Copyright © 2013
LaFi
All rights reserved
Designed by Efrain Amaya
E-mail: lafi@lafipublishers.com
LaFi Publishers, Ltd.
Latin American Frontiers International Publishers, Ltd.
Search this site!
Fuzz was commissioned by Dr. Debra Tanner Abell to honor the memory of her father, James Tanner. Mr. Tanner was a talented jazz musician from Philadelphia. He was a vivacious trumpet player, whose nickname “Fuzz” came from his characteristic sound while playing the trumpet, a fuzzy sound.
One of the major chapters of his life occurred as a black American GI stationed in post war Germany in the early 1950s, where he played jazz for four years with the US military band. For a black jazz musician in that time period, Europe represented a land of creative opportunities and a newfound freedom, away from the overwhelming prejudices experienced in the US. He remembered those years as the best years of his life. It is then and there where he met his love and future wife, Irmgard Achatz, a German girl excited to embrace a new country and a new life. They moved to the United States where they settled and had two children, one of them is Debra. She has kept his memory alive, as well as the memory of a childhood defined by challenges, transcultural experiences and the remnants of a war that didn't want to be forgotten. Throughout the difficulties, Fuzz remained a model of enthusiasm and happiness. Unfortunately, the loss of his life was accompanied by the loss of all his arranged works and compositions. Debra's wish is to keep her father's voice alive through this commission.
Fuzz was written for solo trumpet and strings. It has four sections: A-B-C-A'. Section A presents an introspective and slow atmosphere, where the trumpet is a little suffocated, not very clear, similar to a voice that emerges from the past. It continues with section B, showing jazz elements that interact with the strings, creating a more defined and actual presence. Section C is based on Salsa rhythms and a festive mood, merging a celebration of his life and his love of music. Finally, the last section takes us again to a nostalgic and interior moment, to that space in memory where loved ones, long gone, remain a little fuzzy but intensely present.
Susana AmundaraínThere is also an oboe and string orchestra version (oboe & piano).
Instrumentation: Trumpet and string orchestra (trumpet & piano).
Duration: ca. 7:30
Fuzz - 2008 (trumpet solo & strings) 7:30 (one movement) Parts Music Rental onlyFull score $30.00 Fuzz - 2008 (trumpet solo & piano) 7:15 (one movement) Score & Part $30.00
Fuzz - 2012 (oboe solo & strings) 7:30 (one movement) Parts Music Rental onlyFull score $30.00 only
Fuzz - 2012 (oboe solo & piano) 7:30 (one movement) Score & Part $30.00