Roger Aldridge
@roger-aldridge
@roger-aldridge
Blues For Lester Score
Category: Music
Duration: 00:03:40
Description:
Duration: 00:03:40
Description:
This video combines my mid-size jazz ensemble score for Blues For Lester with the recording by David Arivett.
Blues For Lester is an extended piece with an eclectic blend of jazz (with a touch of Monk), funk, contemporary classical, and blues. It is an expression of my admiration for Lester Young, the great tenor saxophonist, who had many quirky qualities in his music.
This piece draws upon aspects of Lester Young's playing that I admire and have internalized. This includes his horizontal approach to harmony, how he played around with time in his phrasing, used "wrong" notes (from a vertical chord perspective) at times, and had an audacious sense of humor. They are expressed in Blues For Lester in my own style.
The mid-size ensemble score is for soloist, 5 horns, and rhythm section. The score uses flexible instrumentation. This enables the music to be played by many combinations of instruments.
Blues For Lester is an extended piece with an eclectic blend of jazz (with a touch of Monk), funk, contemporary classical, and blues. It is an expression of my admiration for Lester Young, the great tenor saxophonist, who had many quirky qualities in his music.
This piece draws upon aspects of Lester Young's playing that I admire and have internalized. This includes his horizontal approach to harmony, how he played around with time in his phrasing, used "wrong" notes (from a vertical chord perspective) at times, and had an audacious sense of humor. They are expressed in Blues For Lester in my own style.
The mid-size ensemble score is for soloist, 5 horns, and rhythm section. The score uses flexible instrumentation. This enables the music to be played by many combinations of instruments.
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I am primarily a jazz composer. A wide range of styles are found in my music including tango, blues, samba, fusion, contemporary classical, and back to...
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Thanks Stu! Blues For Lester is going to receive a performance by Jim Scully's jazz ensemble at Southern California University Bakersfield in a couple of months. According to Jim, the concert will be recorded or have a video. If it turns out well, I'll add it to my website. As you can tell, this recording -- while it stands on its own -- is essentially a demo. There are places in the score where a lot of freedom can happen and that's not heard in the recording (wasn't possible to do that and keep it within budget). A life performance can have many more things happening with the music. If you haven't seen it already, here's an article that describes my ideas for a mid-size ensemble.... http://www.rogeraldridge.com/mid-size-ensemble.html
This is a bit like West-Side Story meets a (baby) Varese... but yeah... I get Monk too. That said... it is very 'buoyant' though and I would love it if it were just a little more 'down' (That's me though). I would love to hear it played 'live'... and with a small ensemble really, as I think the piece easily has enough of a 'spine' that people could noodle around.
Nice... definitely a plus one.