Blue Jax
- Completed
- 2008, rev. 2010
- Instrumentation
- 2 soprano saxes, 1 alto sax, 1 tenor sax, 1 baritone sax, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, guitar, piano, bass, drums
- Duration
- c. 7'30"
- Recordings
- USC Concert Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of John Daversa
- Soloists: Saul Tobin, tpt.; Ted Case, pno.; Ryan Stewart, guit.
- Recorded at USC in Nov. 2010
- Program Notes
Blue Jax is what you get when you mix danceable big band swing with minimalist techniques. The piece hangs overlapping hemiolas and ostinati on the exploded scaffold of a simple AABA tune. Both the composition and the improvisation stay within a single set of six notes.