John Frith
Four’s Company :
Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com
Score and parts
Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones
Four’s Company :
Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2007
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com
Score and parts
Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 4 trombones
Four’s Company consists of three dance movements cleverly entitled Jive, Smooch, and Charleston. These movements are quite distinctive; each could be successfully performed alone. They effectively touch on skills such as playing expressively, playing in half-time, and playing with a swing feel. Jive is notated in a manner that seeks to rhythmically aid classical players in sounding “jazzy” – much the same technique Leonard Bernstein employed in his West Side Story; although this can be a bit confusing on first read. Smooch is essentially a silky first trombone solo; the other three voices play supporting roles. It is a good exercise in playing soft for a long period of time and encourages blending, balancing, and listening with eyes and ears. Charleston relies on the bass trombonist to provide the foundation of the movement and sounds quite impressive in the hands of a capable player. Since a variety of techniques are employed in this piece: flutter-tongue, scoops, lip-trills, glissandi, and a smorgasbord of articulations, Four’s Company seems intended for intermediate and/or advanced trombone players and will fit nicely at the end of a recital program or after a more “serious” work. More information about this piece is available at www.warwickmusic.com. -Tom Pylinski Malone University, Canton, OH