Improvisations Interludes

SKU: KN.52425

Exactly as recorded by the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band on their classic RCA album, Tales Of A Courtesan, this solo feature for trombone or flugelhorn also includes an improvised flute obbligato and solo room for alto sax. The slow bossa ballad style just naturally enhances the warm, expressive character of this beautiful showpiece for capable groups. Duration 4:00.

SKU: KN.52425S

Exactly as recorded by the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band on their classic RCA album, Tales Of A Courtesan, this solo feature for trombone or flugelhorn also includes an improvised flute obbligato and solo room for alto sax. The slow bossa ballad style just naturally enhances the warm, expressive character of this beautiful showpiece for capable groups. Duration 4:00.

SKU: PR.110418370

ISBN 9781491135075. UPC: 680160686247.

Composed as an organ solo by the 17-year-old Ives for his own performance purposes, the beloved Variations on America is a treat for any occasion, whether a holiday concert, a serious recital, or other special event. Danny Holt’s transcription for Piano, Four Hands adds a dazzling new option to play at home or on stage, taking best advantage of Ives’ tremendous contrasts in color, dynamics, and texture.
Composed when Charles Ives was a teenager, Variations on “America” is both a convenient introduction to Ives’ body of work, and an early example of his iconoclastic musical voice and creative genius. Just a few years after composing this piece, Ives would leave home to study music at Yale. But until then he had been taught by his father, George (who had been a bandmaster in the Civil War). George subjected the young Ives to experiments such as singing a song in one key while being accompanied in another, or arranging for two marching bands to converge on a town center, with the resulting cacophony that ensued.The Variations exemplifies an early period of experimentation in Ives’ work, spurred on by the unusual pedagogy of his father. The piece is particularly notable for its use of bitonality in the two interludes, subtly foreshadowing more well-known examples by Stravinsky, Bartók, and others by approximately two decades.The bitonal interludes were so ahead of their time, in fact, they were omitted from the first copy that was submitted to a publisher in 1892. (Alas, the piece was rejected even despite these “shocking” elements having been left out, and it wasn’t published until more than five decades later.) There is some ambiguity about when exactly Ives added the interludes into his manuscript copy, though ample evidence suggests he had performed the piece with the interludes around the time he notated the piece in 1891-92. In any case, in light of this piece and his other polytonal explorations from the last decade of the 19th century, it seems fair to give Ives credit for being a pioneer in this area!This arrangement for Piano, Four Hands, closely follows Ives’ original version for organ, setting aside William Schuman’s popular adaptation for symphony orchestra and William Rhoads’ band transcription of the Schuman orchestration. Pianists will find that the piece translates well to the instrument. Ideally, the choreography and logistics of elbow-to-elbow four-hands playing approximates the wild joy one gets from watching an organist play the piece (e.g., the elaborate pedal part in the final variation).In preparing this publication, attention was paid to details in the dual Critical Editions (Presser 443-41003) of both Ives’ manuscript edition and the 1949 publication edited by organist E. Power Biggs (who is credited with discovering what had been a long-lost, forgotten work.) But as with much of Ives’ output, attempting to create a true ‘urtext’ score is a futile endeavor, and especially with a piece such as this one – in which Ives incorporated improvisation in live performance – seems unnecessary anyhow. True die-hards are of course encouraged to consult the critical editions and even find inspiration in the orchestrated version. Generally, performers are advised to be wild, have fun, and not to be too rigid in their interpretive choices.Dynamics in this arrangement mostly follow the organ score closely. Pianists will use good judgment about pedaling throughout, which should be straightforward and intuitive. Courtesy accidentals have been provided frequently – without parentheses – balancing the need for extra clarity in the context of Ives’ murky musical language, and a desire to avoid unnecessary clutter.A few notes that might inform interpretive decisions:mm. 15-16: There are inconsistencies here between Ives’ original manuscript and the 1949 Biggs edition, regarding the top voice in m. 15, beat 3 (C# vs. Cn) and m. 16 (D Major vs. D Minor).mm. 76-84 & 143-146: In both Interludes, Ives emphatically notates extreme dynamic contrast, in order to highlight the bitonality. Although it may seem counterintuitive (or even a misprint, as has apparently been misconstrued by some), performers are urged to follow the composer’s marking!m. 109: Two-note slurs have been added here for clarity and consistency with other similar passages, though they do not appear in either the original manuscript or Biggs.m. 112: The last two eighth notes of Primo appear as 16ths in the original manuscript.mm. 183-186: The original manuscript has a slightly different bass line.mm. 184 & 186: Primo gestures have been re-written to be slightly more idiomatic for Piano, Four Hands.m. 186: The breath mark at the end of this bar does not appear in either the manuscript or Biggs, but is an editorial suggestion – aside from being appropriately dramatic, it will indeed be necessary in a reverberant hall!I would like to thank Steven Vanhauwaert, the other half of my piano duo, 4handsLA, for his input on early drafts of this arrangement.— Danny Holt, April 2022.

SKU: CL.032-3797-01

Get down and in the groove with this hard swingin’ in the pocket Bb blues! The eight bar interludes add a nice variation to the standard twelve bar form, and you can feature your star trumpet and tenor player on improvised solos that eventually trade twos. A perfect choice for any concert or jazz festival! Can’t be beat!

SKU: GI.G-9405

UPC: 785147940531. English.

Our best-selling resource at NPM 2017! Revival is a long overdue resource that provides fresh accessible arrangements of classic hymns for contemporary ensembles. Each arrangement is scored for SAB choir, piano, guitar, and optional instrumental parts. For added texture, the final stanza of each hymn includes an alternate harmonization of the accompaniment with a soprano descant. These fourteen arrangements will open a whole new set of treasured hymns to piano and guitar based ensembles. Compatible with the versions founds in GIA’s most recent hymnals, each of these arrangements is intended to support and inspire the sung prayer of the assembly. Every one will find a comfortable home in your repertoire throughout the liturgical year! A special spiral bound edition of Revival is also available. This edition is perfect for accompanists who would also like to use these hymn arrangements as preludes, interludes, or postludes. Collections like Revival are not simply a way for contemporary ensembles to plant deeper roots and tap into more traditional repertoires. It is a way for all of us to hear old hymns with new ears, in a new way. --Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, Associate Professor of Theology at St. John's Abbey Quote from Pray Tell Blog. Click here to read full article Tony Alonso’s Revival offers us fourteen wonderfully arranged familiar hymns—musically accessible and a delight to sing. Flexibly crafted for voices, piano and guitar with lovely optional descants, this is an ecumenical gift and bridge-builder between classical and contemporary approaches to hymns in the liturgy. It should be in every parish’s working library. --Don Saliers, Professor of Theology and Worship at the Candler School of Theology In his new collection, Revival, Tony Alonso marks the 500th anniversary of a great divide in the church by bridging the chasm between Catholic and Protestant, contemporary and traditional, Appalachian and European. His arrangements for voices, piano, and guitar—with options for using other instruments as well—allow for improvisation and adaptation while remaining accessible for a wide range of musicians. Although these hymns are designed to be used by contemporary ensembles, they lend themselves to use in a variety of worshiping contexts. Alonso's arrangements will entice you to sing along--Revival is a great gift to the whole church! --Kimberly Bracken Long, Editor of Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, & the Arts Tony Alonso’s, Revival, is an invaluable resource to help find common ground among “contemporary” and “traditional” choirs and ensembles by making hymnody approachable to those who may have shied away from it for stylistic reasons. It is also a great educational tool for organists and pianists who are seeking ways to improve their improvisatory keyboard skills by modeling accompaniment styles and improvisatory patterns that support and enhance the singing of traditional hymns. ​--​Dominic Trumfio, Associate Director of Worship Music at Old St. Patrick's Church, Chicago.

SKU: IP.S-GF-THI

8.5x11 inches.

Composer's notes: The concept behind this work is for the performer to accompany him / herself on marimba through the use of sustaining metal instruments, sounding like multiple performers within a solo work. When multiple vibraphones are available, choose the instrument with the longest sustain. It is necessary to use the low octave of crotales for best sustain.

This is a multiple percussion work with a brief section of CD accompaniment. The work is scored for marimba (low E), vibraphone, crotales, cymbals, log drums, and multiple sets of wind chimes. The composer states that the general premise of the work is the ability of the marimbist to accompany himself with longer resonating metallic instruments. It begins with a free section emphasizing mark tree, cymbals and crotales. The marimba emerges from this texture with sixteenth-note triplets that suggest the primary theme of the work. After a brief interlude of cymbals, crotales and vibraphone, the sixteenth-note figures return in the marimba, with punctuating, long tones on the crotales. This section continues for a while, finally yielding to a transitional segment of linear figures in the marimba, culminating in an explosive run to the top of the instrument. The tension it creates is quickly released in the ensuing chorale section. Here again, the performer is asked to sustain notes in the marimba via independent roll, while the other hand plays figures on the vibes and crotales. The CD accompaniment begins at the end of this section. The performer begins to improvise in the style of the opening of the work over the gong, cymbal and drum sounds on the recording. The marimba re-enters with groovy sixteenth notes over the recorded drum sounds. The rhythms in the marimba part become increasingly syncopated as the intensity builds, then gradually wind down into a short, improvised section on log drums. As the CD fades away, the performer is left playing sparse figures on the resonant metal sounds. The work ends with three, very soft rolled chords in the marimba with a single, introspective note on the crotales as a finale. The mixture of coloristic and rhythmic devices used in this work make is interesting for the performer and the listener. - Scott Herring Percussive Notes, April 2006.

SKU: PR.114409860

UPC: 680160014644.

Here I have adapted a standard musical form to a contemporary medium. The concertino is a small concerto: a one-movement work that draws upon the basic principles of the concerto form - two bodies of sound which at times compete, contrast, or act together. The piece explores the musical possibilities of Roto-toms. The sound of these drums is a cross between a tom-tom and a timpani, and their pitch is changed by rotating the drum. During the course of the work, the various effects used include pitch and fingernail glissandi; playing on the rims; and playing on the heads with fingers, brushes, timpani sticks, wood mallets or rattan. Harmonics on the octave and the fourth above the fundamental pitch are produced by the drums when weights (in this case, small pitched cymbales called crotales) are placed in the center of the drum heads. In return the drum itself acts a resonator for the crotales, which also have a fundamental pitch when played on the face and a partial a fifth above when played on the center dome. The opening section of the concertino introduces a motive, played by the soloist, while the ensemble sustains a bowed chord on the vibraphone. Following this cadenza-like introduction, the piece gradually moves into a bright 6/8 tempo that is characterized by constant sixteenth notes in all parts. After a brief period of interaction, the ensemble continues its sixteenth notes patterns and the soloist plays and improvised solo. Next, an interlude is presented by the ensemble which leads to a dramatic recapitulation by the soloist of the motivic material. A thematically-derived coda concludes the work. Encounters VI, commissioned by Remo Belli, is dedicated to Jennifer Kraft, the composer's daughter. The premiere performance took place in 1976 at the MENC National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and was performed by the Temple University Percussion Ensemble conducted by Glenn Steele. --William Kraft.

SKU: KJ.ZB370

UPC: 8402701737.

Rio Nido is based on the bossa nova groove, which originated in Brazil. The feel is relaxed throughout, and played in a very unhurried manner. The song has an AABA form, with the melody being passed between the brass and woodwind sections every eight bars before a short interlude into the solo section. Following the solos, a brief shout chorus is heard before the song recaps at the bridge. The piece concludes with a tag of the last four bars of the song, ending on a unison pitch.

About Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method

The Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method is designed to help both you and your jazz ensemble students explore the world of jazz through easy-to-use Rhythm Studies, Improvisation Studies, Instrument Specific Exercises, and full ensemble jazz charts. The approach is non-theoretical and aurally based. Each part book comes with an accompaniment CD, so like every great jazz player throughout history, students learn to play jazz by listening!