Product Description
Ernesto Lecuona was born 1895 in Cuba. He began piano lessons at 5 years of age and developed into a virtuoso pianist and internationally celebrated composer. In 1928 he composed Suite Andalucía, a six-movement piano piece portraying the people and places of the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Two of those pieces eventually achieved tremendous popularity as standalone songs: #2, Andalucia and #6, Malagueña. Lecuona had composed both in ¾ time. Salvador "Tutti" Camarata reframed Andalucia in 4/4, Al Stillman provided English lyrics and the song was given a new title, The Breeze and I. Jimmy Dorseys big band recorded it in 1940 with the vocal by Bob Eberly. It was hugely popular, lasting nine weeks on the Billboard magazine chart and peaking at #2. Fifteen years later, Caterina Valente recorded both The Breeze and I and Malagueña to great success.
This arrangement opens in A-flat major with Trumpets, Horn and Tuba laying down a Latin beat and the Trombone playing an opening lick. After the introduction, Trombone and Trumpets take turns with the melody, while Horn and Tuba provide variety and accents. On the second time through, the key changes to E-flat major and begins with a Trumpets-and-lower-brass fanfare. The melody repeats, but this time with a different take. Horn and Trombone take turns with melody and counter melody, then Trumpets take over. After several cascade effects, the tune reaches its end and Trumpets play an extended version of Trombones lick from the introduction. The group then repeats the final 16 bars of the tune and winds up with an extended ending treatment. Trombone once again contributes its opening lick, and the arrangement fades away . . . all to a Latin beat. Enjoy!
Time signature is 2/2 and suggested tempo is 72 BPM, which is maintained all the way through. There are two instances of a one-bar change to 3/2. The fanfare at Section C contains a measure and a half of 16th notes. All notes are well within the normal playing range of the five instruments.
Completed in 2023, performance time runs about 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge. He would like to receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct search box. (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)
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