Jazz Sketches

Jazz Sketches for cello and vibraphone features three movements of contrasting jazz moods. Livin’ In The City, a fast paced driving straight-eighth note feel is a musical description of urban life. Blues Lament is a slow somber dirge using jazz harmony and a “bluesy” melodic line. Street Walkin’, is in swing style and pays tribute to the music of Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Genre: Duet for Vibraphone & Cello | # of Players: 2
Level: Medium | Duration: 10:00

Instrumentation
Vibraphone
Cello

Program Notes
Jazz Sketches was first composed in 1982 and originally scored for tuba and vibraphone, receiving its premier at Drake University in Des Moines, IA. The piece was revised in 2010 rescoring the tuba part for cello and features three movements of contrasting jazz moods. The piece begins with Livin’ In The City, which is a fast paced driving straight-eighth note feel that is a musical description of urban life. The middle movement, entitled Blues Lament, is a slow somber dirge using jazz harmony and a “bluesy” melodic line. The last movement, Street Walkin’, is in swing style and pays tribute to the music of Bernstein’s West Side Story.