REPEATED LISTENING

In blog prompt #7, I did a repeated listening of “Salt Peanuts” Written by Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke. Here is what I experienced:

Throughout my first listen, I found that my attention was focused mostly on the saxophone line which seemed to lead the song. This idea evolved as upon a few more repeated listening’s, and over the following couple play throughs, I found myself attracted to the bass line. The bass line became the leading voice and base of the song as I listened. It walked rapidly through pitches and its tempo was matched by the percussion. The saxophone seemed to no longer lead, but rather playfully dance overtop what the bass and the percussion provided as a floor. As I repeated listening’s further, I found that the piano drew my attention. It complimented the other lines by filling in cracks and gaps between voices, save for it’s moment where the saxophone ceases and the piano to has a turn dancing in the spotlight on the floor of bass and percussion. Near the end of the song, the drums have a moment of their own. All other voices cease, and we hear that the drums can dance on their own as well. It then shows how its rhythm can mimic the melody that the vocal line, along with the saxophone, often sings, ‘salt peanuts, salt peanuts.’

I decided to repeat this process, having not listened to the song since, and see if my experience has differed in any way

The song became a sort of conversation to me. All these lines of different instruments conversing in compliments – or maybe, they argued for who deserved the spotlight. I imagine these voices, poetically, like a family, each a different member of the family. There is an ongoing dialogue. The song feels like a group argument with different counters and talking points in the rising and falling tensions of the instruments. Sometimes the piano pushes its voice to be heard, showing it’s opinion, tinkling through the spaces, only for the saxophone to come screaming through with it’s powerful wail. The drums and bass form became the parents to me, with their mature and consistent voices guiding the conversation, at one point, the drums has had enough, and show the family who is boss with its solo. Though all voices, all members of the family argue, they heat is always cooled with ‘salt peanuts, salt peanuts’ coming through as an indisputable voice.