Review

Claude Francois, Gilles Thibault, Paul Anka, and Jacques Revaux
My Way: arranged for Trombone Quintet and optional rhythm section

Arranged by Robert Coil

5-part trombone ensemble: 4 tenor, 1 bass trombone, optional piano, bass, drums

Cincinnati, OH, United States
Publisher: Polished Brass
Date of Publication: 1967 / 2021
URL: http://www.polished-brass.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

Composed by Jacques Revaux in 1967 with lyrics by Claude François, Comme d’habitude was adapted with new lyrics by Paul Anka and made famous by Frank Sinatra as the song My Way. While many English speakers may think of the song My Way as an anthem to living life on one’s own terms, Comme d’habitude was originally a song about the routine of falling out of love in romantic relationships. Robert Coil’s setting for trombone quintet and rhythm section captures the melancholy yet empowered mood of this famous melody.

While the score indicates that the rhythm section parts are optional, aside from the melodic figures the trombone parts in this arrangement mostly sustain sound. The drum set part seems quite important to prevent a rhythmically stagnant performance. Otherwise this arrangement is everything one might expect. The full song form is presented once with the melody trading off between various trombone parts; then the final refrain modulates up a whole step.

All parts are written in bass clef. The highest part never plays above b¹, and the lowest never plays below AA. While not the most innovative arrangement, Coil’s transcription of My Way should prove to be widely accessible to most intermediate level trombone quintets looking for a lighter piece to include on their programs.