Rock Music for Brass Quintet?

[CC]

Meridian Arts Ensemble recorded some really cool arrangements of some Frank Zappa charts (Big Swifty, Harry You're a Beast, The Orange County Lumber Truck, T'Mershi Duween, and Dupree's Paradise) for Brass Quintet and drum set a few years ago (1992) on their CD Smart Went Crazy (which is available on iTunes by the way for $9.99). The arrangements are only available for rental from the Zappa family though. If you're interested you can call them at 818-PUMPKIN to set it up.

[BVD Press]

On my BVD Press site, you will find Brown Eyed Girl and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Those are the two that come to mind for me. I don;t there is too much out there that has been "legally" published.

[tubajoe]

Rather than playing cheesy pop transcriptions (most BQ "rock" transcriptions end up sounding like elevator music and are anything BUT rock) ...you guys do YOUR thing! The crowd will appreicate that more than you trying to pander and sounding meek in the process.

Do some legit BQ rep that has a rock vibe or energy to it... avoid stuff that is too cerebral. Go for things with intense energy like the Renwick "Dance" or Contrapunctus IX...etc etc. Play some BQ stuff with balls... go for the "louder faster higher" thing and also go for the "beeautiful" thing. Show em what a BQ can really sound like. Dont do anything hokey (no Joplin transcriptions, no BQ Dixie, etc etc etc...) and nothing academic.

Dont try to sound like guitars, rather sound like amazing brass. Chances are if you are honest, the crowd will be blown away.

[tbn.al]

Listen to the Canadian Brass CD, "All You Need is Love". All those arangements are available on their website:

http://www.canbrass.com/store.html

These are good arrangements that take advantage of the unique sound of a brass quintet and still deliver the rock and roll.

[SplatterTone]

I have to think that a mellow, smoky jazz performance of Blue Moon would hit the spot. This is isn't a mellow, smoky version, but I couldn't find one. Scroll down to #14
http://tinyurl.com/289f2b

There are a some other good ones on the sound track CD. I'll bet people will eat this stuff up if you can do it right.

[SplatterTone]

I suppose this is a long shot, but
Here: http://tinyurl.com/226qcv
is a Dixieland combo for five instruments:
clarinet, tenor sax, trombone, trumpet, and bass
which, one supposes, could be adapted to brass quintet. One of the pieces is Sugar Foot Stomp
which isn't heard nearly enough.

True, it isn't rock.
IT'S BETTER!

And it will get you groupies. Guaranteed.

[a2ba4u]

If you're going to play a rock show, play a rock show. Save the dixie stuff for the dixie gigs; save the wedding stuff for the wedding gigs. Would you play Stars and Stripes at a funeral? What about In the Mood at a an Christmas Eve church service? Playing music that is not appropriate to the occasion is one of the most awkward experiences a performing musician can have because there is no hiding the out-of-placeness of the music--no matter how wonderful it is or how wonderful it is played. It's also very awkward for the audience. Rationalizing a poor choice of music simply because there isn't anything appropriate that is readily available (as previous posters have done) is understandable, but it ultimately isn't going to help you play a better gig.

That said, there is clearly a very limited amount of published music for the type of gig that you have been asked to play. My solution would be to get out the pencil and the manuscript paper and start arranging your own show. A couple of months is more than enough time to write and rehearse a 20-30 minute set. I'd ask your friend for some recommendations of band names (Dave Matthews Band, Beck, and Linkin Park are all groups that have stuff that could work for BQ and that wouldn't be out of place in a show with the genres you mentioned) and specific tunes. Then start writing. If you really want to go all out, practice miking up the group and working your friend's drummer into the set. This would take a lot of work, obviously, but the ultimate product will be much better.

Kyle

[tubacrow]

I would look into Youngblood Brass Band "Unlearned"
They have a great version of Human Nature and Pastime Paradice. In your transcriping chops are not up to it, get a composition friend and cash in a favor. Or you could contact Nat. He is a really nice guy, and who knows he might help you out.

[MileMarkerZero]

If you're going to do rock, look into some funk-fusion charts...sit down with the CDs and play along. Learn it by ear.

[BVD Press]

Listen to the Canadian Brass CD, "All You Need is Love". All those arangements are available on their website:

http://www.canbrass.com/store.html

These are good arrangements that take advantage of the unique sound of a brass quintet and still deliver the rock and roll.

Since I shipped out two sets of these yesterday, I am quite embarrassed I forgot about them!

[Mike Finn]

Six words: Funky McFunkerson and the Groovetacular Stank
http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/sh ... reid=51876
And... how about getting the drummer of the rock band (the guys that invited you) to back you up with a simple rock beat on some arrangements? Snatch up those CB charts, learn some stuff by ear, compose your own! Can any of the members of your BQ improvise? It wouldn't be too difficult for you to come up with a few funky bass lines, have two or three horns play chords/pads/hits/unison riffs/whatever while the soloist blows over a simple or static progression. 12 bar blues in Bb with a drum beat and funky bass line can go a long ways!

good luck, and most of all have fun.
MF

[imperialbari]

A few detours, but hopefully ending on point:

I like many of the samples of playing offered on Youtube, but found my, for it species, rather decent computer sound equipment having shortcomings. So I investigated the option of using my home theatre as a sound outlet for the Mac. Took exactly one cable. Cable bought the set-up with its rather efficient bass-booster needed a test drive.

Found a series of videos, which I presented on Norsk Tubaforum. The important parts of my text are reflected here in this very posting.

The 3 players have a sound, which never will be my ideal, but they are true musicians to my ears. They can shake it as well as move it without making the arrangements too complicated. It takes no registration to follow this link, where the videos are embedded a bit down the page:

http://www.tubaforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=563

Something like this must be possible for BQ also.

The advice on staying within your standard repertoire is not bad at all, as that is what reflects you most truly. You might consider that some of the renaissance repertoire was what made people wag their tails on the dance floor back then. Some of the Andrea Gabrieli stuff was made for San Marco in Venice, but if you put the fire into a performance, you will get the attention everywhere. And that fire is about intense rhythm much more than about sheer noise.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[Roger Lewis]

to be a little careful with what you do as copyright laws are becoming tighter and tighter each year.

My quintet has a number of tunes we have done:
Get It On - Chase
Pretty Fly - The Offspring
VIP - Youngblood Brass Band
Vehicle - Ides of March
Beat It - Michael Jackson
Aqua Lung - Jethro Tull

I have some Van Halen on the way as well as some Apocalyptica and Metallica in the works. This is definitely done best if you do it yourself. You know the level of the players you are arranging for. Sometimes you need to be able to accomodate the strengths and weaknesses of the skill sets that are available.

Peace.
Roger