Jazz @ Emmanuel – Interlude – November 8, 2025
The Language of Jazz
Our third Jazz Service of the 2026-27 Season will continue the Theme
THE LANGUAGE OF JAZZ
with a focus on a well known jazz improvisation technique called “Playing the Changes.”
Featuring Pamela Johnson as Music Director
Howie Alexander on Piano
Benjamin May on Upright Bass
Lou Schreiber on Horns
James Johnson III or Tom Wendt on Drums
See the Post with the full line-up for Season 35 and more about “The Language of Jazz.”.
“Interlude”
The word “interlude” comes from the Latin words inter (between) and ludus (play). In jazz, an interlude is a short musical passage or transitional section that happens between larger parts of a song, arrangement, or performance. [1] It acts as a “palate cleanser” to shift the mood, tell a story, or connect different themes. [1, 2, 3]
An interlude creates a space so a seemingly disparate aspect of a tune “plays well with others!”
Key Roles of an Interlude in Jazz
- Connecting Sections: It bridges different parts of a tune, such as moving from the head (the main melody) into a solo section, or transitioning between different choruses.
- Providing Contrast: It often shifts the tempo, key, rhythm, or instrumentation to give the ear a break from the main theme.
- Feature Moments: It can highlight a specific instrumentalist (like a brief drum, bass, or piano break) or set up a mood shift before the next soloist enters.
- Breathing Space: It offers a moment of reflection or tension-building before the band returns to the primary melody. [1, 2]
A Night in Tunisia
“A Night in Tunisia,” composed by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli is an Example of a popular Jazz tune with a recognizable interlude. Listen on YouTube!
What makes this song uniquely famous for its interlude is how it completely shifts the structural momentum of the song:
- The Set-Up: The song thrives on a driving, complex Afro-Cuban bassline and rhythm during the main melody (the A sections), which switches to a swinging jazz rhythm during the bridge (the B section).
- The Interlude: Before the soloists take over, the band breaks into a famous, 4-bar transitionary interlude. The rhythm section stops its continuous driving groove and plays a sharp, dramatic, stop-time rhythm.
- The Famous Break: This interlude sets up a legendary 4-bar unaccompanied solo break. Soloists use this brief vacuum of space to launch into incredibly fast, virtuosic improvisations. Charlie Parker’s1946 recording features an alto saxophone break during this interlude that is so famous it is widely referred to in jazz history simply as “The Famous Break.”
The Value of the Interlude
Years ago, in the early days of Jazz @ Emmanuel, the musicians came to St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mt. Lebanon to do a concert. A band member stepped forward to introduce jazz as worship to the congregation. I distinctly remember his description. Roughly, “Jazz music has a lot of space in it. This is where you can find room to breath, reflect, and find a home in the music.”
Don’t we all need that? An interlude in our day can be a walk outdoors at lunch, coffee in the break room, hitting the gym before heading home. An interlude in our week might be what the Bible calls “Sabbath.” A sabbath is rest from work and all the expectations and busyness that goes with life in our modern world. It is a time to reflect on our week, our place in the universe, our identity as beloved children of God.
A wellness professional friend once touted the “90 second eye rest.” He clained we use a lot of energy just seeing. Anywhere you are, (except driving!) you can re-coup energy and peace by simply closing your eyes for 90 seconds of rest. Ah, the interlude!
We have all heard of the “Romantic Interlude.” Part of the allure surely is the mystery, the secretive nature and the idea of “stealing time” for romance. Truly, whenever we allow ourselves just a minute to rest, meditate on the moment, appreciate our surroundings, can feel so delicious partly because it feels like stealing time from something deemed, sadly, more important.
When my children were little, I was a busy, overwhelmed mom and spending time with God felt like stealing from all the other expectations I had adopted. I did make time to attend a Bible study at 9 am on Wednesday mornings at church. There was, blessedly, a nursury worker who watched our pre-school kids for the hour. One day, I was so not ready to re-unite with my kids just yet. I did not want to take advantage of the child sitter, but I reasoned 5 minutes would be OK.
I “stole” up to the sanctuary for a quick 5 minute interlude with God. He was, of course, already there, expecting me. When I stepped over the threshold into the Sanctuary, i was completely enveloped with love and peace. The enormity of the space combined with the warm welcome from the Almighty, was all the more sweet because it was a stolen, brief, secretive moment between just God and I.
May Jazz @ Emmanuel’s “Interlude” give you space to breath, reflect, and find a home.
Join us for “Interlude”
Sunday, November 8, 2026
As only Jazz @ Emmanuel can.
As always, the second Sunday of the Month
5:00 pm in the Sanctuary.
Jazz @ Emmanuel is supported in part by Jazz Enthusiasts and Worshippers like YOU and WRCT 88.3 FM.
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