Review

James Michael Bicigo
Chalk Line:
trombone and piano (versions for bass or tenor trombone)

Massapequa, NY, United States
Publisher: Wiltshire Music Company and Cor Publishing
Date of Publication: 2006
URL: http://www.wiltshiremusic.com

Piano score and solo part

Primary Genre: Solo Tenor Trombone - with piano

James Bicigo holds the DMA degree from Michigan State University, the Master of Music degree from Western Michigan University and the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and is an internationally active soloist and clinician, having appeared professionally in recital at major universities in Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. He has been responsible for the commissioning, performing and recording of several new works for trombone, tuba and other brass instruments and ensembles by women composers.
 
Currently, Dr. Bicigo is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks where he teaches low brass, directs the Jazz Band and the UAF Jazz Festival.  Also a widely performed composer, his other published works for trombone include:                                                            Boy on Rocks with Stick for solo tenor trombone         	                                                      Check for solo bass trombone                                                       
Conflagration for trombone and piano
D-n-A Analysis – for trombone and piano
 
The composer writes: Chalk Line is one of two pieces for trombone and piano titled Crime Suite (The second is D-n-A Analysis). The idea came from a tape outline of a trombonist that my students put on stage as a joke. My brother is a forensic scientist for the Michigan State Police, and I am a great fan of mystery books. It seemed natural to compose a piece and entitle it Chalk Line. It was composed for bass trombonist Jonathan Warburton and I later did a version for tenor trombone. I performed the tenor trombone version at ITF 2013 in Columbus Georgia. 
 
Two musical moods are juxtaposed: one slow and ominous, marked foreboding, the second lively and persistent. These are interspersed with two brief solo cadenzas. A coda recaps an abbreviated version of both elements. The harmonic language and melodic material are tonal but highly chromatic. Rhythmically it is straightforward. The two musical moods offer an excellent contrast in style. Technically the trombone part, both tenor and bass versions, is playable by an undergraduate level player with good musical intuition.

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico