Sébastien Beliah: Boogie Concertino for solo double bass & string quartet

About the Composition

Boogie Concertino is a fun, exciting and accessible introduction into the world of jazz, using melodic clichés and rhythmic patterns, with a groovy feeling and a great challenge for young bassists to play their first concertino with a string quartet. It was composed in 2013 for the examinations of the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional of Reims.

The bass part remains in bass clef throughout and featuring arco and pizzicato, with a passage left open for improvisation for the bassist with jazz skills and the opportunity to demonstrate chord changes of the blues, pentatonic scales or any devices that would fit the style of boogie. This passage also includes a 'written-out improvisation' for bassists who prefer not to improvise.

Boogie Concertino can be played with string quartet or with a small string orchestra and is also available in an edition for solo double bass and double bass quartet.

About the Composer

Sébastien Beliah was born in 1979 and studied at the CNSM in Paris (Jazz/Improvisation) and double bass with Jean-Christophe Deleforge at the CRR in Auberviller-La Courneuvre. He divides a busy career between performing (classical, contemporary, jazz), teaching and composing. For 7 years he led the quartet 'Wark', which performed at many festivals across France, and currently playes with the trio 'r.mutt' and 'Ensemble Hodos'. Since 2006 Sebastien Beliah has taught double bass and improvisation at the CRR in Reims and is also an active member of the Umlaut Records crew in Paris.