Penscious
The title is meant to convey “thinking of fives” so the piece was an exercise of this nature. The rhythm is in five, the chord structure of each section is either ascending or descending fifths, and the horn harmonies for the A section are in fifths or their inverse (fourths). All with trying for a Latin feel.
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Itty Bitty Ditty
Written as a standard swing with some extra features. In the A section the melody repeats itself but with different chords underneath. The bridge is meant to be played by piano and bass with horn harmony underneath in a rival rhythm.
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MiMiDo
At one point during my years with the Colorado Jazz Workshop our horn players Mike, Michelle and Doug requested a composition started with a slow horn part and then shifted to a fast pace. That’s exactly what happens and the piece is titled after the first two letters in each of their names.
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Glimmers
Written during the COVID pandemic this ballad reflects the somber nature our lives then but with some melodic rays of hope. The guitar part can also be played by muted trumpet as on the Wanderings CD.
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Eucalyptus
My wife’s favorite tree. A waltz with strange chord structure that makes for fun improvisation. Meant to feature alto sax.
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Lindsey Pumpkin
The childhood nickname of my daughter. A sweet and playful tune further simplified by basic “rhythm” chord changes.
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Ode Defunct
A ruination of the choral movement in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy). This one started with a bass line then a piano riff that play against the melody in parts. The piece could have an alias title of “Ode de Funk” given its jazz genre.
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Wanderings
A journey across chord and rhythm landscapes with horn choir and bombastic piano and bass lines all behind an intensifying drum solo. The improvisations can vary behind a driving 6/8 rhythm or a swing or up-tempo feel.
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Sunday Afternoon
Actually written in a few hours during a relaxed day, hence the easygoing bossa melody.
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Con Fiebre
“With Fever”. A fast Latin tune employing the montuno and timbao styles with rapid think horn harmonies. A challenge for ensemble cohesion.
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The Negotiation
Another piece that started with a base line, encompassing a dialogue between horns and rhythm section.