Concerto for Trombone and Jazz Band.

First I would like to again thank everyone who took time to listen and especially those who gave me feed back on the first movement. Be assured that I still have all of your comments and will refer to them when I revised the first movement and as I work on the second and third movements.

Now, however, I am at work on the second movement. Since this is a Jazz piece I have been working on the “head” which is almost finished. So at this point I am working through organizational possibilities for the piece. Like the first movement it will contain a fair amount, but maybe not as much, improvisational space as the first movement. So the problem I am wrestling with is should I include either improvisational and or written solo sections for instruments other than the featured Solo Trombone?

So what say you? Since this is a concerto for Trombone and Jazz Band I think it is permissible to be quite a bit more relaxed about such things, id est having some one other than the featured soloist take the spot light for a short period in the overall design, than one would in a more traditional concerto setting. I am considering doing this for two reasons, one artistic and one piratical.

The piratical reason is that the solo trombone had to do a lot of blowing in the first movement and will need a chance to rest his chops. And this rest is needed as he will again be asked to carry a heavy load in the third and final movement.

The second artistic reason to provide contrast and departure from the trombone during the relaxed (slower) second movement. I should point that the solo trombone will still be heavily featured in the second movement with both written and improvised solo sections. If it is helpful the second movement is in a moderately slow ¾ with swung eights, sort of a slow Jazz Waltz in A minor (A Dorian) in a 64 bar AABA form.

Comments? Ideas? Thoughts? Questions?


Thank you.

Ursus Demens