8 Original Jazz Duos: Flute Book

Casual, soulful, and unpretentious. These pieces have the warmth of a jam session and the compositional polish of concert music, trading stiffness for swagger. You'll find yourself syncopating naturally and hearing implied major sevenths and minor ninths under almost every phrase.

Flute duos (likely high school to college level, based on the collection's musicality and harmonic sophistication). These work equally well as recital fodder for advancing students or as a refreshing change of pace within a band or chamber program.

• Let the blues tonality inform your vibrato and phrasing; these pieces invite a grittier, more relaxed approach than classical flute repertoire
• Work out who leads and who comps in each duo. Curtis's voicings suggest roles, but clarifying these relationships early makes the ensemble tighter and more conversational
• The down-home character comes through in loose, swung rhythms; avoid metronomic precision and listen for natural give-and-take between parts
• Balance matters differently here than in classical duets. Let the blues harmony breathe by sometimes pulling back dynamically, even when your part has the melodic line

Build a short suite from two or three duos for a chamber recital, or scatter individual pieces across a concert program to break up heavier classical pairings. The bluesy character also makes these natural choices for a casual coffeehouse or informal performance setting where flute music can shed its formal reputation.

• Blues tonality and phrasing (blue notes, microtonal inflection, swing feel)
• Jazz articulation and rhythmic interpretation (ghost notes, loose placement, triplet feel)
• Ensemble listening and balance in a non-classical context
• Call-and-response and comping roles within a duet texture