Valerie Capers
- 鈥淓lla Scats the Little Lamb鈥 is slightly longer than one page long, and is inspired by Ella Fitzgerald鈥檚 renowned scat singing. This piece is bright and spirited, and the performer should strive to carefully observe all notated
- 鈥淲altz for Miles鈥 is a mid-intermediate piece from Valerie Caper鈥檚 collection Portraits in Jazz. The piece is written in the style of a jazz waltz, and, according to Caper鈥檚 notes, is a tribute to the expressive playing of Miles
- 鈥淪weet Mister Jelly Roll鈥 is approximately two pages long, and is inspired by Jelly Roll Morton, an American jazz and ragtime pianist.聽 This is a ragtime piece, aiming to create in the simplest way possible the sound and
- The Monk聽is approximately two pages long and is inspired by Thelonious Monk, an American jazz pianist; it is said to have heard the Monk play once was 鈥渢o know his sound forever more.鈥澛 The performer should take note of
- 鈥淏lues for the Duke鈥 is two pages long and is inspired by Duke Ellington, a renaissance man of jazz.聽 This piece is composed in traditional twelve-bar blues form, which is based on three chords, the I, IV, and V.聽 It
- 鈥淎 Taste of Bass鈥 is inspired by Ron Carter, whose solos and rhythm work had a profound effect on bassists after the 60鈥檚;聽 his solos and sense of time were described as 鈥渂rilliant鈥 by critic Jaki Byard. This piece is two
- 鈥淏illie鈥檚 Song鈥 is a beautiful one-page ballad dedicated to Billie Holiday, an African American jazz singer who influenced jazz and pop singing.聽 The performer should take care to find the special warmth and intensity
- Mr. 鈥淪atchmo鈥 is a two-page work inspired by Louis Armstrong, a famous and influential American trumpeter, vocalist, and composer within Jazz.聽 In measures three, four, seven, and eight, the right hand line imitates the style
- 鈥淐ancion De La Havana鈥 is about two and a half pages long, and features the Western African (Nigerian) rhythmic pattern, which is basic for Afro-Cuban idioms.聽 Measures 38-53 pulls strong influence from Cuba and Puerto Rico,
- 鈥淏ossa Brasilia鈥 is two pages long and is inspired by the bossa nova from Brazil, which is a two measure rhythmic pattern in 4/4 time that doesn鈥檛 actually occur in this piece.聽 The flavor and feeling is created through