Junk Drawer

Flexible Parts This piece was written with maximum flexibility in mind. Four horn parts are provided with an optional 5th. That 5th part could meaningfully cover for a missing bass player (though during solos this part should play their part from any of the other lettered sections). Each horn part is provided with a part written in C, Bb, Eb, F, and bass clef. Part 1 is the lead voice, and each subsequent part is intended to provide a lower harmony with part 4 being the bottom and 5 being a bass part. In order to serve individual skill level, ensemble need, and director taste, jumping up or down an octave at any point in any part is encouraged. Rhythms With the exceptions of the 5 horn part which provides bass -- and the beginning of section E -- all horn parts share the exact same rhythm. Most rhythms recur frequently throughout the piece making it easy for the group to learn rhythms together. Chromatism The tune is essentially the 12-bar blues in Bb with the V going chromatically up to the bVI similar to All Blues -- plus a 4 measure tag. The melody fully embraces this chromatism and is likely to be the biggest challenge for the least experienced players. Sections can be swapped, omitted or even mixed as needed. For example section C and/or E could be skipped, and some players could play B instead of A (as A is unison and B is harmonized). Solos Three optional solos are provided in each key in increasing difficulty. Using these solos as material for the players to do 4s is encouraged; mixing between the different solos would work fine. The solos are annotated in the score to provide insight and inspiration for aspiring soloists learning to improvise. Rhythm Section The piano and guitar parts provide the same function and share rhythms as written -- but aside from the solo sections these could be left out (though there is an optional brief piano solo written as a transition to the ending). The piano part embraces a couple of different standard 5-note voicings and a more experienced player should feel free to deviate. The guitar part is written with only two chord shapes, and like the piano, deviation is encouraged. The bass player, if needed, could play the simpler 5th horn part instead (playing their part from A, B, C, E, or F during solos).