Review

Leslie Searle
One, Two, Three for You: 15 Pieces for Trombone Solo: Book I, with optional accompaniment

Halberstadt, , Germany
Publisher: Musikverlag Bruno Uetz
Date of Publication: 2010
URL: http://www.uetz.de/music

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with media
Secondary Genre: Elementary Material - solo

Searle's set of three books fills a gap between classical and jazz for young players. This third stream approach (Look it up; third stream was big in the 1960's) allows intermediate-level trombonists to gain fluency with many different musical styles in comfortable, original settings. Clever syncopations and somewhat unusual chord progressions are combined with accessible melodies to create pleasing, easily phrased jazz-sounding products. Classically based pieces are equally obtainable as they proceed through updated harmonic treatments of polkas, fanfares and marches. Each book, which has fifteen short pieces, includes optional accompaniment in the form of chord changes. Tonalities are limited to no more than two sharps and four flats, and range extends from F to g1.

Searle has written identically titled collections for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, and saxophone. The trombone books are varied yet idiomatic and provide tools with which middle-school players can seek out more advanced avenues of expression in multiple genres. 

-Joel Elias
Sacramento State University