| Viewing Single Post From: Frank Ticheli | |
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| priscilla1986 | Dec 1 2004, 03:58 PM |
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Blue Shades This composition reflects Frank Ticheli's love fot the tradition jazz music that he heard so often while growing up near New Orleans. Blue Shades was his opportunity to express his own musical style in this medium. He provides the following descriptionof the work. As its tittle suggets, the work alludes to the Blues, and a jazz feeling is prevalent - however, it is in not literally a Blue piece. There is not a single 12-bar blues progression to be found, and except for a few isolated sections, the eighth-note is not swung. The work, however, is heavily influenced by the Blues: " Blue notes" (flatted 3rds, 5ths and 7ths) are used constantly; Blue harmonies, rhythms, and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many "shades of blue" are depicted, from bright blue, to dark, to dirty, to hot blue. At times, Blue Shades burlesques some of the cliche from the Big Band era, not as a mockery of those conventions, but as a tribute. a slow and quiet middle section recalls the atmosphere of a dark, smoky blues haunt. An extended clarinet solo played near the ends recalls Benny Goodmans' hot playing style, and ushers in a series of "wailing" brass chords recalling the train whistle effects comonly used during that era. |
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| Frank Ticheli · Compositions Corner | |
7:33 AM Nov 27
