Stella

By Starlight (Victor Young) Guitar- Gary Watling Bass- Ben Christensen Drums- Darryn Farrugia Trumpet- Fabian Acuna Tenor Sax- Kieran Hensley Victor Young Young was born in Chicago on August 8, 1900 and began playing violin at the age of six. His family relocated to Poland where he went on to study at Warsaw Imperial Conservatory, and later at the Paris Conservatory. In 1935 he moved to Hollywood where he undertook a film score career, and worked as an accompanist for popular singers such as Bing Crosby. Stella by Starlight Stella by Starlight was originally composed for the 1944 film The Uninvited and has since become a prominent piece of music within the jazz repertoire. This particular version of Stella by Starlight contains a horn arrangement for tenor sax and trumpet, transcribed from the 1954 album Jimmy Raney Quintet Featuring Phil Woods. Most commonly played in the key of Bb, my version of Stella has been transposed to the key of G major, which lends itself to better interpretation by the guitar. Over the past semester, I have been using Stella By Starlight as a vehicle for developing a more textural approach to soloing, which incorporates chordal and single line elements. Whisper Not (Benny Golson) Guitar- Gary Watling Bass- Ben Christensen Drums- Darryn Farrugia Trumpet- Fabian Acuna Tenor Sax- Kieran Hensley Benny Golson Born in 1929, Benny Golson is both a prolific jazz saxophonist and composer, contributing greatly to the jazz repertoire. His compositions such as Along Came Betty, Stablemates, Whisper Not, Blues March, Five Spot After Dark and Are you Real? have become jazz standards, appearing on countless albums.

 Whisper Not Whisper Not was written by Benny Golson while he was a member of the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers. Much of this arrangement was transcribed and orchestrated from the Jim Hall Album By Arrangement, which featured Joe Lovano (clarinet, soprano sax), Greg Osby (alto sax), Tom Harrell (flugelhorn), Lew Soloff and Jamie Finegan (trumpets), Alex Brofsky (French horn), Jim Pugh and Conrad Herwig (trombones), Marcus Rojas (tuba), Scott Colley (bass) and Terry Clarke (drums). Due to instrument limitations, certain sections such as the bridge are original arrangements and the solo sections have also been extended. The challenge with this piece is to create an improvisation that encompasses the mood of the arrangement. My Ideal (Richard A. Whiting) Guitar- Gary Watling Bass- Ben Christensen Drums- Darryn Farrugia Richard A. Whiting Born in 1891, Richard Armstrong Whiting was an American composer of popular songs including the standards "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?" and "On the Good Ship Lollipop". In 1919, he moved to Hollywood and began a film score career and eventually wrote a number of scores for Broadway plays. In 1936 He was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song for the song "When Did You Leave Heaven" which was featured in the film Sing, Baby Sing. My Ideal Originally written for the 1930 Paramount Picture "Playboy Of Paris", My Ideal has been covered by many jazz greats such as Chet Baker, Wynton Marsalis and Sonny Rollins. Im approaching this tune as a country ballad more so than a jazz standard, to showcase my musical influences that extend beyond jazz, such as blues and country.

 Blues on the Corner Guitar- Gary Watling Bass- Ben Christensen Drums- Darryn Farrugia Trumpet- Fabian Acuna Tenor Sax- Kieran Hensley Piano- Andy Boyle McCoy Tyner Born in 1938 in Philadelphia, Tyner became part of the fertile jazz and R&B scene of the early 1950s and has since continued to be a prolific figure in jazz. From 1960 through 1965, Tyner was a member of the John Coltrane Quartet, which propelled his name to international renown. As part of this legendary ensemble he developed a new vocabulary that transcended the piano styles of the time, providing a unique harmonic underpinning and rhythmic charge essential to the group's sound. He performed on Coltrane's classic recordings such as Live at the Village Vanguard, Impressions and Coltrane's signature suite, A Love Supreme. Blues on the Corner Blues on the Corner is from McCoy Tyners 1967 album entitled The Real McCoy, on which he was joined by saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter and fellow Coltrane alumnus Elvin Jones. The head of this tune displays some unusual compositional elements for a blues tune, such as parallel fourth voicings, which create a quite angular sound.