SOCIÉTÉ BLUE (Gr.6)
For Symphonic Winds
Duration Approximately 3:35
Grade 6
FULL SCORE / 2 (+Picc) 2 2 (+Contra) 3 (+Bass, Contra Alto) Alto (2), Tenor (2), Bari / 4 4 4 1 1 Double Bass / Perc (4)
In the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to share a gig with the incredible Jazz Manouche quartet "Minor Sing" at a festival in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France. The incredibly talented ensemble performed with the jazz instrumentation and style made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in 1930's Paris. Minor Sing opened for the Basie-style big band I was directing at the time, and the evening was absolute magic. We played well past midnight, and as the locals danced on the cobblestone streets, I looked up at the star lit sky above us, a deep indigo blue. It was one of those rare, fleeting moments where everything else faded away, and I was aware of the pure, undiluted joy of making music with friends.
SOCIÉTÉ BLUE is an homage to Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Edith Piaf, Ragtime, Dixieland, and every Hot Club on the planet.