A Little Jazz Suite

A Little Jazz Suite was composed in February 2023 and is aimed at young bassists of all ages, from eight to eighty. Written in First Position and playable pizzicato or arco, each piece includes a small number of keys, notes and rhythms, and there are no dynamic markings allowing each bassist to create their own unique interpretation. Some pieces are lively and upbeat, others more reflective, and they can be performed as a suite or individually. “Young bassists enjoy playing ‘jazz’ and these new pieces use a limited number of notes and rhythmic patterns, with repetition added to develop technical skills, and I hope they will be useful for teachers and students alike. I really enjoyed writing each piece, trying to think what a young bassist is able to play, and hope that I have got it right. There are many performance and study possibilities with these pieces. They can be played as a solo or with the addition of percussion (drum or bass), also as a duet with the music shared equally between the bassists and bass percussion added between the solo sections. Bassists are nothing if not inventive, and I am certain they can come up with many ideas and initiatives. Arnold Schoenberg once said that “there is still plenty of good music to be written in C major” and I think 1st position is the same. Young bassists need plenty of new repertoire, in a wealth of different styles and idioms, and I hope ‘A Little Jazz Suite’ adds to the mix.” [David Heyes]