364 Days: Suite for Jazz Orchestra

Abstract

364 Days: Suite for Jazz Orchestra was composed for a standard seventeen-piece (5/4/4/4) jazz orchestra. The suite is comprised of five pieces- And I Think of You; Goodnight; What Ifs; 364 Days; The Dreamer and The Realist - and were recorded for the album J.E. Chapman, 364 Days: music for large ensembles. Each movement of the suite is intended to work as a part of the larger work or out of context as an individual performance piece. The sections of the suite are connected through an "affiliated motif". Each piece is tied together through intervallic commonalities, common melodic contour, and "spirit" but are unique enough in their own individuality to posses their own personality. While the intent is for the suite to be performed as a complete work I took great effort in creating five works that could be performed separately and yet still sound complete; each piece has its own unique formal structure and distinctive rhythmic and style elements that allow them to succeed as part of a set or as an isolated work. These compositions blend modern jazz harmonies and non-traditional formal structures; staying connected to and extending the tradition of jazz composition.