Your Recorder Community

This piece is just fun fun fun! In a very clever move by the composer, the title is pronounced “Take Five Minus One” and the time signature is written as 5-1/4, so the piece is actually in 4 not 5. It’s not the Take Five you might be expecting, but it does hint at the Brubeck/Desmond standard in some chord progressions and the overall organization. Boppy syncopations and a swing playing style add rhythmic interest for everyone. Every part gets some solo riffs, including the great bass, and some tandem shared riffs are in there too; the Alto’s solos go up to high F, but the other parts stay within the comfortable range. Some fun arpeggiated gestures ripple up and down the group like a piano with the sustain pedal down, and the composer adds helpful “Lead/Solo/Soli” and “ord.” (= ordinary) instructions to show the players when they are in the foreground with their melody or the background with supporting material. A fantastic encore piece to close out your next concert!