How do you judge the quality of the bands you watch and listen to?
All assessments are subjective. Different people are impressed by different qualities. I remember a lady who used to judge bands almost entirely on the nattiness of their waistcoats! And correspondent Barrie Marshall told me he once deputised in a band who wore stripey blazers and boaters; a lady told him during the break that you could tell they were a 'proper' jazz band from the way they were dressed.
However, I thought it might be interesting - and a bit of fun - to produce a check-list with a view to awarding marks for various aspects of a performance.
What do you think of it? You may care to use this check-list in assessing some of the performances you attend. Keep the results to yourself, however. We don't want to offend anybody.
QUALITY
OF
THE MUSIC
(60
marks)
|
PROFESSIONALISM:
AND
RAPPORT
WITH
AUDIENCE
(20
marks)
|
GOOD
OVERALL
VALUE?
(20
marks)
|
TOTAL
|
||||
NAME
OF
THE
BAND
|
Skill
of
the
musicians
(20
max.)
|
Teamwork
(20
max.)
|
Interpretation
and
Arrangements
(20
max.)
|
Appearance
and
On-Stage
Behaviour
(Max.
10)
|
Presentation
and
Communication
(Max.
10)
|
The
performance
as
a whole
(Max.
20)
|
Maximum
possible
100
|
I tried applying it as honestly and ruthlessly as I could to ten bands I know well. I have put them in the eventual order of merit. I am not naming the bands as that would be invidious.
QUALITY
OF
THE MUSIC
(60
marks)
|
PROFESSIONALISM;
AND
RAPPORT
WITH
AUDIENCE
(20
marks)
|
GOOD
VALUE?
(20
marks)
|
TOTAL
|
||||
NAME
OF
THE
BAND
|
Skill
of
the
musicians
(20)
|
Teamwork
(20)
|
Interpretation
and
Arrangements
(20)
|
Appearance
and
On-Stage
Behaviour
(10)
|
Presentation
and
Communication
(10)
|
The
performance
as
a whole
(20)
|
Maximum
possible
100
|
Band
1
|
17
|
16
|
16
|
7
|
7
|
15
|
78
|
Band
2
|
17
|
14
|
14
|
8
|
6
|
15
|
74
|
Band
3
|
17
|
14
|
13
|
8
|
7
|
15
|
74
|
Band
4
|
16
|
14
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
15
|
71
|
Band
5
|
15
|
14
|
15
|
6
|
7
|
14
|
71
|
Band
6
|
15
|
14
|
14
|
6
|
7
|
14
|
70
|
Band
7
|
13
|
12
|
12
|
7
|
5
|
13
|
62
|
Band
8
|
11
|
11
|
12
|
7
|
6
|
12
|
59
|
Band
9
|
10
|
9
|
9
|
8
|
7
|
11
|
54
|
Band
10
|
7
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
7
|
13
|
50
|
A friend noted an interesting correlation: a band that is weak in one area tends also to be weak in others.
Although any of us can carry out such 'assessments', just for our own amusement, I think it would be a good idea for bands to conduct similar assessments of their own performances. It would indicate some of the areas they could work on in order to improve.
By the way, do you think there is any band capable of scoring the Maximum 100 points? I would nominate The Shotgun Jazz Band, based in New Orleans.
=============
Postscript:
A reader has immediately nominated The Bratislava Hot Serenaders.
=============
Postscript:
A reader has immediately nominated The Bratislava Hot Serenaders.
