Thursday, November 14, 2013

Clay Jenkins performs "Tray-Bo"

Here's a recent video of Clay Jenkins performing his original tune Tray-Bo at Columbus State University in 2012. I arranged this big band chart for him a few years ago when he was our featured guest artist at Roberts Wesleyan College, and since then he's performed it wherever he goes.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Upcoming feature on Composer's Circle

Composers Circle
I will be the featured composer of the day on ComposersCircle.com, this coming Saturday, October 19! Composers Circle is a great site to experience fresh new music of young composers from around the world. I've discovered a lot of great writers there who were previously unknown to me. I consider it a great privilege to be featured on the site for a day!

Please visit the site on Saturday and enjoy the music.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Bow Shock

Here's a new recording of Bow Shock, for violin and piano, featuring the Irrera Brothers.


A review from the premiere performance is here.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Premiere of "Skies Over Fairport"

Here is last Friday's premiere of Skies Over Fairport, written for the combined forces of the Fairport High School Jazz Band and the SOUL-JAZZ Big Band.

We concluded the program with the Ellington-Basie version of Take The A Train.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

dying and dancing - score preview

Here's a preview of the dying and dancing euphonium solo, which was premiered at the North Eastern Regional Tuba Euphonium conference in April.



Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bow Shock Review

From New York Concert Review, February 26, 2013:

"The second half opened with the World Premiere of “Bow Shock” by Russell Scarbrough (b. 1972). Written for the Irrera Brothers in 2012, this is a work that showcases their individual and duo talents to the hilt. The composer in his program notes stated, “the term ‘Bow Shock’ comes from the field of aerodynamics and refers to a curved shock wave that proceeds a solid body moving through the atmosphere at supersonic speeds. It’s a great image for this music…and I couldn’t resist the double-entendre with the word ‘bow’.” It is a jazz-tinged, driving, hyper-energetic work that invites the listener to fasten his seatbelt for the ride. It was a win-win-win: the Irreras can be well pleased that this work shows them to such great advantage. Scarbrough should be delighted with such accomplished musicians giving his music such a dynamic performance. Finally, the listener gets the best of both worlds!"

Read the whole review here.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

World Premiere of "dying and dancing"

euphonium
This Saturday, April 20 at 10am, Mark Kellogg and Joseph Werner will perform the world premiere of my new work for euphonium & piano, dying and dancing, at the Northeast Regional Tuba & Euphonium Conference at Ithaca College.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

New Music in February!

I have — count 'em – four new pieces being unveiled in the month of February this year:

Friday, February 8: The fourth in an ongoing series of commissions for the Hilton High School Jazz Ensemble, Ebon Echoes features a clarinet solo with big band. Happening on Hilton's annual "Day of Jazz" in Hilton, NY.

Friday, February 15: My own group, the SOUL-JAZZ Big Band, joins the Fairport High School Jazz Ensemble for a newly commissioned piece written for two bands playing together, called Skies Over Fairport.

bow shock
Saturday, February 16: At the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair in Reston, Virginia. Ali Ryerson's Jazz Flute Big Band reading session works out my new work for her ensemble, Firefly Four-Nine.

Friday, February 22: The Irrera Brothers give the world premiere of my duo for violin and piano, Bow Shock, in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ticket information for this performance can be found here.