| Jacksonata was composed as a final project for
my jazz arranging class in the fall of 1999. As the name implies,
it is written in sonata form. I have wanted to write in sonata form
for some time, but since most of my music is not tonal, at least in the
traditional tonic-dominant sense, a true sonata form piece was never really
a consideration. This project was a tonal work, and it allowed me
to mix styles, jazz and classical, which is another thing I like to do.
The ensemble, 3 trumpets, tenor saxophone, guitar, piano, bass and drums
was dictated by the assignment, although I probably would have chosen a
similar group. Jacksonata explores various harmonization and
orchestration techniques common to modern jazz. This piece was inspired
by the birth of my son Jackson. As soon as my wife and I decided
to name him Jackson, I knew I had to write a piece called Jacksonata,
and I had a feeling it would be a jazz piece. |
