The Way Back for Solo Bass Trombone

The title refers to a journey of some kind, a transition from harder times to better times. It could be the personal journey of an individual or it could also be a whole society trying to return from the terrible times (the recent pandemic, for instance).   The piece is a microcosm – describing a […]

New York Variations for Solo Trombone – Program Notes

The piece was written for Leonard “Buzz” Cecil, a friend (American) who was graduating from the Basel Conservatory (in Switzerland – where I lived and worked for 25 years). I like to write pieces that are fun to play and fun to listen to, though sometimes take some work to master. For this one, I […]

Temperamental Suite for Solo Bass Trombone

The inspiration for Temperamental Suite came from bass trombonist Johannes Bigler, who asked for a piece of moderate difficulty for his masterclasses at the Varna International Music Festival.  The challenge for a composer in writing a piece to be played by a solo instrument is to exploit the full resources of the instrument to be able […]

Gospel Time for Trombone Quartet

This piece owes its existence to a request for a new encore piece by Quattromboni, and is dedicated to them.  In considering what I could write for them, it occurred to me that one of the most fun and enjoyable musical experiences I ever had was the time I sang with a gospel choir.  I’m a great […]