Jen Sclafani
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR Visceral. Cathartic. Completely emotional. Blue reaches deep within your soul and takes hold. It is spiritual. Blue cannot be touched, but it can be felt. It is all around us. It is the color of communication, and no other color communicates more genuine emotion. It is no wonder this color shares its namesake with the most emotional of music genres, the Blues.
RY A E W E TH BLUES lor represents Just as the co n, n and emotio self-expressio s m h s and rhyt The Blues’ lyric r ai sp e stories of d tell personal d an f passion and sorrow, o e g adversity. Th of overcomin and lt fe rt most hea Blues are the s, re n e all music g emotional of ain p e th s n echoe and its emotio stors ce an e felt by th e and suffering th r la u p made po of those who s an rle O in New musical genre 20th century. rly during the ea
MOOD INDIGO
New Orleans on a Saturday night. The city is dim. The warm blues of the evening sky blanket the buildings and I can see the city skyline-- it is a dark, midnight color. The skyline is deceiving; it feels calm, tranquil, but I know there is promise for the night ahead. I think I can hear the low saxophone and soft snare drums playing in harmony, and the night is young.
JOY RIDE As I drive into the city, the warm blues of the evening sky are contrasted against the bridge, which is a bright orange where the lights are hitting. They are luminous and energetic, and I hear a piano solo, with a hint of low bass in the background. I hope there’s a good crowd tonight.
BLU
E S O ER I get dressed backstage. A blue fedora with a red-violet stripe paired with my deep blueviolet tie seem like the perfect match. The band onstage is playing a Waltz, and I’m inspired to write some notes. beep bop a toodle-oo.
DOODLIN’ to the I tap my foot ass. A beat of the b a glass cigarette and ore ef of bourbon b The e. we go onstag ay is tr h red-orange as from w reecting yello dI an , ts the stage ligh is It . ch at look at my w t. ye 0 not quite 9:0
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N E V playing before us is Aband The tonight. The velvety Yonhumpoint L of the singer’s soft brown E
voice alongside a scratchy saxophone solo, the soft snare drum keeping beat to the tune of a few melodic keys on the piano. Then the symbols grow louder and the tempo picks up. All the while the bass drones through, slow and sad.
BRAGGIN’ IN BRASS I tune my bass and prepare to go onstage. As I twist the silver metallic tuners and play a “G” chord, I am starting to enter the zone. I am feeling the vibrations of the music and am ready to play. Our first number is “Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington...
C JAM BLUES And the music started playing. First in harmony, the piano, saxophone, bass, trumpets, drums, all playing in sync. Until...
ger e sin nist h T . ming he pia he e jam -wops, t . Even t es, r ’ e w s t o And ing do beat key harp no g. g s p n , o i l u al n all al is s g his g in sm drones ’re n i y ss pla Addin s, we iling. a e b u c p ! flute the dee other’s dy is sm h e c bo l i a wh g e d every n i w Follo night, an on to
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BLUES HANGOVER I don’t remember much about after the show, just a blur of bottles, shots, receipts, and laughter. We drank something called “The Green Devil,” and all I know is that I had never seen such colors in my life. This neon green drink was flowing incessantly, but we had no worries that night. We’d played a great show.
The clock strikes twelve; The Midnight Hour. The bar is beginning to die down as everybody makes their ways to the next hole-inthe-wall. But not me, I’m off to go home. I’ve already conquered the night.
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME Unpredictable. Sad. Joyful. Celebratory. Despairing. These ďŹ ckle responses are the Blues. Blue is a color that is completely guided by emotion. Its cold hues can feel sad and secluded. Its warm hues can feel hopeful and fun. Blue is color that, while unpredictable in its emotional response, is sure to never bore.
INDEX THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
JOY RIDE
COMPLEMENTARY
SIGNATURE HUE
Color Aid B-S1
MOOD INDIGO MONOCHROMATIC
Color Aid Bw- Hue | Bw-T2 | Bw-T4 | Bw-T5 | B-LT B-S1 | B-P1-1 | B-P1-2 | B-P1-3 | B-LP B-S2 | P-P2-1 | B-P2-2 | B-P2-3 B-DS
Color Aid O-LT | O-T3 | O-T2 | B-LP | B-S2 | B-S1
BLUE ROSE ANALOGOUS
Color Aid Bw-Hue | B-S1 | B-S2 | B-T2 | B-T3 V-Hue | V-S1 | V-S2 | V-P1-3 | V-LP Bv- Hue | BV-T4 | BV-T5
DOODLIN’
SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY
BRAGGIN’ IN BRASS METALLIC
Color Aid R-S1 | B-S1 | RO-S3 YO-S3 | YO-P2-1 | Y-HUE
LONELY AVENUE TEXTURAL
Color Aid YO-S3 | YO-T2-1 | B-S1 Bw-Hue | YO-S1 | RO-S2
Pantone 8060C | 876C | 8782C | 8781C
SOLITUDE TRIAD
Color Aid R-S1 | B-S1 | Bw-Hue YO-S1 | Yw-T1