American Dance Music (orchestra version)

American Dance Music celebrates uniquely American music popularized by American dance crazes. A sophisticated hoe-down leads into a Latin dance combined with a Baroque cannon! The slow Serenade recalls the 40s style slow dances while Jazz brings the 50s to the table. The finale, ROKIT!, is infused with elements of jazz, rock and funk.

Genre: Solo Brass Quintet with Orchestra | # of Players: Standard + 5
Level: 5 | Duration: 12:00

Instrumentation
Flute 1/2 (Piccolo)
Oboe 1/2
Bb Clarinet 1/2
Bassoon 1/2

F Horn 1-3
Bb Trumpet 1/2
Trombone
Bass Trombone

Percussion 1 (congas/bongos, maracas, snare drum, suspended cymbals, vibraslap, woodblock)
Percussion 2 (bass drum, claves, hi-hat, suspended cymbal, triangle, vibraslap)
Timpani (afuche)

Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Double Bass

Solo Bb Trumpet 1-2
Solo F Horn
Solo Trombone
Solo Tuba
Solo Percussion/Xylophone

Program Notes
AMERICAN DANCE MUSIC was commissioned by RHYTHM & BRASS in 1995. McCarthy was asked to compose a piece that would be musically challenging for the group and appealing to audiences. Thus, such a work was written by McCarthy that celebrates uniquely American music popularized by American dance crazes. The Unsquare Dance pairs the tuba and xylophone in a sophisticated "hoe-down" with frequent meter changes creating music that is "un-square." Latina is patterned after the "Lambada," the dance made famous in the film "Dirty Dancing." Latin rhythms combine with a Baroque style canon. Serenade recalls the 40s style slow dance with a Tommy Dorsey-like trombone solo and a musical language of modem jazz. Jazz borrows from the 1950s be bop era and the like of Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan and Stan Kenton with another tuba and xylophone duet. ROKlT! is unabashedly dedicated to the composer's favorite rock/funk group, Tower of Power. With the all important drum solo, this movement combines the elements of jazz, rock and funk so prevalent in the 70s styles of groups such as Tower of Power, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Chicago.