Solos are in fluegel 2 and tenor 2. I have had accordion play the first solo.
5 reeds, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 bass trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drums and optional percussion. The flute passage in reeds 3, 4, 5 are very minimal... you could leave it out if you had to. We included an accordion part in case you find yourself doing other pieces of mine with accordion.
The opening track on Allégresse, "Hang Gliding" features flügel 2 and tenor (reed 4). Greg Gisbert and Rich Margitza are heard on the record.
"Hang Gliding" conveys the feeling of hang gliding over Rio de Janeiro, which I had the thrill and pleasure of doing back when I was younger and more foolish. Thankfully, I lived to write this piece.
We added some percussion to the version that's on Allégresse, but now we simply play it with drums. This is challenging music, and you'll want to be sure your tenor and flügel soloists are somewhat mature. Your drummer needs to become so familiar with the part, that he/she can really open up and be creative. There's also a lot of intricate writing in the piano and guitar parts, so you must have players who can read well or are willing to step up to the challenge. All that being said, I've heard many groups do absolutely wonderful performances of this piece, even an occasional ambitious high school!
I also included a streamed version from the Monterey Jazz Festival to help your players imagine other approaches to playing this music. I hope the videos with my musicians, as well as my video about rehearsing this piece, will be of great assistance.
REED DETAILS:
See full selection of Scores & Parts, categorized by difficulty, doubles, and solos.