Jazz-Inflected Etudes

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Notes

Jazz-Inflected Etudes are written with trumpet in mind, but they are fun to play on any treble-clef instrument. For some instruments, such as flute or oboe, you’ll need to make a few range adjustments.

The unaccompanied études are called jazz-inflected because, although all the notes are written down, the performer should freely apply jazz expressions to the written notes. You can practice whatever jazz inflections you’d like to work on: tone bending, dropoffs, vibrato, slides. You can choose where to use mutes and hand effects. It’s up to you!

The three études are:

1. Hearth
2. Skyscape
3. I Mourn

This music is dedicated to Natalo Paella (1927-2001). Nat’s expressive performances of these pieces made them really come alive and gave me ideas for how to play them on horn.

Listen

Listen to Jazz-Inflected Études with excerpts of Skyscape, Hearth (on flugelhorn), and I Mourn, performed by Natalo Paella.