Review

Nick LaRocca
Fidgety Feet: for Brass Quintet

Arranged by Bob Burnham

Piccolo trumpet (opt. b-flat trumpet), b-flat trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

Fidgety Feet is a Dixieland jazz standard first recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1918 and then later as a hit in 1924 featuring Bix Beiderbecke. The original tune would have been played by a standard Dixieland band consisting of trumpet or cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba or string bass, and rhythm instruments like piano, drums, and/or guitar/banjo.

Bob Burnham’s arrangement for brass quintet maintains the high energy of the original. It includes written out solos along with optional chord changes for improvisation in most parts, however the trombone part does not contain a solo. Fun details include trumpet trills, trombone scoops and glissandos, and a short break for group vocals. The piece starts in B-flat major then modulates to E-flat and then A-flat major. The form follows the original structure. There are no mutes.

Instrumentation is for piccolo trumpet (provides both a regular B-flat part and another part down the octave), horn, trombone in bass clef, and tuba. The piccolo trumpet range is from g1 to f3, the second trumpet range is from c-sharp1 to b-flat2, the horn range is from c1 to g2, the trombone range is from c to c2, and the tuba range is from FF to g-flat.

Part independence with higher range demands would make this appropriate for advanced performers. It is a great arrangement to practice playing Dixieland style, keep solid time without a drum set, and maintain group cohesion whilst playing very independent parts.