If you pick up a piece of music with ‘Blues’ in the title, you often find a lick-laden, growly trudge around the 12-bar chord sequence of the same name. There's certainly a time and a place for this, particularly when introducing the style to beginners, but the clichés tire quickly on advancing players (and their teachers) as well as concert audiences.
Thankfully, Alan Bullard's Three Blues offers a more nuanced approach, taking inspiration not from America's Deep South but the more tepid clime of Colchester, Essex. Composed in 1995, these ‘blues-inspired sketches’ were written for three clarinet teachers at the Colchester Institute, where Bullard taught from 1975 to 2005. At the time, the Institute offered what could be described as a ‘third way’ for music students, sitting somewhere in between academically focused university courses and specialised conservatoire training. A key feature was the overlap between FE and HE courses, allowing for more collaboration between students of different age-groups.
Each movement of Three Blues depicts the character of the dedicatee, with the composer referencing ‘the laid-back Stuart Hall, the reflective Charles Hine, and the lively Angela Fussell’. Clarinettist and conductor Charles Hine, who died one year ago this month, was a popular figure in the single-reed community, teaching players of all ages and abilities in Essex and beyond. I played under Charles in his role as musical director of the British Clarinet Ensemble, and seeing his name at the top of this second movement certainly caused me to pause and reflect on his musical talents and sense of humour. It's also fitting that a scrolling score of the clarinet version on Bullard's YouTube channel (which can also be accessed via his website) is accompanied by a live performance featuring Hine and fellow dedicatee Fussell, recorded at Bullard's 50th birthday concert in 1997. Elsewhere on Bullard's YouTube channel, you'll find a substantial library of scores, performances and video introductions for many of his pieces for amateurs or professionals. This is a handy resource for teachers window-shopping for new repertoire.
Previously out-of-print, Three Blues has been revived in this new version for Colne Edition, self-published by the composer. Bullard has made slight revisions and changed the key of the first movement in both clarinet and saxophone versions, as well as the key of the second movement in the saxophone version.
The three movements – each lasting around 2½ minutes – work as standalone miniatures or performed in succession. The difficulty is labelled as Grades 6–7 in both clarinet and saxophone versions, but these endearing depictions would suit players at a higher level looking for accessible repertoire for practice or performance.
The first movement, ‘Carefree Blues’, features a lilting melody in 12/8 under a blanket of dotted crotchets in the piano part. Marked ‘nonchalant’, it conjures up an image of two friends chewing the fat on an autumnal countryside walk. The music steadily rises and falls, becoming increasingly active before climaxing with a hemiola rhythm between the solo line and piano. It's as if our friends' conversation has become heated (perhaps turning to politics) before quickly agreeing to disagree and settling down for a post-stroll pint in the pub.
The second movement, ‘Meditative Blues’, is a slow, chromatic meander that feels unsettling, evoking the intended aura of curiosity and reflection. Midway through, the solo line makes its way to the upper register, with a tricky diminuendo line ending on a paused top F and E flat in clarinet and saxophone versions respectively. The revised saxophone version is a minor third higher than the original, which allows the melody line to really soar at the top of the instrument's range in places while avoiding a chromatic slide down to what would have been low B towards the end, with a diminuendo to pianissimo.
A spikey, syncopated rhythm in piano octaves heralds the start of the third movement, ‘Agile Blues’. This is music straight out of Bernstein's playbook, with lively rhythmic figures juxtaposed with elegant flowing lines. At the end of the movement, the saxophone version features an ossia top G, preceded by F sharp–D–F sharp, which provides a thrilling finish if a player can pull it off.
It would be easy to attach stereotypical ‘blues’ images to these sketches – a boat ride or walk down the banks of the Mississippi, a smoke-filled jazz bar in the small hours – but I feel this would be doing a disserve to what are in essence character pieces, albeit with shades of blue.
These charming portraits have much to offer for upper- and intermediate-level players and beyond. The more subtle nod to the blues is welcome in a market saturated by over-the top pastiches, with a genuine emotional depth that is perhaps more reflective of the genre's roots. Although conceived for clarinet, the work translates well onto saxophone, as long as you have a sensitive pianist who adjusts to support the saxophone's added power. If any syllabus setters are reading, these movements are well worth considering for your next update.
THREE BLUES
For clarinet/alto saxophone and piano
Colne Edition (CE83, CE84)
ISMN: 708068839 (cl, pf)
ISMN: 708068846 (asax, pf)
Printed copies: £9.95 from alanbullard.co.uk
Digital downloads: £5.99 from sheetmusicdirect.com or sheetmusicplus.com
