Review

Gary Powell Nash
Hot Buttered Omelette :

Nashville, TN, United States
Publisher: Gary Powell Nash
Date of Publication: 2010

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 8 trombones

Gary Powell Nash's unique spin on breakfast, Hot Buttered Omelette, is a rhythm and blues inspired romp for eight trombones. Bass clef is used exclusively and range demands extend from AA-flat to b1. As one might expect, the work utilizes jazz and blues harmonies. It also uses sixteenth-note subdivisions and rhythms typically found in funk music. For its rhythmic intricacies presented to flow smoothly and with precision, all players must therefore be comfortable with the groove and feel in this style without the support of bass and drums. Furthermore, since the bass trombones play parts normally performed on electric bass guitar, a familiarity with funk bass lines, note lengths, and proper accents, is necessary for these players to convey the correct style.
 
The work is loosely divided into two sections plus a brief conclusion, which are set off by bell-tone accentuated pyramids. The choir is divided into three sections for much of the piece; parts 1-3 being a unit, parts 4-6 a second unit, and the two bass trombones sharing the duties of the bass line in alternation. The two tenor units trade riffs in the first section of the work while the basses lay down a funky groove. The second section draws upon the call and response format of early blues where the middle voices play a repetitive, bluesy riff with the other parts chiming in as soloists or in teams.  The bluesy section of this Hot Buttered Omelette is delightfully full of southern charm. It continues to cook for quite a while until its steam rises and the conclusion breaks through to a rousing, funky finish.

-Bruce Tychinski
University of Delaware