with a piece called “Town Hall Meeting,” a timely composition that invited guest MC John Bisbee back on stage. Bisbee is Bowdoin’s sculptor-in-residence, but on this night he showcased his harmonica skills and recited lyrics that included the lines: “I write the words / he reads / others listen and remember” and “Who you gonna vote for / Who you gonna vote for.”
As a peaceful silence fell after the last song, McMullen thanked the audience and encouraged them to consider Bisbee’s words and tune in to the second presidential debate which began after the show.