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Cemetery Salsa (Download)
Imagine what the skeletons hear while dancing through graves on a crisp All Hallows’ Eve, and this may be it! In Cemetery Salsa, three intermediate players are featured on a single 4.3-octave (low A) marimba. Brian Slawson takes traditional salsa chord changes and complements them with odd and fluctuating time signatures, providing a quirky and fun musical experience for both players and listeners.
For contrast, a waltz section appears in the middle, introducing a sort of playful yet sinister sound in which the music is soft, flowing, and connected. Players must develop smooth roll techniques while still playing in time and working together as they navigate their musical roles. The piece recapitulates with the opening 7/4 theme and ends with a bang!
As the title implies, “Cemetery Salsa” is written in an Afro-Cuban style but in a minor key, giving it a slightly dark and even a somewhat creepy feeling. This trio can be performed on one 4.3-octave marimba and requires two-mallet technique throughout.
Along with its minor key, the most striking element of the piece is its odd meter and mixed-meter construction. It begins in 7/4, moves to alternating 6/4 and 7/4 measures, and finally ends up in 4/4 and 2/4. The 12-measure A section is repeated, and the second ending takes us to a B section in 3/4. While the A section is very rhythmic, the Bsection is legato, with rolls in parts one and two over a rhythmic bass part. The piece concludes with a return to the A material and a tag ending.
The piece is only about two minutes long and therefore might work effectively as an encore or as part of a group of similar pieces. Even though it is written in mixed meters, the melody is very singable and does not sound awkward or disjointed. It might even be possible to open the piece up for improvised solos if the players are able to do so.
–Tom Morgan
Percussive Notes
Vol. 54, No. 2, May 2016
Imagine what the skeletons hear while dancing through graves on a crisp All Hallows’ Eve, and this may be it! In Cemetery Salsa, three intermediate players are featured on a single 4.3-octave (low A) marimba. Brian Slawson takes traditional salsa chord changes and complements them with odd and fluctuating time signatures, providing a quirky and fun musical experience for both players and listeners.
For contrast, a waltz section appears in the middle, introducing a sort of playful yet sinister sound in which the music is soft, flowing, and connected. Players must develop smooth roll techniques while still playing in time and working together as they navigate their musical roles. The piece recapitulates with the opening 7/4 theme and ends with a bang!
As the title implies, “Cemetery Salsa” is written in an Afro-Cuban style but in a minor key, giving it a slightly dark and even a somewhat creepy feeling. This trio can be performed on one 4.3-octave marimba and requires two-mallet technique throughout.
Along with its minor key, the most striking element of the piece is its odd meter and mixed-meter construction. It begins in 7/4, moves to alternating 6/4 and 7/4 measures, and finally ends up in 4/4 and 2/4. The 12-measure A section is repeated, and the second ending takes us to a B section in 3/4. While the A section is very rhythmic, the Bsection is legato, with rolls in parts one and two over a rhythmic bass part. The piece concludes with a return to the A material and a tag ending.
The piece is only about two minutes long and therefore might work effectively as an encore or as part of a group of similar pieces. Even though it is written in mixed meters, the melody is very singable and does not sound awkward or disjointed. It might even be possible to open the piece up for improvised solos if the players are able to do so.
–Tom Morgan
Percussive Notes
Vol. 54, No. 2, May 2016
