Review

Jon Jeffrey Grier
Hefty Trifles:
Four tenors (2 in alto clef), one bass

Greenville, AR, United States
Publisher: Jon Jeffrey Grier
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.newertunes.com

Primary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 5 trombones

This four movement piece is unrelenting in its mechanical sounding rhythmic structures and its static harmonic progressions. Nearly every second of each of the movements is filled in, as if composer John Jeffrey Grier could not dare to let the music have a moment to reflect on what has passed, or to contemplate future options. The listening experience is akin to that of trying to board a moving vehicle, one that provides little insight into the music’s point of departure or ultimate destination. Stripped of much of its spatial context, the medium, in the form of incessant rhythmic pulses, becomes the message. It remains for the listener to decide whether or not they can accept the experience as exhaustive confinement or as a jumping off point for free association.

The whimsical labeling of each movement (Indecorous, Languorous, Capricious, Klezmorous) appears to be reflective of the idiosyncratic rhythmic interplay within each movement. Languorous comes the closest to achieving a definitive musical line. It wanders through several tonal centers before finally landing, somewhat improbably, in a major tonality. The music sounds like a prelude to a more established product which, unfortunately, never materializes. This is true for most of the work.

Melodic material is at a premium and motivic development is largely absent. Admittedly, this piece is very hard to put together, as each part maintains its independence throughout. Many glisses are included, some of which start in awkward slide positions. The parts for Trombones l and 2 are written in alto clef. This piece might be well suited for performers who are looking to expand their rhythmic expertise.