Strollin’ Down Funk Avenue – Full Score

Description

More advanced groups have come to know that Mike Tomaro’s name on a piece means that the music is of the highest quality. “Strollin’ Down Funk Avenue” is no exception. This burning funk chart is a tour de force and lets everyone get in on the action. Solo spots are for Trumpet and Tenor Sax but may be opened up for additional soloists. Essential writing for more experienced groups.

Program Notes

“Strollin’ Down Funk Avenue” is a shuffle funk blues commissioned by the Upper St. Clair HS Jazz Ensemble, one of the great school programs in Southwestern PA. Be sure to adhere to the indicated 86 bpm metronome marking to maintain the “strollin’” feel of this piece. Also note that the shuffle funk groove requires the 16ths to be swung and the 8ths to be played straight. Though the tempo is slow, the rhythm section needs to lock into the groove and maintain intensity throughout; basic grooves have been fully-notated in all the rhythm section parts. Rhythmic precision is required in the horn sections as well to make this groove feel very funky. Saxes have the melody in both the opening melody choruses (beginning at mm. 15 & 27) with brass providing commentary in the second chorus. There is an interlude (m. 39) that separates the melody from the solo sections; Baritone Sax, Bass Trombone and Bass are featured here. The first solo section begins at m. 47 with the band providing a 2-bar send-off before the Trumpet solo begins. Measure 59 can be opened for several choruses, whether for the same soloist or different ones. Backgrounds for this soloist begin at measure 71 and can be cued at the director’s discretion. There is another interlude at 83 that separates the two solo sections. The second solo section begins at measure 87 with a 2-bar send-off before the Tenor Sax solo begins. More open choruses starting at measure 99 with backgrounds cued at 111. There is a 4-bar “cool down” section at measure 123 leading to the soft ensemble chorus at 127. The band should play this as softly as possible to make the fortissimo shout chorus at measure 140 most effective. In anticipation of this, the rhythm transitions to double-time swing at measure 138. This transition is a strict one with the quarter note of the funk groove equal to the half note in the swing groove; don’t go any faster than this, as there is transition back to the funk groove a bit later that will not work properly if you do. As mentioned above, the shout chorus begins at measure 140. This is the climax of the piece and the band should “let it all go” here. Watch for the dynamic change at 156 (the tag of the tune); this builds into a transition back to the shuffle funk groove, the outro of the piece.