Sameshima1

VisualizingHarlemNocturnebyJohnnyOtis

ThefirstthingIwantexplainaboutmypieceisthesentimentalvalueithastome.You
see,inmiddleschooljazzbandwhereIwasstillabuddingsaxophonist,Iwaspromisedbymy
teacherthatIwouldplayatsomepointHarlemNocturneinreturnforgettingalongwiththe
otherkids.BecauseatthetimeIdidntknowthesong,myfrustrationthatInevergottoplaythe
piecewasntrealizeduntilIactuallyheardthesongforthefirsttime.IfIcouldgivethissonga
colortodescribeit,itwouldbebeyondblue.Beyondindigo.Thissongtomefeelslikethe
darkestofnavys,thecolorofacoldHarlemnightandhencethetitleofthesong.Whilethe
songbeginscoldthelivelymiddlesectionletsme,thelistener,knowthatHarlemisjustaslively
asitiscold.
Asajazzstandardfromtheforties,thereweresomanydifferentcoversofthissongto
chooseoutof.ThelistofmusicianswhoverecordedthissongincludebignamessuchasThe
LoungeLizards,DukeEllington,TheViscounts,LouisPrima,QuincyJones,andBoots
Randolphtonameafew.Itsnosurprisetherearesomanycoversofthissong.Itsfantastically
funtoplay.Thepiercingtenor,drivingbassline,andbigbandbrasssectionsmakethisdynamic
andexcitingcomparedtothetwelvebarbluesthatweresoprevalentatthetime.Whenitcomes
tothatdark,deep,bluessoundtherearefewpiecesthatstandsuptothenocturne.Thecoverthat
Ichosetoworkwithwasmypersonalfavorite,HarlemNocturnebyJohnnyOtisandhis
orchestra.Itswalkingbasslinejustgetsmeeverytime.Notonlyisitextremelymoving,itsetsa
uniquedarklandscapefortherestofthesongtobebuiltupon.Thereexistsmultiplerecordings
donebyJohnnyOtisexistingontheinternet,andittookawhiletofoundtheonethatIwas

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lookingfor.TherecordingIusedhasanextratwobarsofthebasssolointhebeginningthatno
otherversionshave.Inmyopinion,theextratwomeasuresjustreallysolidifytheintroductionto
thesongandwhenhearingtheshorterversions,itjustdoesnt
feel
righttome.Becauseofthis
uniqueintroduction,Idecidedtoemphasizeitinmyreimaginationofthesong.Insteadoffour
measuresIrepeattheintroductionforfourteenmeasures.
DuringtheseextrabeginningmeasuresIaddedvariousauralcuesthathelpsplacethe
songintime.Andbecausethissongissouniformlyforties,Ialwayshearoldradioshowssuch
asDragnet.TheTransatlanticAccentthatactorsinthefortiesusedtouseisakeyhistorical
soundmarkerandearnedaplaceinmyreimagination.
Ifyoulistenclosely,thesonghasthesoundoffootstepsandtraffic.Thefootstepswere
addedtobuilduponthewalkingbasslinetoemphasizethefeelingofmovementinthissong.The
walkingbasslinealsoinfluencedmetoaddthesoundoftraffic.Withthesoundoffootstepsand
andtrafficbasicallyplacesthesongonthesidewalk.Ithinkthatthissongdoesntbelongina
buildingorclub.Ifthissongisaboutthenight,Ithinkthatitexistsontheverystreetsthatthese
seedypeoplewalkon.Thesedarksectionsinthebeginningandendofthesonghadtofeelas
lonelyasIhearditsothesolitarywalkeronthestreetwasexactlytheimageIwaslookingfor.
Themiddlesectionhoweverwasmeanttobetheloud,populoussectionofthesong.FOr
thisreason,theequalizeristunedsothatthemidtreblesarepushedfurthertogivethewhole
sectionaloudanddecadentsound.Inthebackofthesong,playingatthesametimeisasample
oftheconversationsinabar.Thebarsoundisaveryuniqueonebecauseitisbothlargeand
smallatthesametime.Thehumofconversationiscomposedofdialoguesthatcanhardlybe

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heard,yetthesoundofmultipleconversationsatoncecreatesastrongersenseofcommunityand
plurality.
Asforthevisualsectionofmyreimagination,itisheavilyinfluencedfrommyown
knowledgeoffortiesnoirfilmsandtelevision.Whilehavingthebandplayrightonthestreet,it
representsthiscloseness,thepresencethatthebandseemstohaveinthesong.WhenIhear
HarlemNocturneIimagineaman,hatwornlow,cigaretteinhismouth,slowlywalkingthrough
thenight.Heistotallyindifferenttothethingsthathesees.Theruggedjawlineisheavily
influencedfromperiodartofthetimeaswell.Asforthebodiesofthemusiciansandthe
dancers,Idecidedtocreatesomethingalittlelessboxythanthemanwalkingdownthestreetso
Idrewthemwithrounderlinesandlessdefinition.Thisgamethemkindofacaricaturizedlook
tothedrawingsthatalsocallsbacktojazzartthatalsodramatizesbodyshape.
Whileunderstandingtheprogressionofthesongfromitsslowerbeginning,loudand
brightmiddlessectionbacktothesmallerending,Ibelievethatthesequenceoftheimages
followsthis.Thiswalkingmanbeginsoutonthestreet,accompaniedbythemusiciansonthe
sidewalk.Aswegointothemiddlesection,theattentionisbroughttotheinsideofajazzhall,
wherethemelodyisbrighterandthebandfuller.Inmymind,itbringsupimagesofthe
speakeasyatmosphereaswellastheexcessivedecadenceofthelatenightsocialsceneoftheera.
Finallywhenthesongiscomingbacktoanendthemancomesroundtheblockagain,thistime
droppinginsomechangeintoacollectionbowlbeforewalkingbackintothenight.
ThoughmyworkIhopeIhavecapturedandtranslatedenoughofmyownthoughtsand
opinionsintothesoundaswellasthevisual.Thesongcreatesarangeofreactions,historical
referencesandemotionalcuestomewhenIlistentoit.

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