Paradise Blues – Delbert Bump

Description

Performance suggestions to Director or Leader:

The following performance suggestions are to help in developing this arrangement into a rewarding piece of music. You will find a great deal of flexibility in this combo chart, and feel free to organize and present this music in any way you like.

The tempo is Medium up, and up to your interpretation as to how fast you feel is necessary. The eighth-note lines are challenging and will create a real Blues-type feel in the Latin Jazz style. The montuno in the piano part will set up a dissonance that will add a drive to the music. I suggest a two-octave double of this part in the introduction, as well as into the end of the A section. Resuming the montuno in the piano at the C section will create drive also. The contrast between the A and B sections should be emphasized. The piano also has the option of playing the line or blocking the chords in the Latin Jazz style. Again, these performance suggestions give you, as the performing musicians, a lot of options.

The D section is a unison line that will take a bit of rehearsal to get tight. The percussive punches just before letter E need to be really clean. The E section is an anti-climactic type of design and should be played with conviction. The F section is rather space-oriented and leads to the last four bars of the tune, with an idea that ends the head and also creates a positive end to this section. Many times in the Latin style the unexpected becomes the normal musical procedure. Make certain the players are ready to stress these points of interest in the chart. Solos are the A and B sections. The D.S. al Fine will complete the arrangement.

This chart is fun to play and has lots of Latin energy. It offers room to stretch out and take the music to an exciting place. The tune ends with a repeat of that unison line mentioned earlier. Have fun with this one. Hope you enjoy this music. Thank you.

Musically yours,
Delbert Bump