Three Moods

• Trombone, Piano
• Completed: 2001; Premiered: 20 December 2001
• Ensemble Publications

Three Moods, for trombone and piano, includes jazz elements, but is written so that a classical pianist will feel comfortable collaborating with a jazz trombone player. Most of the piece was composed in 2001, although the melody and structure of the second movement are about ten years older than that. The second movement, Lost in Regensburg, was composed as a jazz tune in 1991, on a train bound from Vienna to Stockholm, after the composer spent a couple of hours exploring Regensburg, Germany. The composer did not actually get lost, but was ruminating over a lost love, who had moved to Regensburg five years earlier. The first movement, Dearest, was composed in 2001 as a saxophone solo with jazz big band, then transcribed for trombone and piano. The third movement was composed in 2001 to complete the set. It’s title comes from the fact that the piece is written with seven beats in a measure, making it feel like a beat is missing.