Jazz Clarinet Quartet

For clarinet, piano, bass and drums

Composed between 2003-2005 and premiered by clarinetist Darryl Harper and ensemble at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Massachusetts. Notable performance at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012 with Darryl and pianist Helen Sung. In this work, I sought to express jazz-influenced melodies, rhythms and harmonies within the style of a traditional chamber music quartet. The various tempi of the sonata cycle - allegro, andante, minuet/scherzo, presto - are represented here, but with the exception of the final movement, the formal elements - sonata, ternary/variations, minuet and trio - are primarily jazz-based.

The work was recorded by Darryl Harper and the Onus in 2014 for inclusion on Darryl’s album The Need’s Got To Be So Deep (Hipnotic Records). The full double CD may be purchased from CDBaby or iTunes (see Darryl’s website for information: darrylharperjazz.com). The recording included here is from that CD performance. Note: Darryl truncated the title of each movement on the CD – his titles are listed in parentheses below.

I. Variations on a Funky Blues Riff (Variations)

II. Ballad and Blues (Ballad)

III. Phrygian Interlude (Interlude)

IV. A Spin in the Bachster (Spin)

‘The deep and dramatic shifts in tone and texture between each movement of Greg Bullen’s “Jazz Clarinet Quartet” (“Variations,” “Ballad,” “Interlude,” and “Spin”) display the composer’s broad and extensive musicology.’  - Bill Gaskins liner notes from the CD The Need’s Got To Be So Deep

Duration: 15’ - 20’

Preview of score - The first two pages are reproduced here. If you are interested in performing this work and would like to view the full score, please contact me.