Roger Aldridge, Composer
Jazz, Tango, Blues, New Music, Roots Music, and More
Think of my website as a virtual performance center where people from many countries can listen to this music. A variety of groups are performing, from solo guitar to a large jazz orchestra, and there are many kinds of music to explore.
Featured Music
New Tango No. 3 is part of a series of tango-jazz compositions. Each one explores a particular quality of the tango. Number 3 is about attraction. In a way that I cannot explain, whenever I am in New York City this music comes into my mind. Recorded by Amy Leonard, violin; Jeff Knoettner, keyboards; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; and Peter McCarthy, bass.
Baltimore Rowhouse is a piece for mid-size jazz ensemble that has sudden changes in mood and style. Serial techniques are used in subtle ways throughout the score and provide compositional structure. Recorded by Amy Leonard, violin; Jason Shapiro, alto saxophone; Jeff Knoettner, piano; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; Peter McCarthy, bass; Skip Rohrich, drums; and David Arivett, woodwind quintet tracks.
New Tango No. 1 is an abstract piece invoking dance movement as well as exploring movement in and out of time. Recorded by Jason Shapiro, alto saxophone; Jeff Knoettner, keyboards; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; Peter McCarthy, bass; and Skip Rohrich, drums.
The soloist's part is entirely improvised. The rhythm section goes between time and free-time. The soloist cues the rhythm section on when to make time and harmonic changes. The background ensemble is in free-time with each note conducted. During solos the background ensemble can improvise interactions with the soloist. This piece is highly dependent upon the soloist and ensemble to bring the music to life and take the audience on a journey.
The soloist's part is entirely improvised. The rhythm section goes between time and free-time. The soloist cues the rhythm section on when to make time and harmonic changes. The background ensemble is in free-time with each note conducted. During solos the background ensemble can improvise interactions with the soloist. This piece is highly dependent upon the soloist and ensemble to bring the music to life and take the audience on a journey.
Farmhouse At Sunset / Evening Rain is one of my hybrid pieces that blends jazz and roots music. It begins as a gentle, reflective, waltz with a touch of a modern Appalachian feeling and then turns into a jazz slip jig. The slip jig (9/8) is one of my favorite forms of Celtic fiddle music. Recorded by Amy Leonard, violin; Jeff Knoettner, piano; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; and Peter McCarthy, bass.
Out And About
Out And About has a series of blogs and videos that describe cutting edge experiences I am having with qigong, acupuncture, and other kinds of energy work. These practices have higher-level connections with music...and with the stars.
