Jim Shearer
Las Cruces - New Mexico - United States

Why attempt playing the famous Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio on the tuba? To quote the often-repeated phrase by George Mallory when asked why he was the first to attempt a climb of            
Mount Everest: “Because it’s there.”  
Serious solo literature has only been available for the tuba since the 1950s. Given that relatively short amount of time, tubists are often forced to borrow from the works of other instruments. 
The attempt here, with modesty, is to show that the tuba is capable of being an agile solo instrument that can handle the same complexity of repertory created for any other instrument. 
Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio was written in 1973 for Jean-Pierre Rampal,            
a noted classical flutist of the day. Rampal and Bolling later recorded the work, and that recording spent almost two years at the top of the Billboard classical chart. 
The recording also won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. 
Cloud Bowling (2021) was composed for Jim Shearer, to be premiered alongside Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, rearranged for tuba. Taking inspiration from Bolling’s suite,      Cloud Bowling is comprised of seven movements that blend jazz and classical styles and performance practices. The composition contains references to seminal jazz composers, along with a more progressive compositional approach offering ample amounts of space for improvisation. 

Cloud Bowling with Claude Bolling: Music for Tuba and Jazz Trio

Label: Summit

Genres: Jazz

Styles: Jazz

Songs on the Album

Track # Song Title Style Genre
1 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 1. Baroque and Blue [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
2 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 2. Sentimentale [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
3 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 3. Javanaise [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
4 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 4. Fugace [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
5 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 5. Irlandaise [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
6 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 6. Versatile [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
7 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba) 7. Veloce [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
8 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 1. the Opener [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
9 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 2. Ellingtonian [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
10 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 3. Brubesque [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
11 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 4. Double Ones [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
12 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 5. Borrowed Time [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
13 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 6. Overshadowed [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz
14 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio) 7. the Closer [feat. Chris Reyman, Erik Unsworth & Andy P. Smith] Jazz Jazz