Eight Original Jazz Duos for 2 Saxophones: 2 Saxophones Book

Unpretentious and grounded, with the warmth of a blues jam session that respects musical craft. Each piece has its own personality, from bouncy and spirited to introspective and wistful, and Curtis's voicings create an easy sense of ensemble sound despite the minimal texture.

Intermediate to advanced high school and college saxophonists comfortable with jazz vocabulary and looking for substantive duet repertoire. These duos work equally well for private studio pairs preparing a recital or student ensemble musicians building confidence in jazz contexts.

• Establish the groove pocket together during early rehearsals. These pieces depend on rhythmic ease and shared time feel, so lock the underlying pulse before layering in the more intricate melodic lines.
• Lean into the blues vocabulary. Bend notes where the harmony suggests it, explore vibrato in longer phrases, and let the bluesy vocabulary feel conversational rather than formally executed.
• Balance solo and supporting roles fluidly. Some passages invite call-and-response energy; others need both voices to create a unified harmonic statement. Listen for these shifts and adjust your volume and phrasing accordingly.
• Use dynamics to shape longer arc within each piece. These aren't minimalist duos, so strategic crescendos and pulls-back will highlight the compositional structure and keep listeners engaged.

These duos excel as recital openers or closers, especially when programmed as a suite of contrasting movements. They also pair naturally alongside other chamber work at a jazz-focused concert or sit well within a mixed woodwind recital to showcase the saxophone's jazz capabilities.

• Reading and performing jazz articulation and phrasing
• Balancing melody and harmony in two-part texture
• Blues vocabulary and feel
• Listening and responding to a musical partner in real time
• Interpreting guide tones and implied chord changes