Does anyone have any suggestions for a 'cool' tenor horn solo? Something with a jazz or blues feel to it. I've had a look through some catalogues and all I can find are arrangements of folk tunes, air varies or some cheesy Carpenters arrangements. It seems it's the flugel players who get all the best ones.
Don't know whether they would be considered 'cool' but Your Song (Elton John arr. D Barry) is a good one and quite challenging. Also 'Laughter in the Rain' might be worth a look
Thanks for those, but I did find those two when I was searching - & no, I wouldn't consider either of them to fall into the 'cool' category. That's the problem, there doesn't seem to be anything available that's even close.
Give me an example of a solo (for any instrument) that you would consider cool and I'll see if I can think of anything similar
The Piper of Dundee is pretty jazzy. and i've not heard it but looking on paul lovatt-coopers website, The Spellbinding Jewel has reference to jazz. http://www.plcmusic.co.uk/compositions/15/
For a jazzy\bluesy solo I always liked Gordon Higginbottom's Melophonium performance of 'Misty' with JSVB, though I guess thats over 20 years ago now so unlikely to be cool.
'Cool' is cool - it doesn't die after 20 years! As for examples of what I'm looking for, the following are all arranged for flugel : Body & Soul Laura Misty Just the Way You Are (at a stretch) All are solos you don't have to play 'straight' exactly to the dots I know there's Goff Richards 'Georgia On My Mind' but we've already used that one, and 'Summertime' but that's been done to death. I did wonder about the Chapman arrangement of 'Tenderly'. Anyone know it?
Misty is arranged for Eb (specifically Sop) and sounds really nice on Horn. Just make sure, though, that your Sop player hasn't got an overinflated ego. I played it with a previous band and he got well upset.:biggrin: If the Chapman arrangement of 'Tenderly' is the one on the CD Derborance (BNFL Band) it is a nice arrangement. HTH Martin
I'll second Stardust, and Evergreen (arr. Alan Catherall) is a fantastic one if you can get hold of it.
Having had a (very!) quick look at the soloist part for The Spellbinding Jewell it looks like one of the most challenges horn solos i've ever seen!
Thanks, but 'Feelings' is a bit 70's club singer for me - & I'm old enough to remember I was one once (The Shame!) Who's arrangement of 'Stardust' are we referring to please? And 'The Spellbinding Jewell' is a new one on me. Any more info on that one please anyone?
There's Spellbinding Jewell a description on PLC's website of the piece. from what i remember (dont quote me!!!) most of it is in A major and there are some fairly difficult intervals and runs to play. it would take a top class player to carry it off. i think it was written for Kate Eggleshaw when she was at YBS
Could do, I did wonder about that as a solution, but then there's the serious risk of having register problems, either constantly sounding too high or too low for the instrument. 'Cool' also means relaxed and even if playing very high or low isn't a problem technically for the player it can give the impression that the music doesn't sit right on the instrument.
Well you could change the whole band pitch rather than just transpose the solist part. It would have to be done carefully though and as you said would have to sit right. An example is A Time for Peace by Peter Graham which has been done for flugel/cornet now as well as horn. I might be wrong but the Eb version starts in concert F and the Bb version starts in concert Bb, so very different pitches but they both work.
