Little Fugue for Big Band

Heres my rendition of Bach's Little Fugue in G Minor for Big Band.
I wrote it for a jazz group i played in about a week ago at Blue Lake Fine Arts camp in Muskegeon, Michigan (I think thats how you spell it). We performed it for the student body, it went off very well, and all is right with the world. The only issue is that we didnt get it recorded. Anyway, I just got back and i figured id post it up here to get other views on it. The piece starts off exactly as Bach wrote it and then goes into a more latin jive, then into swing for solos, then back to latin, then back to Bach style. Gosh too many style changes. Sorry everybody for the solo section, its just empty chords when you play it back on Finale or the MIDI. I really should write some written solos in there. Oh well. Im Lazy . Anyway, id really appreciate some comments and I hope you enjoy Little Fugue . Thanks for listening!

Nice job. I don't know if you wanted the beginning to be played exactly like Bach intended, but if I had arranged this, I would've had a "quasi ad libium" or something like that at the beginning. And you might've done that, I am not able to see the score. But I think that if the opening trumpet just took the beginning phrases a little looser, it could make it more ... I don't know, enchanting? Then he could straighten up just before the rest of the ensemble comes in and then the fugue-ness can unfurl and then into the jazz.

That's just the way I would do it.

I would also end with a jazz riff or something for the entire band/tutti, because I don't think it's right just ending with the Bach fanfare-ish type. Unless there was heavy drumset filling. I would just do a dominant kind of thing in the Bach-ian style and then a tutti two-measure lick.

That's just what I would do.

I love your intuition and your adventurous spirit for arranging this piece. Kudos.

A few points, and I know you've had a performance already, but these may help tighten it up a bit:

:: Thin out the intro. Four trumpets in unison will be too loud and tough to tune/blend. Pare it down to two trumpets (1 & 3), and keep it that way till measure 14. Same with the saxes when they come in: get rid of a couple, thin out the sound a bit.

:: The Bb Major chord in the little vamp there (m21 for example) sounds wrong to me. You're using G minor (dorian), where it might be hipper to use the natural or harmonic minor. I didn't try and change it, not sure what chord would work best, but the Major triad is a little jarring to me...sounds square.

Otherwise, it's pretty good. I love it where the trombones come in - gets a nice thick organ-type sound, very cool.

Keep it up!

Hey guys thanks for the advice
Rafn I'm totally digging a little rubato at the begining! And as for ending it with a jazzy riff, i dont know Ive never thought about that... I suppose I should give it a try.
And Robin Ive felt the same way about that Bb chord for a while now, but i really didnt have much sucess with other chords. Im gonna keep experimenting with that.
And that slimmming down the group....yeah...4 trumpets is too much Shouldve done that a while ago.
Thanks everybody, awesome tips!

I'm sure this sounds better live (esp. drums), and I can only listen to the midi right now, and I have to see for the most part, you pulled this one off. Kudos!
I know how you feel about writing in solos. It's a pain. If you have one, you could trry using a midi keyboard...
I agree with robin about the Bb major chord in there, it almost sounds like a rock tune....If it's in Gminor, you could try a D major chord....
Also, on the latin section, you might want to add congas. Not necessary, but I think it adds to the flavor. Especially with that neato bass riff at about 1:40. Then again, in my opinion, EVERYTHING needs percussion, lol....
Nice job, very original, keep it up!

~Kal

CONGAS!!

Woo, batch of crazy, sorry.
Anyway, I actually had written a conga part.....but for some reason i took it out. I think it was too much hassle for a group i had never met before. Funny story about that actually.
One of our Alto players was actually an oboe player that decided to switch to sax. However, that first day we met, there were no saxes out for him to use. So we rehearsed a rousing edition of Freddie Freeloader....with an oboe solo...
Whatever...Miles was into weird stuff wasnt he?
Well, regardless thanks for your comments and im off to find a better chord than Bb!