Duo for Bass Trombone and Piano!

It's finally here! I'm so excited to announce the final recording and sheet music for Duo for Bass Trombone and Piano!

I wrote this back in 2006, and recorded it during my senior recital at Hillsdale College. The room mics just never did it justice! I always knew the opportunity to record a new version would come, but I had to find the right performer to join me.

In 2018, I met Dr. Brian Hodges, a local Boise orchestral cellist and professor at Boise State University, and I thought this might be my chance to connect with a bass trombonist. He had suggested Dr. Sarah Paradis, and I'm so thankful it worked out to perform Duo with her!

I've always been inspired by progressive rock bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X and I was listening to them constantly while writing this piece, and in particular Symphony X's album "The Odyssey". Time signatures change often through all 3 movements of Duo, and to me they always felt right, never changing time or feel just for the sake of it. When I'm writing, I'm often surprised to realize I changed time signatures somewhere in the middle of a song without even knowing it!

This piece was also inspired by the brass and orchestral music of Eric Ewazen, and I wanted Duo to really explore the whole bass trombone range - and it does! It includes the lowest notes in its range at full volume, longer melodic, flowing passages, and everything in between.

I wrote Duo as a true duet, not just a solo piece with an accompaniment. I wanted the bass trombone and piano to have a unique part to play, each taking the shining melody at different points: melodies and countermelodies that connect together. I love how both the bass trombone and piano parts truly compliment each other.

Thank you: Sarah Paradis for such a lovely bass trombone performance, Mitchell Maldonado for recording and mixing, Rase Littlefield for taking the lovely photo for the album cover, Stephanie Cochrane for designing the final graphic, and Cate Bryan for being my ever faithful coach helping me practice and prepare and push this release over the finish line!

Head over to the shop to see the sheet music for Duo for Bass Trombone and Piano, and thanks for checking out the album and sharing it with a friend 😀