Original charts for small jazz groups, made for real players and open musical conversation.
This piece was also released on my recent CD “The Slope”. The composition is written in 7/4 time which makes it a bit tricky for beginning students. The melodic rhythms are very repetitive which should assist the student in learning this melody. The harmonies are a bit more intricate which make the piece challenging but not too difficult.
This piece is extremely melodic and very difficult. The voicings and bass lines are completely written out for the pianist and the bassist. There are several important rhythm section hits which are part of the melodic structure of the piece. The blowing section is easier, but also somewhat abstract. Recommended for advanced players only. This was released on my CD “The Slope”.
This piece is not too difficult. The form is long. Most of the piece is written in 6/4 but the bridge is in 4/4. The blowing can stay on the concert D minor mode for less advanced players. Otherwise, the player can signal the bridge and play over those changes at the end of their solo. Could possibly even work with Grade 2 students.
This piece is fun to play. There is a nice vamp at the beginning of the piece that repeats throughout the composition. This tune is comprised of a series of II V I progressions with some tritone substitutes thrown in. There is also the challenge of some odd meter changes. Still this is not too difficult.
Quiet is a long form ballad. The harmonies are through composed. The piece is arranged for bass clarinet, piano, contrabass and drums. The blowing section comes at the end of the form and consists of two chords that repeat until the solo decides to play “free” or not. This version was released on the “Final Answer” CD by Conference Call.
I composed this composition originally for a dance class at Virginia Intermont College. This is a newer arrangement for tenor saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass and drums. This piece has an opening bass vamp that swings really hard, and has a deep bluesy feel. This is perfect for an intermediate group or even an advanced beginning group. The blowing starts our in C minor and eventually moves into an interesting minor blues form.
This is an interesting composition. There are three separate parts happening simultaneously. The piano plays a harmonic ostinato. The bass plays a rhythmic ostinato. The melody weaves in and out of the other two elements. The soloist plays over the bass ostinato in the solo section. There are no harmonic elements in the solo section. Of course the soloist is free to add his/her own harmonies, as are the other ensemble members. This piece is recorded on my “Live at Streamside Octet” CD.
This ballad was recorded on the “Live From Brugge” Fonda/Stevens Group CD from around 1999. The changes are pretty straight ahead and move quite slowly. Very playable!! This is arranged for trumpet, alto sax, piano, bass and drums.
This is an interesting composition. The melodies are long and brooding. There are two very extended melodies answering each other. The blowing section is completely free.
This piece consists of an extended melody and written-out bass line. There is some harmonic structure on the bridge, but the blowing is completely “free” bop! The piece is arranged for Alto sax, piano, bass and drums.
Another long-form but not terribly complicated. The blowing on the tune starts in D minor and then goes free. This piece is easy to play and feels great. This is more of a straight 1/8 note feel. This piece was recorded last year and will be released this year on my new “Precipice” CD on ARC Recording. This arrangement is for trumpet, Tenor sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums.
This composition is quite lyrical. The beginning section is almost rubato and moves between 3/4 and 4/4. The blowing section is a jazz waltz. The harmonies are interesting but not terribly difficult. The arrangement is for soprano saxophone, piano and bass. Drums can use bass part.
This composition is written in alternating 4/4 and 3/8 measures. It is very difficult to play and extremely challenging. This arrangement is for alto sax, trumpet, piano, bass and drums. This version was released on the Fonda/Stevens Group “Live from Paketpost” CD and is arranged for trumpet, piano, bass and drums.
Featured on of the Fonda/Stevens Group’s CD’s entitled “The Healing”. The piece is built over a bass and rhythm section ostinato which begins the tune and is completely open, allowing the horns to solo right from the beginning. The blowing form is elongated but the changes are all built around ii-v-I’s. This arrangement is for soprano sax, piano and bass. Drums can use the bass part for their score.
This is also an extremely long form with a very complicated bass part. This tune really swings and the blowing changes are very simple, almost modal in nature. The piece moves between Latin and swing feels, but the blowing is pure burning swing. Lots of fun to play.
This is a beautiful but very challenging piece of music with a long-form and very complicated harmony, a written contrapuntal bass line that serves as a counter melody, and many syncopated rhythmic hits for the ensemble. The blowing section uses polychords which resolve into major chords. This arrangement is for soprano sax, piano, bass and drums.