Review

Lew Gillis
Ten More Duets:

Vancouver, BC, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 1986
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 2 trombones

Lew Gillis lived from 1927 to 1989. He worked in all aspects of the music business, as composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist. He had this to say about these duets: “These were written in self-defense because of the lack of literature for bass trombone. I think they are fun, pretty and challenging. They also fit well into the tuba range.” The style of the music varies from duet to duet, but within that variety they are pretty much as he describes them. Playable and entertaining, they are undoubtedly challenging. Tempos range from a fast moving march to simply “fast,” “moderately slow,” “slowly,” “rag-time” and so on.
 
These duets are not only for the players’ entertainment. Practicing them carefully and working out the “corners” and sometimes difficult places they present can give players a realistic experience of a lighter, more popular style of playing that can be useful in the world of actual musical performance.
 
Since much of what we play in jazz charts and similar music has been created prior to the advent of computer notation, even the sometimes difficult job of reading the hand manuscript in these duets can be useful training. These duets were originally published in 1986 and are here reissued by Cherry Classics Music. College level bass trombone or tuba students should be able to perform this music.

-Philip Brink
Mahidol University College of Music