From today, my latest composition “Mephisto Blues” is available for purchase in the web shop. The composing of this piece was swift and inspired, and I’m very pleased with this chart. Because the December Sale is under way, this new chart is published with the same price reduction of 30% as all the other compositions.

Many (really many, many) years ago, some friends and I saw the movie “The Devil’s Advocate” (the one with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino). The film made us discussing why there are so many myths about equilibristic musicians (such as Paganini), and espescially blues musicians (Robert Johnson and Jimmy Page, come to mind), making pacts with the DeviI. From that I began to speculate about if the Devil would recognise the concept of blues and what that blues would be – and sound – like.

These speculations coincided with me reading Goethe, and I got inspired to compose a piece that has the twelwe bar form of a blues, with significant chord changes at the second, fifth and ninth bars, but as it is said that the Devil is a deciever and falsifier I worked out a very undefined tonality and ambiguous modality for the song – so one would recognise the ingredients of the blues, but be confused and misled. I performed this song with many small jazz groups, for many years.

Now, I have turned this song into a Big Band arrangement featuring the two lowest saxophones, Tenor sax 2 and the Baritone sax. I really hope I have been able to portray the eerie mood that such a sinister entity as the Devil evokes, without making the song depressing.

Finally: The December Sale is under way! Take the opportunity to buy great charts at favorable, reduced prices – 30% off on all compositions, and 25% off on all arrangements. All to give your band a fresh injection to the repertoire for the spring season’s rehearsals.