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Publishers and composers areinvited to submit materials toPercussive Notes to be consideredfor review. Selection of reviewers isthe sole responsibility of the ReviewEditor of Percussive Notes.Comments about the works do notnecessarily reflect the opinions ofthe Percussive Arts Society. Sendtwo copies of each submission to:James LambertPercussive Arts Society701 NW Ferris AvenueLawton OK 73507-5442 USA.Note: Please provide current ad-dress or e-mail, contact informationand price with each item to be re-viewed. Whenever possible,please include a performance orrehearsal tape of ensemble mu-sic. Also, if possible, include atranslation if text and CD linernotes are not in English.

SELECTEDREVIEWS

New Percussion Literature and Recordings

Difficulty Rating ScaleI–II Elementary

III–IV Intermediate

V–VI Advanced

VI+ Difficult

REFERENCE TEXTS

The Art of Expressive PlayingJerry and Henry Nowak$9.95 (teacher’s manual $24.95)Carl FischerThis three-volume series is dedi-cated to the art of playing wind mu-sic for individuals, small ensemblesand large groups. It is divided intoa book for brass and percussion, abook for woodwinds and mallets,and a teacher’s manual, which in-cludes all of the material, plus a CDwith 88 musical examples.

The premise of this series is toprovide a musical approach tometer, articulation, dynamics, time,melodic phrasing, and ensemblebalance, to name a few. Most of thematerial is applicable to brass andwoodwind instruments. The refer-ences to percussion pertain only tosnare drum and bass drum. There

is no mallet part designated in themusic, but mallet instrumentscould be used for any of the windinstruments in C. Percussionistswould benefit from listening to theideas presented to the brass andwoodwinds, and then applying theideas to their parts.

—John H. Beck

KEYBOARD PERCUSSIONSOLO LITERATURE

The Traveller IVBenjamin Witteber$17.99BewimusicThis four-mallet marimba solo iswritten for a five-octave instru-

ment. The composer takes usthrough a journey of idioms that de-scribe the styles of different cul-tures. The opening theme is induple meter and consists of a seriesof arpeggios and mallet rotations.The initial theme is followed bysimilar patterns, but now in a morefrantic manner, with the right andleft hand echoed by playing all six-teenth notes. The middle sectioncontains rhythmic figures and pat-terns that are found in many Latin-jazz recordings.

The work closes with a coda in6/16 meter, ending on an a-minorchord. The solo is predictablethrough the use of motives that arerepeated with slight pitch or har-monic variations. This is an excel-lent solo and is within the level ofan advanced high school or youngcollege student.

—George Frock

Lost Luggage VEdward Knight$19.95Subito MusicThis five-movement unaccompaniedsuite for the advanced four-malletmarimbist is programmatic in na-ture. The movements are subtitled:I. Baggage Carousel; II. AirportBar; III. Courtesy Phone; IV. Look-alike Bag; V. Meanwhile…Acrossthe Globe. The “pseudo” traveler(marimbist) is capturing the adven-ture of modern-day airline travel inwhich his luggage is lost. The musi-cal content of each movement is dif-ferent and reflects the mood of thetraveler.

The first movement is tonal. Theentire range of a five-octave ma-rimba is utilized in practically eachmovement. The second movementhas numerous meter shifts from 6/8to 5/8 to 7/8 and is almost a per-petual motion in its rhythmic com-plexity. The third movement createsmore of a chorale-like character.The fourth movement has aMixolydian modal center of G for itsfinal cadence. The fifth movementnot only requires the marimbist toperform on marimba but also per-form simultaneously on a small

multiple-percussion setup of tam-bourine, finger cymbals (mounted),and bass drum and tambourinewith kick pedals. Overall, this 15-minute suite will challenge the ad-vanced college marimbist with itscompositional demands.

—Jim Lambert

Two Fountains VKevin Bobo$12.00PercMaster PublicationsThose familiar with Kevin Bobo’s“Marriage of the Lamb” will dis-cover similarities between it and“Two Fountains,” particularly in itsencouragement of an imaginativeinterpretation in which dynamicchanges and freedom granted to theperformer by the use of temporubato play significant roles. (Thescore uses the direction rubatomolto espressivo no fewer than fivetimes.)

In both movements of “TwoFountains” a continuous stream ofsixteenth notes is found somewherein the musical fabric. In the firstmovement, which is scored in fourparts, the alto contains the unbro-ken sixteenths, with sustainednotes relegated to the tenor andbass lines, typically set as one-handed rolls for the left hand.Steady sixteenth-note movementcontributes to a calming, contem-plative mood. Although relying onrepetitious patterns, a colorful har-monic vocabulary that even em-

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braces several brief bitonal pas-sages makes the movement musi-cally satisfying.

The second movement is cast asa single melodic line, with left andright hands dovetailing to play anuninterrupted stream of sixteenthnotes grouped as quintuplets andquadruplets that contribute to awave-like motion. The movementrequires a facile four-mallet tech-nique that can readily accommo-date any combination of mallets,even at a rapid tempo, and the ma-turity to use this technique inachieving a musical performance.

Those who meet these require-ments will find this piece a reward-ing addition to their solo malletrepertoire.

—John R. Raush

SNARE DRUM LITERATURE

The Art of Playing Snare Drum IV–VRonald Ent$25.00Ronald Ent PublicationsThis is a collection of 12 snaredrum solos written in a variety ofstyles. The solos are a fresh mix oforchestral, rudimental and groove-oriented drumming. Many of thesolos include crafty references to orreproductions of various orchestralsnare drum excerpts. Some of theseinclude “Pico Bello” (Pique DameOverture), “A Delicate Tale fromScheherazade” (Scheherazade), and“Concertino” (Bartok’s Concerto forOrchestra). The inclusion of theseexcerpts make Ent’s solos also valu-able for practicing orchestral reper-toire.

Other solos, such as “Balls” and“Bonham,” are pure drumming, em-

phasizing chops and groove. Most ofthe solos in this book require ma-ture hands, as they are permeatedwith quick and extreme dynamicchanges. This book will be enjoyedby students who will find manychallenges as well as educators whocan use these solos on many levels.

—Scott Herring

MULTIPLE PERCUSSION

Plumage et le Carillon Desinvolte IIChristian Couprie$14.20Alphonse LeducHere is an easy, two-movementpiece for multiple percussion thatcan be performed as a solo accom-panied by piano or as a trio withthe piano part divided between vi-braphone and bass. The bass partgoes below the range of a five-oc-tave marimba, but the lower notescould be played up an octave. Thepart could also be played on anelectric bass. The multiple percus-sion part requires a bass drum,three tom-toms, snare drum, sus-pended cymbals and hi-hat. Differ-ent notation is used to indicatevarious techniques to be used onthe snare drum (rimshot, cross-stick, etc.), cymbals (ride, dome,crash, splash) and hi-hat(stick or foot).

The multiple percussion part forthe first movement, “Plumage,” isessentially a drumset part writtenin a rock style. It has a consistentride pattern with occasional fills.The second movement, “CarillonDesinvolte,” is much more sparse,with the multiple percussion partconsisting mostly of cymbal andtom-tom sounds. There are somedots and circles written over thetom parts that are not explained inthe key, but may simply mean stac-cato notes and ringing notes. Thisshort work would make a good in-troduction to multiple percussionfor a younger player.

—Tom Morgan

DRUMSET

Xtreme Drums I–IIMark Walker$11.95SMT Publications“Xtreme Drums” takes a fun, car-

toon-like approach to teaching in-troductory rock drumming. In addi-tion to the basic eighth-notepatterns and sixteenth-note fill pat-terns, Mark Walker includes tenone-page “style summaries” from alist of drummers that most youngdrummers would recognize (e.g.,Travis Barker from Blink-182). Thisbook is best suited for the youngerdrummer who finds traditionaldrum books “not exciting enough”and wants a more fun-filled educa-tional experience.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Groove Perspectives III–IVDarryn Farrugia$35.57MusictekSubtitled “Time playing conceptsfor the funk/fusion drummer,”Groove Perspectives is a drumsettechnique book that has a little bitof everything—paradiddle exer-cises, component groove exercises(a la the New Breed book), accentexercises, rimshot exercises, linearhand/foot patterns (some withthirty-second-note doubles) and in-dependence exercises that empha-size the dynamic independence ofeach voice. The “theme and varia-tion” exercises take linear patternsand shift accents, add and subtractnotes, and reorchestrate strokes(onto other sound sources) to createan infinite variety of new groovesfrom a single pattern. This bookwould benefit players looking to ex-pand their timekeeping patternsand who want to technically “cleanup” their style.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Portraits for Drum Set IV–VA.Cirone/J.Redlawsk$14.95Warner Bros. Publications

Jeff Redlawsk has adapted/scoredAnthony Cirone’s snare drum etudebook Portraits in Rhythm fordrumset and created some newworks that are challenging and mu-sically diverse. The premise of thebook is to take the rhythms fromthe original book and adapt them toa musically suitable style fordrumset. The 12 etudes selectedhave been adapted to include NewOrleans second-line drumming(complete with clave bass drum/hi-hat ostinato), a jazz waltz, shuffle,uptempo swing, songo, guaguanco,samba/rock, toms/bass drum soloand a mixed meter workout.

Some etudes have additionalmeasures or adaptations to makethem musically viable. It is recom-mended that the reader learn theoriginal snare drum etudes prior toattempting this book, and the ac-companying CD (performed byRedlawsk) should be helpful. Theperformance notes on each pieceare very helpful. The book is scoredfor a drumset with four mountedtoms, two bass drums, woodblocks,cowbell, splash cymbals and crashcymbals.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Marco Minnemann Drum Trax IV–VR. Gratton/M. Minnemann$24.95Warner Bros. PublicationsMarco Minnemann burst on thedrumming scene in 2001 with hisbook Extreme Independence and fol-lowed that up with an instructionalDVD in 2003. This CD/book pack-age takes the educational aspectone step further by featuring tran-scriptions and performance notes

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for seven of Minnemann’s recordedworks (some of which may be seenon his Extreme Independence DVD).The tunes are very challenging,both technically and musically, andinclude the use of mixed meters(e.g., 4/4 to 13/16), double bass pat-terns, and numerous foot pedals.The book is scored for a drumsetwith four toms, a foot snare, gongdrum, China cymbal, severalcrashes and a ride cymbal. Thereare many thirty-second note pas-sages as well as quintuplets andgroupings of nine. The play-alongcharts are very simple versions ofwhat Minnemann might use a ref-erence for each tune, so the inexpe-rienced player could play and enjoythe charts while working on thetechnical challenges thatMinnemann’s transcriptions offer.

—Terry O’Mahoney

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

The ABCs of BrazilianPercussion II–III

Ney Rosauro$24.95Propercussa/Carl FischerThis 33-page book/DVD packagecovers the basic instruments, tech-nical aspects and rhythmic patterns

found in Brazilian folk music. Ac-companying the photo of each in-strument are short technicalexercises and advice about somemisconceptions about Brazilian mu-sic. A section with complete percus-sion section scores for samba,samba reggae, baiao, frevo, andmaracatú concludes the book. Thebook is intended as a self-study inBrazilian percussion, and the inclu-sion of the DVD enables the viewer/reader to achieve the correct feeland phrasing for each rhythm andproper techniques for the instru-ments.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Guinée: Les Rhythmes du Mandeng,”vol. 1–3

Mamady KeitaFonti MusicaliOne of the premier performers andteachers of the jembe, MamadyKeita has added to his battery ofinstructional media with this three-volume instructional DVD collec-tion. The discs advance byproficiency level—beginning, inter-

mediate and advanced—coveringseven rhythms per disc. Eachrhythm is introduced by a brief de-scription of its geographic and eth-nic origins, and includestwo-minute demonstrations of twojembe and three dundun parts,played individually and together,and by a full ensemble withMamady on solo. Volumes 1 and 2also cover basic instrumental tech-nique.

Technically, the DVDs have ex-cellent sound quality and effectivecamera angles on the players’ handand body movements. Thesoundtrack felt a fraction behind attimes, which is slightly distractingif you’re trying to play along. He in-cluded a few obscure rhythms,while some of the more well-knownones are conspicuously absent,though many of those are on hisearlier instructional videos, booksand CDs. The original languagetrack is in French, overdubbed in asomewhat awkward English, aswell as Spanish, German and Japa-nese.

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The DVD format is ideal for in-structional media, allowing the stu-dent to navigate between andwithin rhythms, with instant re-peat. Mamady is clear and thor-ough, though students with priorinstruction may find some of hisrhythms different from versions

taught by other teachers. TheMande drumming repertoire ischaracterized by wide regionalvariation, contributing to the dy-namic quality of the tradition.Studying important musicians fromdifferent parts of the Mande regionwill help gain a deeper understand-

ing of the repertoire. This DVD setis valuable to students of any level,but as Mamady warns, “Nothingcan replace the hours spent playingwith a master, and the DVD is onlya nudge in the right direction.”

—Julie Strand andAboubacar Sanou

Pancho at MontreuxPancho SanchezConcord Picante“Pancho at Montreaux” is a DVD ofa live concert by Pancho Sanchez’sgroup at the Montreaux Jazz Festi-val. Although this is not an instruc-tional video, it does have some

1. Submit three hard copies of the fulltext, including bibliographic entries,musical examples, photographs, illus-trations, etc., to:

PAS On-Line Research Journal701 NW Ferris Avenue

Lawton, OK 73507-5442

2. Include a cover letter stating theauthor’s name, position, year ofmanuscript completion, year of latestrevision (if any), phone number, and abrief “author’s credits” bio. A photo isoptional.

3. If copyrighted musical examples, illus-trations, or photographs are includedas part of the manuscript, it is theauthor’s responsibility to secure per-mission for the use of such copy-righted material. A letter documentingpermission for use and on-line publica-tion of these materials must be in-cluded.

4. Articles will be reviewed quarterly bythe PAS Scholarly Research Commit-tee. It will take approximately sixweeks to review an article. You willthen be notified of the status.

If your manuscript is accepted for theJournal, you will be asked to send anelectronic copy of the manuscript, a briefsummary of the article for the JournalTable of Contents and a signed releaseform to the PAS office.

HOW TO SUBMITMANUSCRIPTS TO THE PAS

ON-LINE RESEARCH JOURNAL

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instructional value as you watchone of the great conguero legends atwork. This video is an eclectic mixof tunes from the traditional“Guaripumpe” to Cal Tjader’s “IShowed Them,” to James Brown’s“Out of Sight” and HerbieHancock’s “Watermelon Man.”Sanchez’s band cooks with a burnin’horn section, a tasteful percussion-ist, and of course Sanchez’s own col-orful conga playing. Sanchez isjoined on “I Showed Them” by vi-braphonist Dave Samuels whoplays an awesome solo.

This disc has quite a few extras,including short interludes betweeneach track. Most of these featuresare interviews with Pancho or othermembers of the band, which con-tain anecdotal stories about each ofthe songs on the disc. There is alsoan interview with Pancho as hetapes up his hands in preparationfor the performance. In this inter-view, he explains how he learnedhow to tape his hands from thegreat Mango Santamaria. Panchoat Montreaux has something for ev-eryone as it is part concert, part in-structional video, part historylesson and part documentary.

—Scott Herring

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES

The Buckets of Nantucket II–IIIMark D. Powers$25.00Mark D. PowersThe “buckets” in the title are fourplastic buckets and a rubber gar-bage can, which is used as a bassdrum. This three-minute piece for“found” instruments is an easy per-cussion work for the younger en-

semble that can negotiate tripletsand sixteenth-note passages in 3/4time. No improvisation is required.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Bucketheads IIJane Boxall$15.95HoneyRockAs the title implies, “Bucketheads”is a trio for three buckets. Alsoneeded are cowbell, cymbal andwoodblock. The tempo is quarternote = 120–200; therefore, the workwould vary in length from approxi-mately 2:00, at the slowest tempo,to approximately 1:00, at the fast-est tempo. Each player uses abucket upside-down on a snaredrum stand and plays on thebucket’s base with snare drumsticks. Occasionally the bucket isplayed on the side. Quarter notesand eighth notes are used through-out the work and run the gamutfrom unison playing to fugal play-ing to imitation.

“Bucketheads” is a clever compo-sition for young performers. Nomember of the trio needs advancedtechnique, nor does anyone play ina solo capacity. This is strictly a“bucket brigade.” It would be fun todo on a beginner’s recital, or at afast tempo on a regular recital asan encore.

—John H. Beck

Djammin’ II–IIIMark D. Powers$10.00Mark D. PowersThis two-minute djembe duet is aneasy, sixteenth-note based piecethat offers beginning hand drum-mers a structured work and four-bar improvisation opportunities.Players are required to read ascore, produce four distinct sounds,and understand basic djembe tech-nique (no instructions about tech-nique are provided).

—Terry O’Mahoney

Who Be You? IIMark D. Powers$15.00Mark D. Powers“Who Be You?” is an adaptation ofan African dance rhythm from theEwe people of Ghana. Scored fortwo cowbells, maracas, two congas,two toms and floor tom, this simple,one-minute percussion sextet couldserve as an introduction to Africandrum ensembles for younger play-

ers or as a drum circle piece. Itcould also be extended by introduc-ing improvisation or by omitting in-struments to create differenttextures.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Clappercussion IIIJane Boxall$17.95HoneyRockThis percussion quartet is based oninterlocking ostinati. The composerhas created melodic interest by em-ploying foot stomps, leg slaps,handclaps, finger clicks, and tap-ping two fingers with the palm ofthe hand. Rhythms employed arequarter notes, eighth notes andtheir rests. The composer allows awide range for tempo, stating thatthe suggested tempo is 140 to 200mm, ideally 200. The piece is notdifficult, but does contain synco-pated rhythms, and the interlock-ing patterns will be a challenge forinexperienced players. This shouldbe a fine piece for young ensembles,and should be a hit for audiences.

—George Frock

Quintessential IIIJane Boxall$15.95HoneyRockThis easy quintet is intended to bean introduction to 5/4 meter. Eachplayer performs on a single instru-ment. The instruments includeclaves, tambourine, guiro, bongosand a frame drum. The frame partrequires a player with a little moreexperience than the others, sincethree pitches are notated. The pitchchanges are produced by alteringfinger pressure on the head.

Written at a tempo of 120–180per quarter note, the parts are of-ten repetitive, with ostinati-typepatterns. The bongo part has morerhythmic variety than the otherparts. The piece is written in athree-part form, with the middlesection scored for handclaps andfingers in the hand. Even thoughthe piece is written for young stu-dents, performers with more experi-ence can benefit by working on thispiece as well.

—George Frock

Stick Insect IIIJane Boxall$15.95HoneyRock“For fun and for visual effects” are

the two primary reasons for per-forming this work for four percus-sionists who are to sit on a solidwooden floor and play on the floorwith snare drum sticks. The pieceshould be a lot of fun to performsince it involves a special type ofinteraction among the players.From the audience standpoint, itprovides entertaining visual ef-fects—especially when the playersstrike each other’s sticks, clicktheir sticks high in the air, and leanforward and to the sides.

The work opens with 31 mea-sures in an allegro 12/8 utilizingfairly simple rhythms. Followed bynine measures in 4/4 with the beatconstant, the work then concludeswith a final 18 measures back in12/8. While only single strokes areused (on the floor and againststicks), considerable dynamicchanges and accents give special in-terest to the piece.

The work, which comes with aclear score and directions as well asfour separate parts, is best suitedfor younger players looking for alighter work with audience appeal.By brightening the tempo, it mightalso be appropriate for more experi-enced groups.

—F. Michael Combs

Unsquare Dance IIIJane Boxall$15.95HoneyRockThis easy quartet for percussion iswritten in 6/8 meter. The scorespecifies four graduated pitcheddrums, with each player performingon a different accessory instrument(cowbell, temple block, ride cymbaland tambourine). The composergives no specific tempo, stating thatany tempo is acceptable, but thefaster the better. In addition to thetextures of the drums and accessoryinstruments, she also notates footstomps and stick clicks. There areno technical requirements otherthan single strokes and shifting ac-cents.

—George Frock

Mad Hatters IVJane Boxall$15.95HoneyRockIncluded in HoneyRock’s Easy En-semble Series for Percussion En-semble, “Mad Hatters” is a quartetin which each percussionist plays ahi-hat and a woodblock. The

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woodblocks must be graduated inpitch. Boxall’s four “hi-hatters” ex-ploit the capacity of their instru-ments to produce more than onesound by performing on both closedand open hi-hats. The use of stickclicks adds a visual as well as anaural component.

The opening bars, in which theentire ensemble plays unisoneighth notes, establish a rhythmicframework that permeates most ofthe piece as players embellish an

incessant eighth-note “groove” withsolo statements utilizing sixteenth-note patterns. (Rhythms usedshould all be familiar to high schoolpercussionists.) These rhythmicembellishments present obvious op-portunities for interactions betweenmembers of the quartet, such as an-tiphonal effects and the executionof patterns in which two, three, orall four players participate.

Credit Boxall with the creationof a piece featuring a very unusualinstrumentation that is sure to cap-ture the attention of a student en-semble. It is also quite effectivemusically, while remaining withinthe limitations imposed by theabilities of the young ensemble forwhich it is intended. Perhaps thecomposer would consider writing asequel for more advanced players,in which more of the unique soundpotential of the hi-hat would be ex-ploited with opportunities for im-provisation. It would also bedesirable to extend the length of apiece that, in its present form, isquite short.

—John R. Raush

Wired VLynn Glassock$34.95Meredith Music Publications“Wired,” was the winner of the 2004PAS Percussion Ensemble Composi-tion Competition and was pre-miered by the University ofKentucky Percussion Ensemble atPASIC 2004. “Wired” is a quartetusing marimba, vibraphone, tentom-toms and a variety of small in-struments.

The opening section is a dialoguebetween the keyboard instrumentsand non-pitched percussion instru-ments. Following a brief interludefeaturing conflicting subdivisions, asection of unison sixteenth notesbegins. All four players are on tom-toms and bongos with syncopated,but coordinated, accents. The nextsection features an ostinato in thelow tom, with short, accentedbursts presented in the high tomsand congas. This section is later ex-panded upon, with interlockingrhythms in all parts and accentspassed around the ensemble. Thework continues to develop the pre-vious ideas, culminating in an ex-tended section of syncopated,unison accented sixteenth notes,which bring the work to an excitingclose.

The rapidly changing metersand cross-rhythms make this achallenging work for the collegiatepercussion ensemble. The playersand audience will enjoy this fineaddition to the percussion ensemblerepertoire.

—Scott Herring

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Tigre Capiangos and the Sect of theBrujeria VI

Mark Saya$10.50

Three Morlocks or The Toys ofDesperation VI

Mark Saya$7.50Media PressThese two releases for percussiontrio reveal the composer’s interestsin folklore and literature, and froma musical standpoint, his prefer-ence for an exotic instrumentation.Both pieces were originally move-ments from his second suite of per-cussion trios.

The “tigre capiango” is “a leg-endary being encountered in themidland provinces of Argentina,”who is either a jaguar that can“transform itself into a man,” or aman “who can take the form of ajaguar.” The single-movement”Tigre Capiangos and the Sect ofthe Brujeria” was inspired by a de-scription found in Bruce Chatwin’sbook In Patagonia of “a malevolentbrotherhood of warlocks” with thepower to change themselves intoanimals.

Saya’s instrumentation willpique the interest of percussionistslooking for new modes of expres-sion. It includes a large tam-tam,large vibraslap, metal sheet, a mi-cro-xylophone and micro-metallophone (both homemade,with 17 microtonal bars played onthe floor from a kneeling position).Each player also uses two six-footbamboo stamping poles struck onthe conductor’s podium.

The piece is set in one single,non-stop movement, sectionalizedinto three parts, plus a coda. It cap-tures a primitive, ritualistic ambi-ence. (The composer suggestsperforming the piece in near dark-ness to enhance its “ominous ritualaspect.”) A basic eighth-note grooveis maintained throughout, in a“primitive, urgent” setting at atempo of a quarter note = 152. Thescore is characterized by changingmeters with denominators of “8” in-cluding 21/8, 29/8, 37/8, 45/8, 53/8,and the last measure, 61/8. A cli-mactic passage marked “violent,savage and raucous” is embellishedwith rapid sixteenth-note runs inthe micro-metallophone.

Saya’s “Three Morlocks or TheToys of Desperation” transports usto a future world described by H. G.

Wells, in which the Morlocks, a sub-terranean race, toil in darkness,working “intricate, malfunctioningmachines.” Once again, Saya drawsupon an imaginative instrumenta-tion used in a large setup, aka “themachine.” It features found objectssuch as tin cans, chains, glassbottles and an automobile jackmounted “in, on, and around ametal and wood framework,” playedwith an unusual assortment ofimplements such as chunks of rockand brick, brooms, hammers andcrowbars.

A performance of this piece re-quires three players with the ambi-tion and ingenuity to construct thelarge instrumental setup as well asthe inclination and ability to actand follow a number of stage direc-tions calling for a variety of emo-tional responses such as “lookingstartled and frustrated” and “kick-ing the machine in anger.” (Thecomposer suggests the possibility ofadding a fourth, fifth or even sixthplayer.)

These two ensembles are ex-amples of the sort of imaginativecomposition that contributed to theincrease in significance of percus-sion music during the latter half ofthe 20th century. Either wouldmake an excellent addition to thechamber music repertoire of an ad-vanced collegiate ensemble.

—John R. Raush

MIXED INSTRUMENTATION

Duo – 2004 VHenri Lazarof$16.95Merion Music/Theodore Presser“Duo – 2004” is written for a per-

cussionist and a harpist. Percussioninstruments used in this ca.12-minute duet are vibraphone, glock-enspiel, marimba, a maraca, claves,three woodblocks (small, medium,large), glass chimes, small, me-dium, and large triangles (the harp-ist plays the smallest), mountedcastanets and a tambourine.Lazarof takes full advantage of theopportunity to explore the interest-ing tonal parameters presented bythe instruments he has assembled,adding color to a harp part that iscolorful in its own right thanks to aharmonic vocabulary spiced withmild dissonances.

The first movement of this four-movement duo is scored for vibra-phone and harp and is highlightedby a repeated progression of fourchords stated in the first measureby the vibes, repeated in the harp,and then played by both instru-ments together to end the move-ment. The second movement,written for a maraca, marimba,claves, and woodblocks, featureswooden percussion sonorities exclu-sively. (The percussionist plays themaraca with the left hand and themarimba with the right.) In thethird movement, metal and glasstimbres provided by glass chimes,vibes, glockenspiel and trianglesare added to the sonority of theharp. One demanding requirementfor the percussionist in this move-ment is the simultaneous perfor-mance of glockenspiel and vibes.

In the fourth and longest move-ment, the percussionist playsmounted castanets, tambourine,marimba, and vibes, using the lat-ter to return to the four-malletchordal progression that begins thefirst movement. Lazarof has cre-ated a solidly crafted work in whichthe percussion instruments areused tastefully and effectively. Thepiece should stir the interest of col-legiate percussionists looking forchamber literature, especially thosein music schools with advancedharp students.

—John R. Raush

PERCUSSION RECORDINGS

biNg bang plays LesnikJeunesses Musicales Croatia Per-cussion EnsembleEquilibrium

This new recording, produced byIgor Lesnik, contains four of his lat-est compositions performed by agroup of select percussion studentsof Croatia. This Croatian ensemblewas the winner of the PAS 2004percussion ensemble competition,and Lesnik is President of theCroatian Chapter of PAS as well ashead of the percussion program atthe Music Academy in Zagreb.

Overall, the recording is of thehighest quality and almost all in-struments sound clear and true,with the exception of the timpani.

The first work is “Dwarfs,” alarge percussion ensemble work ina popular style based on the Sleep-ing Beauty fairy tale. Themes forthis four-movement work weretaken from a jazz group, and jazzchords are used throughout. The20-minute work features excellentsolo performances on vibes, ma-rimba and timpani, and the spokenparts in the final movement add in-teresting variety.

“Hommage A Ball” involves aprimary soprano part, sung withincredible technique, but also spo-ken at times. The interpretation isa representation of Hugo Ball’s lifethrough religion, love, death andchildhood.

“Concerto for Percussion andPercussion” is in three movements,each featuring a solo percussion in-strument and each solo part per-formed by Lesnik. The openingmovement features solo timpaniand, although well played, the toneis a bit boomy. The vibraphone soloin the second, adagio moderato,movement is very well-played, andthe final presto and cadenza-finale

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 89 APRIL 2005

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 90 APRIL 2005

features excellent solo performanceon drumset.

The final work, “ChamadeSuite,” is one of the more interest-ing pieces, utilizing four snaredrums, bass drum and cymbals.The three-movement sextet is basedon musical themes written as a se-ries of military drum signals com-missioned by the Croation Ministryof Defense. The first movement,“cease fire,” will remind the listenerof more traditional military drum-ming, but the second movement,“taps,” is in a swing style with lotsof brush sounds. The final move-ment, “morning call,” might moreclosely suggest “Connecticut Half-time,” but it is clearly an inventivevariation of traditional militarydrumming.

This recording, which featuresover 57 minutes of enjoyable per-cussion music, opens a door to newconcepts of percussion ensemble lit-erature as well as displays of excel-lent percussion playing.

—F. Michael Combs

Different PathsCarlos PasseggiDutch Music PartnersThis 14-track CD showcases thework of Argentinean percussionist/composer Carlos Passeggi. His com-posing/performing talents run thegamut from a tango-inspired suite(“Buenos Aires 2 Scenes”) to amixed-meter percussion ensemblework (“Different Paths”), African/Amazonian march (“Per-chacareando”), body percussionpiece (“Milonga Por 3 Guita”), andthree-part percussion suite for plas-tic, glass and metal “found” instru-ments (“The Recycle Beat”). Histune “Coming Back” is treated totwo versions—a melancholy vibra-phone ballad and a saxophone“smooth jazz” version. The record-ing is generally very good, with twoexceptions. The solo drumset andtape piece “Rooms and Shadows” issomewhat trite, and use of toy syn-thesizer gives “Argentine Song for aLittle Princess” an annoying qual-ity.

—Terry O’Mahoney

Iannis XenakisPsappha, Rebounds, OkhoLes Percussions chez XenakisZig Zag Territoires/Harmonia MundiUSA

This excellent CD recording ofthree works by Xenakis is per-

formed by percussionists PedroCarneiro, Mathew Rich andStephen John Gibson. The firstworks, “Psappha” and “Rebounds,”are for solo djembes, performed byCarneiro. “Psappha” uses a veryspecial notation but appeals to theperformer’s inventiveness. Thescore includes six groups of instru-ments including membranophonesand metal instruments. “Rebounds”consists of two separate pieces thatmay not be performed indepen-dently but the performer maychoose the order in which they areplayed. Utilizing two bongos, threetoms and two bass drums, the linernotes indicate that the work isfounded on a process of gradualdensification. “Rebounds B” utilizesfive membranophones and fivewoodblocks positioned at relativepitches.

“Okho” is built on complex com-binations of simple elements—a setof pre-defined sounds on the djembebased on the position of the hand onthe drumhead and three modes foreach of those positions. The resultis six sounds associated with dy-namics.

While the sound quality of thisCD is excellent, liner notes indi-cated that side B is a DVD video ofthe making of the CD. This re-viewer found only an error messagewhen trying to play the DVD side.

—F. Michael Combs

Mallet JazzTom CollierOrigin ArtsThis recording of excellent fidelityfeatures mallet-keyboardist TomCollier with Emil Richards (ma-rimba), Joe Porcaro (drums), DonCrusin and Mike Lang (piano), DanDean (bass) and John Bishop(drums). The CD includes nine new,original pieces for mallet jazz quar-tet—vibes, marimba, piano, bassand drums.

“Mallet Jazz,” the first cut, is anup-tempo tune allowing Collier to

show his most creative improvisa-tional skills. In “Eddie’s Pad,”Collier displays his excellent ma-rimba technique together with hissensitivity to lush musical lines. Itis nearly impossible to pick onetune as better than the other, but“Double Bars,” with its Mancini-like groove, stands out, and “MutsoFutso,” a major change in style,uses clarinetist William O. Smith toprovide a special listening treat.

While all nine pieces on this CDcaptivate the listener, the final cut,“Pink Skies Over Carnaby,” has gotto be the most impressive—a workfor only vibes and marimba featur-ing Collier at his best. From all thegreat musical control displayed onthis CD, it would seem as if Colliermust have an extra hand or two—and therefore deserves threethumbs up.

—F. Michael Combs

Marimba SculptureKatarzyna MyckaAudite

On this CD marimba virtuosoKatarzyna Mycka is joined byFranz Bach, who has performedwith her in many duo performancesand recordings, and by Eckhard M.Stromer, who performs on the onlytrio performance, “Sculpture 2” byRudiger Pawassar. Mycka and Bachperform as a duo on “3 Skizzen” byMattias Schmitt, “Nagoya Marim-bas” by Steve Reich and “Reflec-tions on Japanese Children’s SongsII” by Keiko Abe. Mycka performsalone on “Hurricane’s Eye” byLeander Kaiser, “Variations overEyelyn Glennie’s A Little Prayer”by Ney Rosauro, “Kazak Lullaby”by Keiko Abe and “Toccata” by AnnaIgnatowicz.

Each composition is a musicalexperience within itself. Each one ismusical, technically challenging,full of inspiration and quite listen-able. No harsh attacks, disso-

nances, or unusual sounds—onlyfull rich sounds filled with quality.Perhaps this is what the marimbawas intended to be! KatarzynaMycka knows her instrument andstays within its quality scope.

—John H. Beck

Musica per DueSole NeroEquilibrium

“Musica per Due” is performed bySole Nero, the piano and percussionduo of Jessica Johnson, piano, andAnthony Di Sanza, percussion. Theduo is engaged in an extensive com-missioning project resulting inmany new works composed forthem. This CD includes three ofthem: “Musica per Due” by JosephKoykbar, “Crunch” by JoelNaumann and a set of pieces byDave Hollinden, “Lead/Platinum.”Also included on the CD is “Coil” byEvan House.

Each composition is unique andprovides a palette of wide varietyfor the listener. “Coil” is an engag-ing work that spirals and growslike a life force. “Musica per Due”(“Music for Two”) is a two-move-ment work with a brief meditativeinterlude. “Crunch” is a term coinedby Jens Joneleit to describe a pieceof new music that has a dissonantedge or some bite to it. “Lead/Plati-num” has two contrasting ideas;“Lead” does not rely on rhythm andcounting as its primary devices,while “Platinum” is a burst of rest-less rhythmic energy.

Sole Nero is an excellent percus-sion duo and has produced a CD ofsuperb musicality and qualitysound. They provide listeners withthe full intent of the music.

—John H. Beck

The PassageAndy NarrellHeads Up InternationalAndy Narell’s new CD features the

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 91 APRIL 2005

sounds of the French steel orches-tra Calypsociation. The disc con-tains several of Narell’s new works,as well as orchestrations of some ofhis older tunes for the entire steelorchestra. The arrangements areoften complicated, but the intrica-cies never intrude on the overallgroove, and Calyposcation handleseach one effortlessly. As always,Narell’s melodies are catchy and hissolos are creative and memorable,especially on the title cut, “The Pas-sage.” On three tunes, the sound ofthe steel drums is complemented bythe horn sounds of Michael Brecker(tenor sax), Paquito D’Rivera (altosax) and Hugh Masekela(flugelhorn). The recording qualityis life-like and is also available on a5.1 surround sound Super AudioCD. The Passage is a must-have toanyone interested in steel band mu-sic.

—Scott Herring

Transmutations and MetamorphosesMichael UdowEquilibriumThis is a wonderful collection ofpercussion pieces from composersMark Ford, Roshanne Etezady, NeyRosauro and Dary John Mizelle.Performers include the Universityof Michigan Percussion Ensemblealong with soloists Douglas Walterand Jeffrey Moore.

The CD opens with Ford’s well-know “Stubernic,” a marimba trioperformed on one instrument bymembers of the University ofMichigan Percussion Ensemble.Written in 1987, “Stubernic’ has be-come a standard in the percussionliterature.

“Feast or Famine” is a study incontrasts between marimba, per-formed by soloist Tomoko Azuma,and ensemble. Composer Etezadytakes the listener through manymoods, often creating an orientalflavor with the use of Japanesebowl gongs and temple blocks. Moststriking is the relaxed pacing of the

music. It unfolds gracefully andnaturally, moving seamlessly fromone texture to the next.

The thematic material in “Con-certo for Marimba with PercussionOrchestra” is described by com-poser Levitan as consisting “ofshort diatonic or pentatonic mo-tives. As a cadential figure, allthree movements share a diatonicscalar figure that descends from thedominant to the tonic.” The resultis a very contemporary but tonal-sounding work that is a lovely foilfor the virtuoso solo marimba part.“Toccata and Divertimento for Vibesand Marimba” serves as an appeal-ing contrast with its melodic lyri-cism that characterizes all ofRosauro’s music. The themes areBrazilian with a strong reference tothe jazz style.

The CD concludes with DaryJohn Mizelle’s “Transmutations andMetamorphoses.” This is a more ab-stract work. Both movements “con-tain highly condensed materialsderived from the structure ofSPANDA, a complex of 198 compo-sitions with a coherent macrostruc-ture lasting over 13 days.

‘Transmutations and Metamor-phoses’ is the first time zone in‘Symphonies of Sound,’ the first dayof SPANDA.”

Throughout the CD, the Michi-gan Ensemble exhibits flawlessplaying. This CD is an importantdocumentation of the best in per-cussion ensemble literature.

—Tom Morgan

The Well-Tempered MarimbaFilippo LatTanzi, marimbaDaD Records

Marimba/BachJean Geoffroy, marimbaSkarbo ProductionI have been disappointed with per-formances of Bach on marimba inthe past, but since hearing the lat-est extraordinary offerings fromFilippo Lattanzi and Jean Geoffroyon CD I have been convinced of theefficacy and validity of these tran-scriptions and gained new confi-dence in the future of the genre formarimba. I find that I have redis-covered Bach and am overjoyed tohear the music anew and in a newlight.

Lattanzi’s recording includes“Aria,” “Variazione I” and“Variazione IXI” from the “Varia-tions,” formerly believed to be too

devilishly difficult to be played con-vincingly on the marimba—a ideahe dispels handily. In addition, theCD contains several pieces from the“Little pieces for Clavier,” four two-part inventions, two pieces from“The Well-tempered Clavier, BookOne,” a four-part chorale (BWV244/62) and “Sonata No.1” (BWV 1001).The playing is elegant and techni-cally brilliant with seamlessnessand suppleness. He has a warmsound and the playing is solid,laced with well-conceived ornamen-tation.

I am particularly impressed withthe beautiful recording quality ofthis CD, which was recorded inSanto Stefano church in Italy. Thesound is lavish and warm, espe-cially on the four-part chorale, withjust enough reverberation to createthe feeling for the listener of beingin situ. I find the playing a bit lessfree, more disciplined thanGeoffroy’s, yet it retains a certaindignity and elegance I find engag-ing. The repertoire is quite differ-ent than the usual Bach Sonatasand Partitas, of which there arecountless arrangements.

Audio buffs will be delightedwith the information about theequipment that was used to makethe Lattanzi recording. Also in-cluded in the booklet is a beauti-fully written essay about Bach byGiocchino DePadova and anotherabout the specific music on the CDby Marco Albrizio, all in English aswell as Italian and French.

When I think of the music ofBach I visualize stone sculpturesuch as the work of Michelangelo. Isee the phrases carved, not thrownabout as in an impressionist man-ner such as one might imagine inthe music of Debussy as visualizedin the art work of Sisley or Monet.Geoffroy chisels his phrases withan elaborate clarity and rhythmicenergy while retaining the dance-like quality necessary to play eachmovement stylistically accurate.

The CD includes Cello SuitesNo. 2, 4 and 6. He brings new andstunning insights to these pieces.Like graceful prose, he plays with asensitivity and conviction strongenough to satisfy even the staunch-est historical performance advocate.At the same time he moves aboutthe instrument with flawless alac-rity (he plays cross grip whileLattanzi plays Musser grip). Hisplaying is supple and

unselfconscious, demonstrating aclear understanding of the mate-rial—a combination of the intensityand fluidity necessary to play Bach.The music-making is free and com-plete with imaginative ornamenta-tion born of familiarity with themusic.

There is something innatelyproper about how Geoffroy playsthe Preludes—with grace, directionand a freedom born of knowledge ofthe style. He defines and differenti-ates well the nature of each move-ment and does it without changingmallets, using a uniquely sensitivetouch. Too often marimba playersplay each movement the same be-cause they either don’t realize howthe movements differ or are afraidto express themselves—or don’tknow what to express. Geoffroy hasa direct connection to the music anda conviction rarely seen when ma-rimba players play Bach. I urgereaders to seek out his two otherCDs on the same label on which heplays the other three Cello Suites(DSK1991) and the Violin Partitas(DSK1944).

Neither player has any techni-cal limitations, leaving way for themusic to emerge with ease—and inthe case of Geoffroy with a joy sel-dom found in marimbists. Therewas finally a musical breakthrough,outside of the technical ones, withpiano in the late 1900s, and we cannow see the light of real musicalityemerging from the depths of whatoften is superficial technical profi-ciency on the marimba. These musi-cians will serve as catalysts forfuture marimba players who surelywill play Bach with confidence andattention to stylistic details andwith a historical perspective thatother instrumentalists demon-strate. Anyone who has ever seri-ously asked whether Bach can besuccessfully played on marimbashould pounce on these CDs.

—Michael Rosen

CORRECTIONSIn the December issue, arranger

Ruben B. Daryan’s name was mis-spelled in a review of “Suite V-Pre-lude” by J.S.Bach. In the Februaryissue, composer Davu Seru‘s namewas misspelled in a review of theCD Percussion Music; Improvised.We apologize for the errors.

PERCUSSIVE NOTES 92 APRIL 2005

Contact information for publisherswhose products are reviewed inthis issue.

PUBLISHERS

Alphonse Leduc175 Rue Saint-Honore75040 Paris Cedex 01Tel: 33 (0)1 42 96 89 11Fax: 33 (0)1 42 86 02 83E-mail:alphonseleduc@wanadoo.frWeb: www.alphonseleduc.com/english

AuditeLudger BöckenhoffE-mail: LB@audite.de

BewimusicBestellnr. 781-299Web: www.bewimusic.de

Carl Fischer65 Bleeker StreetNew York, NY 10012Tel: (212) 777-0900Fax: (212) 477-6996Email: cf-info@carlfischer.comWeb: www.carlfischer.com

Concord PicanteConcord Records, Inc.270 North Canon Drive, #1212Beverly Hills, CA 90210Tel: (310) 385-4455Fax: (310) 385-4466Web: www.concordrecords.com

DaD RecordsWeb: www.dad-records.com

Dutch Music Partners6093 ZG HeythuysenThe NetherlandsTel: +31 (0)475-491989Fax: +31 (0)475-440936E-mail:contact@dutchmusicpartners.comWeb:www.dutchmusicpartners.com

EquilibriumP.O. Box 305Dexter, MI 48130Tel: (734) 425-5814Fax: (734) 426-5834E-mail: equ@equilibri.comWeb: www.equilibri.com

Fonti Musicalic/o Tam Tam Mandingue USA3522 Pershing Ave.San Diego, CA 92104tel: (619) 294-9550Web: www.ttmusa.orgE-mail: info@ttmusa.org

Harmonia Mundi USAMatthew OwenDirector of OperationsNational Sales ManagerFax: (815) 327-2384www.harmoniamundi.com

Heads Up International23309 Commerce Park RdCleveland, OH 44122Tel: (216) 765-7381Fax: (216) 464-6037

HoneyRock Publishing396 Raystown RoadEverett, PA 15537Tel: (814) 652-9184Fax: (814) 652-6886E-mail: music@honeyrock.netWeb: www.honeyrock.net

Mark D. PowersWeb: www.powerspercussion.com/

Media Press, Inc.P.O. Box 3937Champaign, IL 61826Tel: (217) 359-0162Web: www.mediapress.us

Meredith Music Publications4899 Lerch Creek Ct.Galesville, MD 20765Tel: (301) 261-5015Web: www.meredithmusic.com

Musictek529 High St NorthcoteVictoriaAustralia 3070Tel: 61 3 94823363Fax: 61 3 94821623Web: www.musictek.com.au

Origin Arts Records5206 1/2 Ballard Ave NW #11Seattle, WA 98107Tel: (206) 781-2589Fax: (206) 374-2618E-mail:originrecords@originarts.comWeb: www.originarts.com

PercMaster PublicationsKevin BoboUniversity of KansasMurphy Hall1530 Naismith Dr.Lawrence, KS 66045Tel: (785) 864-4558E-mail: bobo@ku.edu

Ronald Ent PublicationsG.W. Burgerplein 233021 AT RotterdamThe NetherlandsE-mail: rent01@zonnet.nl

Skarbo ProductionsWeb: www.arkivmusic.com

SMT PublicationsSanctuary Publishing LimitedSanctuary House43-53 Sinclair RoadLondon W14 0NSWeb:www.sanctuarypublishing.com

Subito Music504 Bloomfield Ave.Verona, NJ 07044Tel: (973) 857-3440E-mail: mail@subitomusic.com

Theodore Presser Company588 Gulph RoadKing of Prussia, PA 19406Tel: (610) 525-3636Fax: (610) 527-7841Web: www.presser.com

Warner Bros. Publications15800 NW 48th AvenueMiami, FL 33014Tel: (800) 327-7643Fax: (305) 621-4869Web:www.warnerbrospublications.com

Zig-Zag TerritoiresSylvie Brély - Managing Director1, rue de Prague75012 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 43 45 11 20Fax: +33 1 43 46 58 02Email: sylvie.brely@wanadoo.frWeb: www.zig-zag-territoires.com PN

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PERCUSSIVE NOTES 93 APRIL 2005