Samba de Simão is an exciting original composition by David McKeown, arranged as a duet for two Alto Saxophones.

This duet is based on the style of Samba. With roots in West African music, modern Samba emerged in Rio de Janiero, Brazil at the beginning of the twentieth century. There are many forms, both sung and instrumental, and the Samba rhythm has found its way around the world into jazz and modern electronic pop and dance music. Samba has become a cultural symbol of Brazil, with Rio’s famous Samba schools producing theatrical and ultra-professional showpieces for the annual carnival.

If you play to an advanced intermediate standard and upwards, then you and your audience will enjoy this piece. Rhythms should be lightly articulated, the melody should always flow, the two underlying strong beats in each bar should always be felt, and following the articulation in the score will help convey the style. Samba de Simão has a performance time of two and a half minutes. Follow the link above to listen to a complete YouTube performance of the Clarinet version of Samba de Simão.