Recorder Jazz Festival

Recorder Jazz Festival

By M.C. Handel

Book and online audio tracks

Handbook and downloadable audio tracks with reproducible student parts.

Contents:

• M.C.'s Boogie - CAGE recorder feature that hails back to the old traditional "boogie woogie" first made popular by big bands in the '30s and '40s. The chord structure has been updated for this foot-tapping tune. Good for beginning recorder players and could be used on keyboards or Orff instruments.
• Rain Forest Daydream - With a lush intro of strings, synthesizers and percussion, this tune is a laid-back piece of Latin jazz. The recorder part is pentatonic (D,E,G,A,B). Use all or parts of the tune to practice simple improvisation.
• CAGE Full O' Blues - Down-tempo blues tune that works for beginning recorder players. Can also be used as an introduction to jazz performance at its simplest level.
• Scoot! - This song is a tribute to the great Count Basie Orchestra. Inspired by Neal Hefti's "Cute" from the late '50s/early '60s, this tune has a totally different melody and simpler rhythms.
• Firefly - Using the 5 notes G,A,B,C and D, this piece is in a medium, laid-back Latin jazz style with some syncopation. The recorder plays nothing faster than quarter notes. Plenty of repetition keeps it easy to learn, but there are a few special twists and turns to make it a feature for performances. Students can add shaker or maraca accompaniment.
• Lucky Sneakers - Reminiscent of Henry Mancini and his tight, jazzy chords, this tune has a different melody - one that is playable by young players. The steady driving pace makes it a lot of fun to play along with.