Sheet music from Fascinating Rhythm - The Music of George Gershwin by Frederick Hemke
Legendary saxophonist Frederick Hemke plays the music of George Gershwin in intimate chamber music settings for alto saxophone and string quintet.
These musical arrangements by Jonah Blum are available for alto saxophone and string quintet (string quartet plus bass), or in reductions for alto saxophone and piano.
News
Frederick Hemke premieres new versions of Embraceable You and Scenes from Porgy and Bess for saxophone and orchestra on May 31, 2012 in Evanston, IL. Score and parts for both pieces are available on rental. Contact info@jlblummusic.com for details.
Embraceable You was first heard in ‘Girl Crazy’
(1930). It is arranged as a bel canto ‘Recitativo
e Romanza’ in the style of Donizetti or Bellini. The saxophone sings the pure melody of the
song in a legato style, with vocal-like cadenzas. The opening classical recitative is based on
Gershwin’s original jazzy introduction.
Scenes from Porgy and Bess
Scenes from Porgy and Bess is derived from Gershwin’s magnum
opus, the opera ‘Porgy & Bess’ (1935). It is set as a tone poem or tableaux depicting the love story of Porgy and Bess. The arrangement includes Summertime; Bess, You is My Woman Now; I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'; Gone, Gone, Gone; and I Loves You, Porgy. The songs are joined together as interconnected movements, with Summertime serving as a prologue and
epilogue to the narrative.
A Foggy Day
A Foggy Day was featured in the film ‘Damsel in
Distress’ (1937), and is here arranged as a romantic Nocturne. It suggests a foggy, gloomy day for a
love-torn gent, with patches of sunshine. Sunlight and love are achieved in the end, but still there are shades of fog.
I Got Rhythm
I Got Rhythm was written for the show ‘Girl
Crazy’ (1930), and is set as a collection of Vaudeville Variations in the
pre-jazz pop style of the 1920’s. The variations include a ragtime à la Sidney Bechet and a salon waltz à la Rudy Wiedoeft.
Three Preludes
The Three Preludes were written in 1926 for
piano.These wonderful pieces contain jazz
and blues-influenced melodies, harmonies and rhythms set as European-style
classical piano preludes, creating a uniquely Gershwin sound.In these arrangements, they have been orchestrated
for solo alto saxophone and string quintet.
Fascinating Rhythm
Fascinating Rhythm brought the rhythms of jazz to
Broadway, and was a hit song from Gershwin’s musical comedy “Lady, Be Good!”
(1924). It is set as an Introduction and
Scherzo—a song and a dance.The Introduction is moody and blue, while the
Scherzo is light-footed, with a variety of dance rhythms and styles.
The Man I Love
The Man I Love comes from the show ‘Lady, Be
Good!’ (1924), and is here arranged as a tango.
The melody possesses a passionate lyricism that is redolent of the
tango, and Gershwin’s bold harmonies create a descending bass line typical of
1930’s or 40’s tango music. Throughout
the arrangement, there are allusions to Lester Young’s famous solo from his
1939 recording of The Man I Love with
Billie Holiday.
Cuban Overture
Gershwin
composed the Cuban Overture as an
orchestral work in 1932. It is a highly
inventive piece, filled with a myriad of ideas and lively Latin rhythms. This arrangement re-imagines the work as a
solo piece for alto saxophone and string quintet. The saxophone sings all of the melodies from the
original orchestral work: sostenuto
lines, chattery asides, plaintive airs, brassy fanfares, and ends with a “drum solo” in imitation of Cuban percussion.
Someone to Watch Over Me
Someone to Watch Over Me was featured in Gershwin’s
production of ‘Oh, Kay!’ (1926). This timeless
song is set as a romantic ballad, evoking the lavish pop standards of the
1940’s and 50’s. There are a variety of
moods and backgrounds to accompany the soloist in homage to the classic
arrangements of Nelson Riddle.
Complete music from Fascinating Rhythm
Order the complete music from Fascinating Rhythm at a substantial discount.
