Underground Plumbing Blues - Bass Trombone Duet w/Brass Octet

Underground Plubming Blue - Andy Baker

This commission arrived with the suggestion of a showcase for Andy Wood’s bass trombone playing. Noticing that Roger Argente hadn’t appeared as a soloist on the first Superbrass CD, Under the Spell of Spain, I decided to compose a jazz feature for two bass trombones where Roger’s part is composed and Andy’s is improvised. This is a slow blues, alternating between major and minor keys. After a boisterous introduction, the minor key melody that bookends the piece is split between the two soloists and the ensemble. A major-key soli chorus follows featuring the conical-bored french horn and flugelhorn. Roger and Andy each take a solo chorus (the latter in double time) before they “trade fours” and accompany each other with walking bass lines. After returning to the slow melody, the coda climaxes with the soloists four octaves apart.

Includes parts for 2 solo bass trombones, 4 trumpets, 1 horn, 2 trombones, tuba, drum kit, and percussion.