I wrote this joyful and swinging jazz waltz for my son Julian and his girlfriend Nina, both born under the sign of Scorpio. The piece is made up of the following parts: Fanfare-like intro, ABAC – theme, D – solo part designed for the principal saxophone (soprano or alto), E and F – solo part designed for the tenor saxophone; the respective soloists may either perform the solo transcriptions I included in the arrangement or improvise freely. Parts D, E and F – measures 47 through 83 - can be repeated after the solos in case a free improvisation is opted for, followed by part G, a transitional passage. This bridge then leads up to a dal segno calling for a repetition of parts ABAB and, finally, to the coda bringing the piece to an end. Here some additional recommendations: When interpreting this waltz, attention has to be paid to the execution of the swinging eighth notes and the accents; the duration of the latter should invariably coincide with the value of the respective notes. Rhythmic accuracy in ensemble playing can be achieved by permanently being aware of the flow of eighth notes as well as by consciously correlating one’s own voice with the partly varying phrases executed by the other players. Thus, it is possible to give the necessary “push” to accents jointly executed by all the saxophones. Therefore, I recommend repeating individual measures at a slower tempo until their rhythmic structure becomes clear and evident – an approach which, incidentally, is also conducive to developing a good intonation.
Instrumentation:
4 clarinets