Prog Pacific: E-flat Alto Saxophone 2
By Ryan Fraley
Grade: 3
Item: 98-PC-DHX9004_AX2
$3.99
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Description
With a bit of progressive rock and a lot of half-time funk, this great chart can be rounded out with optional synthesizer and electric guitar. The sticky grooves and melodies drive the point home. Two carefully transcribed solos are provided for trumpet and guitar that match the superb recorded solos, or they can be improvised as desired. Optional parts are included for flute/violin, clarinet and F horn, and the lead trumpet range is to G top of staff. You can have fun and experiment with different effects in the optional synthesizer part that's well worth the effort. Serious fun and great change-of-pace programming!
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Additional Details
Series:
HXmusic
Publisher:
HXmusic
SKU:
98-PC-DHX9004_AX2
More about this title
Why we love this
Ryan Fraley writes grooves that stick with your ensemble long after rehearsal ends. The blend of progressive rock textures with half-time funk sensibilities gives you something genuinely different from standard jazz repertoire, and the optional synth and electric guitar parts invite your players to explore timbral possibilities that feel more like a working band than a traditional ensemble.
What to expect
The sound sits somewhere between a funkified prog-rock headspace and a tight jazz groove. Sticky melodies and grooves that make you move keep it from feeling precious or overly complex; this is music built to lock in and make people feel the pulse.
Who it's for
This works for jazz ensembles looking to program contemporary sounds without sacrificing accessibility at Grade 3. You'll use it when you need a change-of-pace piece that energizes both your players and your audience, and your electric guitarists and keyboard players will appreciate having a genuine role in the ensemble rather than just fill work.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the half-time feel early in rehearsals so the ensemble feels the rhythmic foundation under the progressive rock textures; the groove drives everything else.
- Study the recorded solos before deciding whether your trumpet and guitar players will use the transcriptions or improvise; either choice works, but committing to one approach shapes how you'll shape the solo sections in rehearsal.
- Experiment with the synthesizer effects from day one rather than leaving them for dress rehearsal; your keyboard player needs time to find sounds that complement the funk and rock elements without overpowering the horns.
- Balance the optional parts (flute/violin, clarinet, F horn) against the lead trumpet line to G; these doublings thicken the voicing without requiring their presence, so you can scale the arrangement to your roster.
How to use it
Schedule this for the second half of a concert when you want to shift energy and show the range of your ensemble's interests. It pairs well alongside straight-ahead jazz standards because the progressive rock instrumentation and groove sensibility highlight how your group can navigate different musical worlds.
Skills your students will build
- Half-time funk rhythms and their relationship to straight jazz time
- Soloing over changes (trumpet and guitar)
- Ensemble lock and groove awareness in a non-traditional jazz context
- Electric and electronic instrument integration within a traditional jazz ensemble
- Reading and executing optional parts to scale arrangements by personnel