Moonlight In Vermont Analysis Essay

First Song: “Moonlight in Vermont” uses a bass, drums, piano, guitar, and saxophone. The song has a slow tempo and a relaxed sound. The bass, drums, and piano keep the rhythm while the saxophone and guitar play melodies both separately and layered. The guitar, saxophone, and bass play an improvised solo. The improvisations are simple and blend well with the slow tempo. The soft and light tone from the guitar and saxophone are what help to classify this song as cool jazz. This song has some classical influences as well and can be detected by the layering of melodies.
Second Song: “Desafinado” uses a bass, drums, guitar, and saxophone. The song has a slow tempo and a Latino sound. The bass and drums create a Latino rhythm and the saxophone and guitar play melodies. It sounds like the guitar, bass, and saxophone play at least one improvised solo in this song. The Latino rhythm with the melodies from the saxophone and guitar help to classify this song as bossa nova. The bossa nova genre is a blend of cool jazz with Latino influences. The tempo is a little faster than most cool jazz and the melodic ideas are more tightly packed together. The rhythm section and some of the melodies really project the Latino
sound.
B. How are these two songs alike? What do you hear in the music that defines the style or styles?

Both of these songs use a bass, drums, guitar, and saxophone, with the exception of the piano in “Moonlight in Vermont”.
The tempo of both songs is similar, but the “Desafinado” song seems to be a little faster. The tone and melodic improvisations have a similar sound in both of the songs. The rhythm section defines the style of both of these songs. “Moonlight in Vermont” uses a simple bassline, piano, and a high-hat to keep the rhythm. “Desafinado” uses a more intricate bassline and it sounds like the drummer uses the snare drum and an open and closed high-hat. These rhythm sections form the structure of these songs and classify the style of each. The simple rhythm fits with the cool jazz style and the more complicated Latino rhythm fits with the bossa nova
style. C. How are these two songs different? Do those differences define two different styles? What might you hear in the selections that defines the style or styles? Both of these songs use almost the same instrumentation, but the difference is how they use the instruments. The guitar in “Moonlight in Vermont” has a higher pitch and is played slower. The guitar in “Desafinado” is played in a lower tone at a faster pace. Getz plays the saxophone slower and does not pack together melodies in “Moonlight in Vermont”. In “Desafinado”, Getz plays with more pace and packs together his melodic ideas. The rhythm section in “Moonlight in Vermont” is meant to keep a simple beat, whereas the rhythm section in “Desafinado” sets the structure for the song. The quick playing, compacted melodic ideas, and the Latino rhythm defines the bossa nova style. The slower pace, simple rhythm, and light tone defines the cool jazz style.
D. Which song best represents its style? Which song do you like better and why? Support your subjective opinion with objective factual statements and musical examples. “Desafinado” represents the bossa nova style better than “Moonlight in Vermont” represents the cool jazz style. “Moonlight in Vermont” has certain cool jazz characteristics, but the sound and the classical influence do not fit the cool jazz style perfectly. “Desafinado” has a Latino rhythm and an upbeat feeling that fits the bossa nova style pretty well. I enjoy the soft and soothing saxophone from “Moonlight in Vermont”, but I also like the Latino rhythm and the melodies from “Desafinado”. Normally I prefer slow and melodic jazz over the upbeat rhythmic feeling, but I like “Desafinado” better than “Moonlight in Vermont”. I think it is the sound of the higher pitched guitar in “Moonlight in Vermont” that turns me off. “Desafinado” has a catchy rhythm that you can dance to and some beautiful improvisations from the guitar and saxophone.