I hope eventually to get some older things, including some combo tunes, into good enough shape to include here.
Also, check out the piano page for more jazz.

 

Stage Band

Skunkbait (1978), for stage band. Wierd funk; head in 7, bridge in 2, coda in fast 7. Middle section is an unaccompanied open drum solo. Scored for 5 saxes, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones (doubling of brass parts works well), guitar, piano, bass, drums. In manuscript. $10, available directly from me. Recording available.

Elbo Macaroni #35 (1982), a group improvisation format for stage band. No music is written out; each player's part consists of three written desciptions of different ways of playing that are idiomatic to the instrument (the group can easily invent additions to these). The conductor's "score" consists of a list of all of these parts, and a list of hand signals used to initiate and control the playing of them. Thus a performance begins with the conductor as chief "composer," but the playing will quickly get off the page and some remarkable textures will result. Especially effective as an introduction to another piece of more conventional construction. $3, available directly from me. Recording available, though every performance will be completely different.

Combo

Squirrelly-ology (2001), a lead sheet (excerpt). Head in unison with chords at ends of phrases only, essentially a very chromatic blues; Bridge is a less active line with changes; return of head includes upper harmony line, with last lick in unison (a quote from Scheherazade). F minor blues for blowing changes. $2, directly from me; I'll send a master from which you can make a limited number of copies. No demo recording yet.

 

Guitar Ensemble

All of these are published by the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press. They were written for students in Steve Watson's highly successful Jazz Guitar program at the Fine Arts Center.

www.unoco.edu/uncjazz/jazzpress/search.html

Get 'em While They're Hot (1996), for guitar ensemble (5 electric guitars, bass, drums) (excerpt). Gritty, mid-tempo fusion. Most of the way, guitars 1 & 2 take the melody (in 2-part harmony), guitar 3 plays sustained chords, guitar 4 plays a choppy ostinato in perfect 4ths, and guitar 5 doubles the bass. Improv solos in the middle for guitars 1 & 2. Most parts are completely written out, including guitar 3's chord voicings. $25. Synth demo available.

Swing Shift (1998), for guitar ensemble (excerpt1) (excerpt2). Swing Shift uses a medium-funk groove for the head sections while bridge sections are straight-ahead, double-time swing. Swing 8th notes are constant throughout. The solo improv section is in two parts that alternate between these two styles - the first using a modified blues progression and the second using the harmonies from the bridge. $25. Synth demo available.

Stop the Time, I Want to Get Off! (1999), for guitar ensemble (excerpt). This one is quick bop throughout, with frequent interruptions of the meter. Each solo improv begins with blues changes in stop time, and then continues in a steady Eb blues; this section may be repeated as often as desired for each soloist, and can be varied in any way the group sees fit. $25. Synth demo available.

        

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