Review

Sam Stept, Sidney Clare, and Bee Palmer
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone:

Arranged by David Kosmyna


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Publisher: BVD Press
Date of Publication: 2010

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone is an early swing oriented song dating from around 1930 and has been made popular by such diverse performers as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald to the Mills Brothers and Willie Nelson. Sam H. Step (1897-1964) composed the music, a pianist of Russian origin who became a successful Vaudeville performer, songwriter and bandleader. Sidney Clare provided the lyrics and dancer-singer Beatrice “Bee” Palmer, who was apparently the original performer of the work, was credited as “co-composer” in the song’s original publication. Arranger David Kosmyna is trumpet professor at Ohio Northern University. An active jazz performer, he clearly understands music of this idiom. His arrangement uses the traditional arrangement of two B-flat trumpets, F horn, trombone in bass clef and tuba. Score and parts are printed in jazz font on good quality paper. The arrangement is relatively short, but of appealing character. Working quintets will find it useful, enjoyable and easy to put together on short notice. 

-Wayne Groves
Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes