The Jazz Age was a period in the 1920s, ending with the Great Depression, in which jazz music and dance styles became popular, mainly in the United States, but also in Britain, France and elsewhere. Jazz originated in New Orleans as a fusion of African and European music and played a significant part in wider cultural changes in this period, and its influence on pop culture continued long afterwards. The Jazz Age is often referred to in conjunction with the Roaring Twenties. This medley, scored for brass quintet, includes: The Entertainer, Fascinating Rhythm, After You?re Gone, It Don?t mean a Thing, You Made Me Love You, St. Louis Blues and The Charleston Duration 5:35.?

"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard, characterized by jazz historian Gunther Schuller as "now legendary", "a prophetic piece and a prophetic title". The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for Brunswick Records (Br 6265) on February 2, 1932. This arrangement for brass quintet includes the following parts: Bb Trumpet 1, Bb Trumpet 2, F Horn, Trombone and Tuba. It is suitable for repertoire, classroom and recital.

In the spring of 2010, my minister put me in touch with his nephew, the trombonist of the Gaudete Brass Quintet of Chicago. A brief conversation resulted in a commission for an expansive four movement work written over the course of three years. Lighthouses have always been a fascination of mine; all of the things they must see! The piece begins with a call to the high seas. In this you will hear the introduction of the lighthouse dynamic, a large dynamic sweep, representing the lighthouse light swinging by and out of sight again. The second movement depicts adventures on the open sea. In the third movement, darkness falls. The finale represents daybreak and the excitement of the new day. A dramatic moment leads to a heroic moment, followed by a moment of silence for those who have fallen (the second theme of the fourth movement is presented in the style of taps). A return of the call to the high seas leads to an energetic conclusion. Lighthouse Suite is dedicated to the Gaudete Brass Quintet who premiered the piece in the fall of 2014.