Deputy Director of Music Colyer-Fergusson Building | University of Kent
When setting up the virtual recording of the Vivaldi Gloria, I realised of course that it doesn’t cater for saxophonists, trombonists, jazz trumpeters, pianists and jazz bassists – well, not unless it was a very different, jazz-inspired swing version, which on some level doesn’t bear thinking about…!
So, in order to occupy all the jazz-heads amongst the
University community, there’s also the opportunity to build a virtual dance
orchestra performing – and really, the title of the piece made it obvious that
this was exactly the right piece to prepare during the current lockdown climate
– Don’t
Get Around Much Anymore. The Music department was hugely
fortunate to have been granted an astonishing bequest some years ago, a
complete set of band parts for a swing dance orchestra – original sets of sheet
music from the 40s and 50s which originally belonged to the Ken Lewis Dance
Orchestra, a jazz group active throughout the county and beyond run by pianist
and bandmaster, George Morgan, from Gravesend. So, just before the office
closed, I scanned several sets of parts for various tunes, and we’re currently
in the process of putting Duke Ellington’s classic tune together.
As with the Vivaldi, it’s been great to welcome (virtually,
at least) several alumni into the digital fold; here’s an excerpt featuring the
first few recordings to have arrived in my Inbox recently, featuring the voice
of Drama graduate Steph Richardson (who any fans of the University Big Band
will remember from her days singing alongside them), trumpeter Kevin Dickens,
, and yours truly on a very rudimentary rehearsal piano
track over a drum-loop that’s thankfully about to be superseded by a
wonderfully Thelonius-Monk indebted piano recording from alumnus Jim Reid..... |
| sheet music from the 40's and 50's |
 |
| Drama graduate Steph Richardson |
 |
| trombonist Rob Cliff |
No comments:
Post a Comment