 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Cindy
Date: 2002-07-11 19:02
I was wondering, what jazz pieces that would be good for a high school jazzs ensamble include clarinet in some way? I have been bugging my director for a while, so he finally said if I can find a good piece and he approves it we can do it. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2002-07-11 20:50
First of all, Cindy, here's your free "Introduction to Music Business", Lesson One....
****
It's more than just putting a group together and playing a catchy tune or two; you want to make your Director look good too. This has to be a credit to the school *and* your Director. After all, he's worked hard to help you guys play as well as you do now. He should be recognized for that. If a Jazz ensemble comes out of this, the ensemble takes the bows, the director takes the credit.
***
Before going further into this, I'm also wondering....
How many instruments will your director allow you to recruit for your ensemble?
Then --
Do you have a good pianist?
Who will your audience be?
At what event(s) will you be performing (assuming you get the go-ahead)?
______________________
The course I always took was to put the group together First, for the fun of it, then let the director decide if and where to fit it into a program. In other words, you hand him(her) a finished product to use at his(her) discretion. If it needs polishing, he'll let you know.
But... give him something real to deal with, not just an idea.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jean
Date: 2002-07-11 22:54
How good is the group?
Begin the Beguine
Frenesi
Dancing in the Dark
Stardust
The above are all Shaw pieces. I don't know if there is anything available but you could check it out. There is a piece for concert band called "tribute to Artie Shaw" arr. by Christiansen (sp). It is out of print but I was able to track it down.
Have you looked into any Goodman or Miller pieces? How many in the group can play clarinet?
Sound like fun.
Jean
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2002-07-11 23:44
Let us not forget those beloved moldy classics:
- Let's Dance
- Sing, Sing, Sing
- Moonlight Serenade
- Goodbye
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Joe O'Kelly
Date: 2002-07-12 03:24
A great Duke Elington piece called Rumpus in Richmond has a clarinet solo in it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Cindy
Date: 2002-07-12 05:44
Our ensamble has already been formed. It has 4 saxes, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets, and quite a few percussionists. There is only one clarinet player, and that's me. The saxes are our strongest section. And, I really don't know how good we are, but we play well. Also, our director has the group on a ball and chain. If we were to go and form something ourselves, we wouldn't really have a chance to perform it. Its a class.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2002-07-12 07:14
There are transcriptions available of Benny Goodman's "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Dont' Be That Way", which fit your reed section, but have only 3 trumpets and only 2 trombones.
Another thing to try might be some of the Glenn Miller things like Moonlight Serenade and Sunrise Serenade. Clarinet plays lead on these, and improvising is not necessary. Reed section is clarinet, 2 altos and 2 tenors. Brass instrumentation would seem to fit your group.
Good luck with the project.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Colin Farquhar
Date: 2002-07-13 17:05
HI There:
I was in much the same situation as you for a few years, and here's what I came up with:
I'm the soundguy for a local pro big band (and I also sub in on occassion on sax and clarinet). Some of the tunes we play include all of the above, plus American Patrol (Jerry Gray arr.), not a clar. solo but there is a part- other favorites include 'Song of India' from the Dorsey band, and Woodchopper's Ball (Woody Herman).
There's a nice re-issue of the Shaw chart of Begin the Beguine out from Warner Brothers music, the collection 'Big Band Classics' has a few good tunes in it, such as Moonlight Serenade, Sing SIng Sing, etc. You may have a hard time finding teh Shaw chart of Frenesi, b/c we had quite a time digging it up when we went looking. When we did find it, our arranger had to rework some of the parts, b/c the orginal includes parts for strings, F. Horn, B. Clarinet, etc. If you really are into that tune, send me an email, and I'll see what can be done about getting you a copy.
Colin Farquhar
"Who ever heard of a clarinet in a Jazz Band??"
<Grin>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
