Review

Earl Zindars
Here’s to Neal:

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Publisher: Wehr's Music House
Date of Publication: 2003
URL: http://www.wehrs-music-house.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Jazz Material - ensemble
Secondary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones

Here’s to Neal is a medium tempo, original swing tune for four trombones and rhythm section (piano, bass, and drums) by jazz composer Earl Zindars (1927-2005). Mr. Zindars, best known for his association with jazz artists Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and recently Bill Cunliffe, was a composition/theory professor and freelance musician who spent most of his professional life in the San Francisco area. With this composition Mr. Zindars gave the trombone world something that it is sorely lacking, an original composition that is useful as both a teaching tool and a work worthy of performing in public. The majority of the melodic material is in the first trombone part, which is in a manageable register, a-b-flat1. The second and third parts have mostly background figures with a range A to f-sharp1. The fourth part, which can be played with a bass trombone or a large bore tenor with an f attachment, ranges D-d. Chord changes for an improvised solo, in my opinion a requirement for any work that is to be used to teach jazz, are in the second trombone part. These changes are a series of ii v progressions that are good for improvisers with some previous experience. All of the trombone parts have adequate stylistic and dynamic information without being cluttered. Almost as important as the trombone parts, the rhythm section players are given a mixture of written parts and chord changes. This is useful for teachers who are less comfortable coaching players in the rhythm section. For teachers who want to reinforce the fundamentals of swing, section playing, and improvisation, Here’s to Neal is a good addition to the library. It will also function as a breath of fresh air in a concert of “high powered” music for trombone.

-Keith Jackson
West Virginia University