Review

Al Kay
The Xenomorphic Blues:
Ten trombones.

Vancouver, British Columbia, United States
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2005

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 9+ trombones (choir)

Al Kay has added two versions of the work to the repertoire. This is a high powered and demanding chart with tough rhythms, wide ranges, and difficult technique. Opportunities for blowing solos are in parts one and two of each arrangement, one in straight eighth and one in swing style. The majority of the piece is in a straight eighth driving style with only the shout chorus being swing. Bass trombones in each arrangement part 4, or part 5 and 10 provide the bass line in both styles. Ranges are a challenge; in the tentet trombone 1, 2 and 6 all have c2 with 1 and 2 extending to f2. Bass trombones 5 and 10 extend down to pedal GG. In the quartet version part 1 and 2 extend to f2 and d2 respectively. Form is 12 bar blues with a few advanced chord changes thrown in. The head is a challenging and driving line alternating between unison and harmony of the top voices. Backgrounds for the solos are interesting and full enough with bass trombone line to not need a rhythm section. Kay notates the rhythms as they should be, avoiding the unnecessary 12/8 and triplet writing that occurs too often. This notation is clean and easy to read by anyone with basic commercial experience. All parts are in bass clef, well laid out with no page turn or notation problems. In comparing the versions, the quartet version lends itself to a cleaner performance with only one per part but also demands much more endurance as rests are limited. The reverse is obviously true for the tentet, more rest but more doubling.  Both versions are excellent additions to the too small genre of jazz charts for choir without rhythm section.  

-Thomas Zugger
Capital University