One Day Wonder #172

For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.

I was feeling much better today, so I thought I’d write a zippy jazz number. Here it is! There’s nothing too complex about it; it’s in G minor and the form is your basic AABA. The ensemble is small, but it packs enough pop. I assign the horn the lowest chord tones, so the trombones dominate the accompaniment. The only bit of weirdness is the transition from the B section to the last A section. Because of the prolonged syncopated figure in the horn, there wasn’t any way to end things without it sounding a little awkward. When something like this happens, I tend to add measures. It makes it seem like the strange phrasing was intentional. Cutting measures often sounds too abrupt. Better to feature a half-assed transition than no transition at all. Anyway, as with many of my jazz pieces of the past, this one contains a shout chorus that casts the trumpet and horn in parallel fifths. It works out nicely, though I’m pretty sure the horn player wouldn’t be too pleased, as the part is high and fast. But it sounds good, if I do say so. The rest of the piece functions well, too.