Jazz Scores and Analysis Vol. 2: Strings and Other Things Is now available in paperback or digital eBook formats from Sher Music or Amazon Includes analysis of full scores by Eddie Sauter, Oliver Nelson, Pat Williams, Claus Ogerman, Jeff Beal, Chris Potter, Vince Mendoza, Chuck Owen, Miho Hazama, and Tim Garland. Interviews with the living […]
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Active Measures
April 18, 2020 – 9:54 am
Active Measures is a classic straight ahead swing chart with bebop overtones. Cup mutes are featured throughout the brass and instantly place the listener “back in the day.” Solo space is provided for piano, trumpet, and tenor sax, and a surprise coda appears just before the ending. Trumpet range is to written high D. Trombone […]
Double Agent
February 17, 2019 – 10:29 pm
Grade 3 A high energy thriller working both sides of the street. Streetwise by day and suave and sophisticated by night. This chart covers all the bases from the opening rock guitar riff to the sax soli quote of Miles Davis” solo on “So What” and back again. A great showcase for the entire band. […]
Step On A Crack
February 17, 2019 – 10:26 pm
Grade 4 Rock style Rick Lawn brings us a funky take on a stretched out blues form with a slippery melody and sophisticated harmonies. All goes according to plan through the melody and alto sax solo. A challenging unison brass soli follows and leads us into a unique musical environment where soloists (one, a few, […]
Lu’s Blues
February 17, 2019 – 10:01 pm
This straight ahead blues chart was written for Springfield High School (PA) Jazz Ensemble and in dedication to its long-time award winning director Luca Del Negro. Several quotes refer backto important pieces performed by this band while the composer was a member. Solos are for trumpet, tenor sax and piano and sections could be opened […]
Jazz Scores and Analysis
September 4, 2018 – 4:33 pm
NEW! Jazz Scores and Analysis, Vol.1 I am really impressed with the detail, and how Rick has managed to get so many of the important aspects of the construction of my music.” — Vince Mendoza What a comprehensive review of this piece! Thanks for all the work you’ve put into this!” — Jim […]
A Little Minor Setback
November 7, 2014 – 2:45 pm
New From Kendor Music!! This is a swinger in the Blue Note tradition and is based on an evolving minor blues progression. Just as the groove progresses from 2-beat swing to straight ahead 4, so does the harmonic progression which begins as a 16 bar extended minor blues. The chart builds to a solo send off […]
The Orchestrators Toolkit
October 17, 2014 – 8:41 pm
Developed by Rick Lawn and Steve Tjernagel, the Orchestrators ToolKit is a helpful computer resource for Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems. The ToolKit provides large menu of instrument sounds recorded over their full range. All of the sounds in the ToolKit library were professionally recorded and are real instruments not synthesized replicas. The TookKit […]
The Yellow Rose (of Texas)
October 14, 2013 – 8:05 pm
Who would have thought that there was still life in an old chestnut like The Yellow Rose of Texas? Well there is in this captivating funky, hip-hop version by Rick Lawn that turns into a double time straight ahead style for solos and further development. The solo section features alto sax and any other instrument […]
The Eyes of Texas
October 14, 2013 – 6:56 pm
The Eyes of Texas, aka I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad, is an old chestnut that’s been dressed up in new clothes by arranger Rick Lawn. The style moves from a fast bossa or samba feel to swing and solos chord changes are provided for tenor sax, piano and guitar which is optional. Lead trumpet […]