Caught Between Jazz and Pop: The Contested Origins, Criticism, Performance Practice, and Reception of Smooth Jazz. Page: 45
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performances and arrangements maintained the listener's interest. Precisely how the
Jazz Crusaders maintained the audience's interest is revealed in the following examples.
The Jazz Crusaders recorded a number of Beatles tunes but "Eleanor Rigby"
exemplifies how they arranged this repertoire to appeal to their listeners. "Eleanor
Rigby" was originally released on the 1966 album Revolver. It is a collaboration
between John Lennon and Paul McCartney but is widely believed to be primarily written
by McCartney. The narrative of "Eleanor Rigby" describes the aging and loneliness of
two characters, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie.
These poignant lyrics are supported in unusual fashion for popular music, with a
string octet of four violins, two cellos, and two violas. This orchestration provides a
transparent background that further accentuates the power of the narrative. The
austerity of the string section creates a somewhat bleak environment that does little to
soften the seriousness of the lyrics. The somber topics of depression and loneliness were
rarely subjects of popular songs, and "Eleanor Rigby" stands as an early example of the
transformation of the Beatles from a pop group to a more experimental art-band.
The Jazz Crusaders recorded "Eleanor Rigby" live in November 1967 for the
album Lighthouse '68. Considering the popularity of the Beatles and the seriousness of
"Eleanor Rigby," the Jazz Crusaders's took care in mixing popular and jazz musical
elements. The introduction is a rubato statement of "Ah look at all the lonely people"
played by tenor saxophone, trombone, piano playing a tremolo, and Hooper playing
cymbal crashes. The entire group is interpreting this introduction as a kind of theatrical
opening by performing loudly, using no vibrato, and employing heavy cymbals and
tremolo. The melody is instantly recognizable but is performed in such a broad and45
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West, Aaron J. Caught Between Jazz and Pop: The Contested Origins, Criticism, Performance Practice, and Reception of Smooth Jazz., dissertation, December 2008; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9722/m1/56/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .