Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Short Trips explores the creation of non‑jazz works that are based on a well‑known jazz standard. Each miniature portrays a possible everyday journey, using the changes from the standard in different ways, sometimes following the chords, sometimes using the chord notes as part of a melodic line.
'To the Palace' is a fanfare, with each player playing alone, and then finally together. The melodic lines follow the changes - but not in the steady pace found in the original. (By the way, there is also a version with timpani - a "detour" - which makes the changes clear.)
'To the Gym' is energetic, full of running and jumping. It is based on intervals based on the contour of the roots of the changes. Enclosures and irregular rhythms are used to spice up the sound.
'To a Sad Friend' is a melancholy dialogue, with a bit of cheering up in the middle section. Like 'To the Gym' it uses contours from the changes, but also decorates root movement with a rising semitone figure.
'From B to C' is just an everyday bit of time travel. It starts in fugal style (with a nod to Mr JSB), but then gradually, with the appearance of disruptive influences, leads us to C who shall remain nameless: we hope his identity becomes clear by the end of the piece.

Work Details

Year: 2013, this version: 2015

Instrumentation: Flute, bassoon.

Duration: 7 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Not virtuosic, but requires a strong sense of rhythm and ensemble.

Commission note: Commissioned by Janis Cook

First performance: by Andrew Macleod, Brock Imison at French Connections (Hill House) on 17 May 2015

This is an adaptation of the version of Short Trips for trumpet and trombone.