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With apologies to Ponty—don’t worry, mate, I’ll have more shorts of me playing piano and hamming it up for the camera soon—I’m sharing an old original composition this week, “Funky Sax I” from Electrock III: Euroclydon (50% off with promo code “storm”).  I think this piece dates back to Fall 2004, when I was in a saxophone sextet at the University of South Carolina.

I don’t have access to score for this piece anymore, just the MIDI file, and I can’t remember if I wrote this for six saxes (soprano, two altos, two tenors, and baritone) or fewer, so I’m not exactly sure, but it has the hallmark of my college era material for saxes:  funk, blues scales, countermelodies, etc.  As far as I know, my college saxophone sextet never played this piece, but it would be fun for a sax ensemble to try.

Regardless, I slapped together a video for the piece late Sunday night (I actually uploaded it to YouTube while drifting off to sleep) and here is the glorious result:

I also can’t remember when I drew this goofy JPG, but I must have done it years ago in MS Paint:

It looks like one of the tentacles from Day of the Tentacle.

Happy Listening!

—TPP

Other Editions of Open Mic Adventures:

1. “Open Mic Adventures I: Oingo Boingo’s ‘Just Another Day’“
2. “Open Mic Adventures II: Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’“
3. “Open Mic Adventures III: Joanie Sommers’s ‘Johnny Get Angry’“
4. “Open Mic Adventures IV: KISS’s ‘I Still Love You’“
5. “Open Mic Adventures V: ‘There’s a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)’“
6. “Open Mic Adventures VI: Journey’s ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’“
7. “Open Mic Adventures VII: ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’“
8. “Open Mic Adventures VIII: Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’“
9. “Open Mic Adventures IX: Journey’s ‘Faithfully’“
10. “Open Mic Adventures X: ‘Time Warp’“
11. “Open Mic Adventures XI: Spooktacular Supergroup Covers ‘Monster Mash’“
12. “Open Mic Adventures XII: ‘Ghostly’“
13. “Open Mic Adventures XIII: The Penguins’ ‘Earth Angel’“
14. “Open Mic Adventures XIV: ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’“
15. “Open Mic Adventures XV: ‘O Holy Night’“
16. “Open Mic Adventures XVI: ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’“
17. “Open Mic Adventures XVII: ‘L’il Divertimento in C major’“
18. “Open Mic Adventures XVIII: ‘Satiean Motion’“
19. “Open Mic Adventures XIX: ‘Two-Day Minuet for Left Hand’“
20. “Open Mic Adventures XX: ‘Sleepy Student’s Serenade’“
21. “Open Mic Adventures XXI: Styx’s ‘Come Sail Away’“
22. “Open Mic Adventures XXII: ‘Blessed Assurance’“
23. “Open Mic Adventures XXIII: ‘Gabbi’s Gavotte’“
24. “Open Mic Adventures XXIV: ‘Softly and Tenderly’“
25. “Open Mic Adventures XXV: ‘Venite, exultemus Domino’“
26. “Open Mic Adventures XXVI: ‘Sonatina’“
27. “Open Mic Adventures XXVII: ‘Heavenly Sunlight’“
28. “Open Mic Adventures XXVIII: ‘Song of the Bigfoot’”
29. “Open Mic Adventures XXIX: ‘Lavender’s Blue’“
30. “Open Mic Adventures XXX: ‘Chorale for a Sleepy Wednesday’“
31. “Open Mic Adventures XXXI: ‘Carousel’“
32. “Open Mic Adventures XXXII: Hymn Medley“
33. “Open Mic Adventures XXXIII: ‘Spore Song (Mushroom Dance)’“
34. “Open Mic Adventures XXXIV: ‘Chase’s Dilemma’“
35. “Open Mic Adventures XXXV: ‘The Rings of Saturn’“
36. “Open Mic Adventures XXXVI: ‘The Rings of Saturn’ LIVE!“
37. “Open Mic Adventures XXXVII: ‘Private Lessons (Goth Chick)’“
38. “Open Mic Adventures XXXVIII: ‘Quasi-Date’“
39. “Open Mic Adventures XXXIX: ‘(I’m in the) Business of Love)’“
40. “Open Mic Adventures XL: ‘Parada’“
41. “Open Mic Adventures XLI: ‘Serenade for a Sleepy Student No. 2’“
42. “Open Mic Adventures XLII: ‘1001 Arabian Nights’“
43. “Open Mic Adventures XLIII: ‘Greek Fair’“
44. “Open Mic Adventures XLIV: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 1’“
45. “Open Mic Adventures XLV: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 1’ – BASS“
46. “Open Mic Adventures XLVI: ‘Canon Event’“
47. “Open Mic Adventures XLVII: ‘Skeleton Dance No. 2’“
48. “Open Mic Adventures XLVIII: Sloppy ‘Hipster Girl Next Door’ Medley“
49. “Open Mic Adventures XLIX: ‘Lament of the Lizardman’“
50. “Open Mic Adventures L: ‘Bigfoot Boogie’“
51. “Open Mic Adventures LI: ‘Minuet for a New Moon’“
52. “Open Mic Adventures LII: ‘Andante in D major’“
53. “Open Mic Adventures LIII: ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’“
54. “Open Mic Adventures LIV: ‘”Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus’“
55. “Open Mic Adventures LV: ‘Orange Roll’“
56. “Open Mic Adventures LVI: ‘Firefly Dance’“
57. “Open Mic Adventures LVII: ‘Kartofelsalat’“
58. “Open Mic Adventures LVIII: ‘Listless Chorale’“
59. “Open Mic Adventures LIX: ‘Silent Night’“
60. “Open Mic Adventures LX: ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’“
61. “Open Mic Adventures LXI: ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’“
62. “Open Mic Adventures LXII: ‘FRANTIC!!’“
63. “Open Mic Adventures LXIII: ‘Snowfall’“
64. “Open Mic Adventures LXIV: ‘Uninspired Étude in E major’“
65. “Open Mic Adventures LXV: ‘Scribblings I: Post-Christmas Concert Scribbling’“
66. “Open Mic Adventures LXVI: ‘Ode Napoléon’“
67. “Open Mic Adventures LXVII: ‘Cook’s Brief Bourrée in E minor’“
68. “Open Mic Adventures LXVIII: ‘Triumphant Processional’“
69. “Open Mic Adventures LXIX: ‘Moody Noodling’“
70. “Open Mic Adventures LXX: ‘Epistemology’“
71. “Open Mic Adventures LXXI: ‘Three Chorales in Diminishing Length’“
72. “Open Mic Adventures LXXII: ‘Blue Mage’“
73. “Open Mic Adventures LXXIII: ‘Red Mage’“
74. “Open Mic Adventures LXXIV: ‘White Mage’“
75. “Open Mic Adventures LXXV: ‘Black Mage’“
76. “Open Mic Adventures LXXVI: ‘The Blind Prophet’“
77. “Open Mic Adventures LXXVII: ‘Robobop’“
78. “Open Mic Adventures LXXVIII: ‘Pink Princess’“
79. “Open Mic Adventures LXXIX: ‘Purple Prince’“
80. “Open Mic Adventures LXXX: ‘Yellow Knight’“
81. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXI: ‘Green Knight’“
82. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXII: ‘Brown Friar’“
83. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXIII: ‘Advanced Funkification’“
84. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXIV: ‘Funk Chorale (Hymn to Funk)’“
85. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXV: Steelheart’s ‘I’ll Never Let You Go’“
86. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXVI: ‘1001 Arabian Nights’ Redux“
87. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXVII: ‘Heptadic Structure’“
88. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXVIII: ‘Angularity’“
89. “Open Mic Adventures LXXXIX: ‘White Boy Summer’“
90. “Open Mic Adventures XC: ‘Balladic Processional’“
91. “Open Mic Adventures XCI: ‘Tu Me Manques’“
92. “Open Mic Adventures XCII: ‘Jaunt’“
93. “Open Mic Adventures XCIII: ‘C20r4735 (Chorales)’“
94. “Open Mic Adventures XCIV: ‘Nobles Gases’“
95. “Open Mic Adventures XCV: ‘Akhenaten’“
96. “Open Mic Adventures XCVI: ‘Summer Vibes’“
97. “Open Mic Adventures XCVII: ‘Perambulating’“
98. “Open Mic Adventures XCVIII: ‘Mellow’“
99. “Open Mic Adventures XCIX: ‘Pythagoras’“
100. “Open Mic Adventures C: ‘Dancing in the Graveyard’“
101. “Open Mic Adventures CI: ‘Curious Little Ghosties’“
102. “Open Mic Adventures CII: ‘Boneyard Blues’“
103. “Open Mic Adventures CIII: ‘Rain on Halloween’“
104. “Open Mic Adventures CIV: ‘Heavy Metal Mummy’“
105. “Open Mic Adventures CV: ‘Promenade’“
106. “Open Mic Adventures CVI: ‘“’Hanging Gardens’“
107. “Open Mic Adventures CVII: ‘Roast Beef Sandwich’“
108. “Open Mic Adventures CVIII: ‘Skittlebräu’“
109. “Open Mic Adventures CIX: ‘Funny Phantom’“
110. “Open Mic Adventures CX: ‘Rainy Wednesday Morning Waltz’“
111. “Open Mic Adventures CXI: ‘Blue Field’“
112. “Open Mic Adventures CXII: ‘Green Space’“
113. “Open Mic Adventures CXIII: ‘ Red Blur’“
114. “Open Mic Adventures CXIV: ‘Violet Fantasy’“
115. “Open Mic Adventures CXV: ‘From Greenland’s Icy Mountains’“
116. “Open Mic Adventures CXVI: Intense ‘Walk Like a Man’ (Abridged)“
117. “Open Mic Adventures CXVII: ‘PRISM’“
118. “Open Mic Adventures CXVIII: ‘Procession of the Porcupine Prince’“
119. “Open Mic Adventures CXIX: ‘Obese Kangaroos’“
120. “Open Mic Adventures CXX: ‘Cuttlefish’“
121. “Open Mic Adventures CXXI: ‘March of the Molemen’“
122. “Open Mic Adventures CXXII: ‘Sea Creatures Praise the Lord (Psalm 148:7)’“
123. “Open Mic Adventures CXXIII: ‘Aardvark’“
124. “Open Mic Adventures CXXIV: ‘Cosmic Chorale II’“
125. “Open Mic Adventures CXXV: ‘Stately Stags’“
126. “Open Mic Adventures CXXVI: ‘Morning Moon Sliver’“
127. “Open Mic Adventures CXXVII: ‘The Whale Shark’“
128. “Open Mic Adventures CXXVIII: ‘Airy Chorale in Two Movements’“
129. “Open Mic Adventures CXXIX: ‘Clarinetti’“
130. “Open Mic Adventures CXXX: ‘Flamboyant Fanfare’“
131. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXI: ‘Ringtone Circus’“
132. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXII: ‘The Magic Forest’“
133. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXIII: ‘Skiddle-Diddle-Diddle-Dee (Dit-Dit-Dit)’“
134. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXIV: ‘French Cuisine’“
135. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXV: ‘Irish Clover’“
136. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXVI: ‘Seesaw’“
137. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXVII: ‘Xeriscaping (Cactus Garden)’“
138. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXVIII: ‘Crunchy Roll’“
139. “Open Mic Adventures CXXXIX: ‘Black Hawk’“
140. “Open Mic Adventures CXL: ‘Triple Deluxe’“
141. “Open Mic Adventures CXLI: ‘Vibin”“
142. “Open Mic Adventures CXLII: Spinal Tap’s ‘Stonehenge’“
143. “Open Mic Adventures CXLIII: ‘Tubae Sonitus: Ambitione’“
144. “Open Mic Adventures CXLIV: ‘Divertimento in D’“
145. “Open Mic Adventures CXLV: ‘Murphy on the Storm’“
146. “Open Mic Adventures CXLVI: Cover of Loverboy’s ‘Working for the Weekend’“