Description
From the “Howard Johnson Tuba Jazz Series edited by Velvet Brown”:
“The origin of You Make Me Feel like a Natural Woman is from the slave’s lexicon where natural means authentic.”
Carole King wrote this piece in 1967 for Aretha Franklin, the famed rhythm and blues gospel singer. Subsequently, “Natural Woman” was recorded that same year for Atlantic Records. Carole King did not perform this piece on her own until the 1970s. The song for King meant that she was not thinking about being famous, but that music was her normal and authentic life and that is what determined her to feel like a “Natural Woman”.
Howard Johnson’s jazz tuba ensemble is envisioned as a tuba choir- with tubas in F, E flat, CC, and BB flat- that encourages tuba players to learn to play in the upper register. His charts were originally written for his tuba jazz ensemble, Gravity, formed in 1968 with Howard Johnson as solo lead tuba. The charts can in fact be performed with euphoniums; but he formed his group, made his arrangements and developed this specific instrumentation 50 years ago as a statement about tubas and prefers to hear his arrangements played in this configuration, encouraging tuba players to develop the range required. His most important advice is that whatever instrumentation is used, make it fun and find the best jazz rhythm section!
Score and parts included: solo tuba, tuba 1-5, piano, bass, drum set
