Review

Cole Porter
Studies on the Theme of Begin the Beguine:

Arranged by Jörg Richter

Bass trombone

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 1935 / 2021
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Etude book

Primary Genre: Jazz Material - etude

In 1959, Nelson Riddle released a record album, Sing A Song With Riddle (Capitol TAO 1259), that featured twelve sing/play-along tracks for singers and instrumentalists who were backed up by his famous band that included George Roberts on bass trombone. It is a prized album among collectors—unfortunately, the CD re-release (2006, EMI) does not include the printed music that was part of the original LP package—and it stands out as the finest exemplar of the play-along genre because the playing of Riddle’s band (George Roberts sounds terrific) and the quality of his arrangements are so inspiring. In the absence of a live accompanist, play-along recordings have helped generations of players refine their style, whether classical, jazz, blues, rock, or ballad. A bonus with many of these kinds of albums is the inclusion of demonstration performances by noted trombone players along with the accompaniment tracks. A role model is a good thing.

Music Minus One pioneered this instrumental karaoke with albums for trombonists—either with LP, CD, or downloadable mp3 accompaniment—that feature Jay Friedman, Per Brevig, Keith Brown (all with piano), Charlie Small (duets), and George Roberts (with big band), among many other albums of solo and chamber music. Jim Sindero’s Jazz Conception series for trombone and bass trombone (Advance Music) features a jazz trio (piano, bass, drums) with trombonists Conrad Herwig, Steve Davis, and Tim Newman (bass trombone), and Eliezer Aharoni’s The Non-Classic Bass Trombone (Noga Music)—also with piano, bass and drums—features bass trombonist Micha Davis. All of these resources help players hone their skills, and the books that are devoted to jazz and popular music include tunes and exercises in a variety of keys and styles.

Into this crowded market of excellent resources comes a new play-along book for bass trombone arranged by Jörg Richter, bass trombonist of the Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen (Germany), Studies on the Theme of Begin the Beguine. A single study based on Cole Porter’s tune is arranged in 11 major keys, accompanied by guitar, bass, and drums. Unlike the play-along resources mentioned above, this book does not include demonstration tracks by Richter which would have been welcome to help players understand the light Latin style. As unaccompanied etudes, they work well enough, although four eighth rests are all a player gets in a three-minute-long piece. Repetition is often a good idea, but 11 tracks of the same tune arranged in exactly the same manner—even with the provided chord changes that encourage improvisation—might leave some players longing for a little variety. Perhaps Richter will answer Oliver Twist’s plea, “Please sir, I want some more,” and issue a more expansive follow-up resource. The music is laid out nicely, two pages per study, and Cherry Classics uses a familiar jazz music font that simulates the hand work of a copyist.