Gordon Cherry has been running Cherry Classics for over 20 years. He is a leading professional Trombonist in North America, having performed as Principal Trombonist of the Vancouver Symphony, and the CBC Radio Orchestra. As well, Gordon has taught hundreds of Brass students for over 30 years at the University of British Columbia and many international leading music festivals.Details
Jim Pugh's 4 x 2 x 1 is written for Bass Trombone solo with a double Trombone Quartet accompaniment. It is appropriate for advanced performers and is about 9 minutes in length.
Here is what Jim Pugh says about his composition 4 x 2 x 1:
Dave Taylor and I have had a long musical association going back to my first recording sessions with him in New York in 1976 and continuing for 30+ years, including, among many things, two Pugh/Taylor Project recordings. When Dave was putting together the 1999 Manhattan School of Music Trombone Day, he asked me to write a piece featuring him along with his invited guest artists, the Four Of A Kind Trombone Quartet and the Vienna Trombone Quartet – hence the title: 4 (quartet) x 2 (two of them) x 1 (1 soloist).
I enjoyed the opportunity to feature not only the bass trombone but, at times, the bass trombone trio that the orchestration provides. The piece is loosely in Rondo form. After an initial statement of the Theme, there follows three unrelated Vignettes separated by variations on the original Theme. A brief GP introduces an improvisation from the bass trombone soloist leading to the final statement of the Theme.
The score reflects the correct positioning of the players, left to right, with the two quartet bass trombones on either end of the group and the two first tenor players in the middle, flanking the bass trombone soloist. A little aside here, the tenor trombone solo beginning in measure 77 was specifically written for another dear friend, colleague and collaborator, Joe Alessi. It was a great thrill and honor to have been asked to write music for not only Dave but also two of the best trombone quartets in existence at that time, knowing that anything I wrote would be so beautifully performed.
This piece was recorded on the Signum Records CD: The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble Plays The Music of James Pugh and Daniel Schnyder.