Rich DeRosa, professor of
jazz arranging and composition at the University of North Texas (https://jazz.unt.edu/derosa),
has contributed quite a few new pieces to our catalog in the past couple of
years. Recorded by the UNT One O'Clock Lab Band, Roundabout is a wonderful
setting for tenor sax and bass explorations ...... together and separately.
Very reasonable brass ranges make this a very playable and hip chart. I think you'll
really like it. I've known Rich since he was a young pup. His dad Clem was a
dear friend with whom I served many years on the boards of NAJE and IAJE. Rich's
writing continues to inspire me and others with his originality and great
musical sense. I'm happy too have Rich in our stable of composers.
We now have 38 charts in print written by Les
Hooper. In my humble opinion Shabadop is one of the coolest things Les has ever written. If you like triplets, you'll
love this chart. There is also the possibility of adding vocal parts to it as
it was originally recorded with the Singers Unlimited. Les and I go back
a long way. I met him in Chicago in 1974 while I was producing and recording the Kenton album Kenton Plays Chicago. We were doing the session at Universal
Studios where Les was often working as a jingle and film composer. We hit it
off then and have been good friends for almost 45 years. We also produced his
great album Look What They've Done at
Creative World. He had a Grammy nomination for the title chart.
50 and Counting is a rip-roaring swinger that Vern
Sielert wrote in commemoration of the 50th year of the Lionel Hampton
Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. I love Vern's writing, and he really
stepped up with this original piece. I first became aware of Vern when he
contacted me regarding a transcription he did of Bill Russo's iconic Portrait of a Count. He was in the One
O'Clock Lab Band at North Texas at the time. I asked Bill to look it over (the
original score and parts were gone), and he gave his blessing to go forward
with putting it into print with Sierra. Vern is a wonderful person, arranger
and composer. I think about all of these
great people writing for us, and I am amazed and humbled.
I'm sorry if this has seemed like a sales pitch
(well, I guess it was), but it is a different time of year. It's time to brag
about all of the newest things being added to our catalog. This is the FUN part
of the year; not only because of the new releases, but also because MY work is
done for a few weeks. I'll be right back at it come September. But, in the
meantime, I think I'll explore this thing they call summer vacation. You all
have a great summer, and please stay tuned for more history of Sierra and
personal memories. Thank you for reading. Until the next one .............
-Bob
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