Description
Three Sheets to the Wind for two tubas and drums was commissioned by Portuguese Tuba Virtuoso Sergio Carolino. It is in three short movements each having a “groove” rhythmic basis provided by the drummer. Like much of my music, I like odd meters or the feeling of odd meters. I find them fun to play and to hear. Movement one Three Left Feet, with a tempo marking of Disturbed Rock, has alternating measures of 4/4 and 7/8 giving the feeling of stumbling. Tripin’ is a laid-back New Orleans style bluesy bass line with solo tuba lines over a slow march drum beat. Tuba 1 has an optional improvised jazz solo. Three Fall is a fast and furious movement with many range and technical demands. The four scale notes in the crotales were inspired by the sound my computer makes when sending email.
(The drum parts throughout do not have to be played literally—a good drummer will create a good “feel” with each movement)
Jim Self is a Los Angeles free-lance musician, a veteran of thousands of motion pictures, television shows and records, and tuba soloist on many prominent movies. He is Principal Tubist with the Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera and Opera Pacific orchestras. His compositions and arrangements include works for solo tuba, brass quintet, and other brass and woodwind chamber music.
More about Jim and his recordings can be found here:
Basset Hound Music – http://www.bassethoundmusic.com
