blog
.... reception ensembles ....

 


Reception Duo Options
{please refer to Song List for additional repertoire}

New interactive menu! Now you can choose between
various duo combinations by clicking the instrument highlighted.
Hear Michael playing a sumptuous range of jazz and
classical styles with the best Bay Area instrumentalists.

Favorite Jazz Standards

(piano)

"Our Love Is Here To Stay"

(medium-rare swing/G. Gershwin)
1:57
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - violin

"Summer Soft"
(Latin funk/S. Wonder)
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - violin

"Skylark"
(ballad/H. Carmichael)
sax - flute - flugelhorn - vibes - cello - viola

"Fly Me To The Moon"
(jazz waltz/B. Howard)
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - viola


(keyboard)

"Moon River"
(bossa-nova/H. Mancini
arr. Jack Eskridge & M.Smolens)
1:21
classical guitar sound with:
sax - flute - flugelhorn - vibes - cello - viola

"The Nearness Of You"
(ballad/H. Carmichael
arr. Jack Eskridge)
2:45
electric piano sound with:
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - viola

"Killer Joe"
(swing/B. Golson)
1:36
organ sound with:
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - violin


Lesser-Known Gems

(piano)

"Mary Had A Baby"
(gospel funk/trad. Negro spiritual)
1:29
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - violin

"Sno Peas"
(jazz waltz/P. Markowitz)
2:04
sax

"Hommage A Gismonti"
(samba/M. Smolens)
1:27
sax

"Think Of One"
(boogie-woogie > stride/T. Monk)
1:24
sax

"Beside A Brook"
(even-1/8 ballad/P. McCandless)
sax - flute - flugelhorn - vibes - cello - violin

"View Of The Canyon"
(even-1/8 ballad/M.Smolens &
S. Brown)
2:33
sax

"Moose The Mooche"
(be-bop/C. Parker)
:48
sax


(keyboard)

"Witchi-Tai-To"
(even-1/8 ballad/Native American chant/arr. Jim Pepper)
1:38
12-string guitar sound with:
sax - flute - flugelhorn - vibes - cello - viola

Jazz Adaptations of Classical Works

(piano)

Rachmaninoff-excerpt from Piano Concerto No. 3
(jazz waltz)
1:14
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - viola

Gershwin-Prelude No. 1
(Latin swing)
1:45
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - violin

(keyboard)

Faure-"Pavane"
(Brazilian choro)
1:23
classical sound guitar:
sax - flute - trumpet - vibes - cello - viola

Arrangements of
Solo Classical Works

(piano)

C.P.E. Bach-March In D
:46
flute - trumpet - violin - cello

J. Brahms-Intermezzo in A
:58
flute - flugelhorn - violin - cello

F. Chopin-Mazurka in g-minor

:54
flute - trumpet - violin - cello - viola

(keyboard)

C. Debussy-Claire De Lune
:56
harp sound with:
flute - violin - cello
- viola

*please refer to classical duo list for additional repertoire

*all arrangements by Michael Smolens unless otherwise noted