Blue Smoothie

We have gone out of our way this year to give you some very different recorder features, and if you have been keeping track, you will note that all of them have had big instrumental orchestrations with them. For the last song of the year, the style is cool jazz backed by a very hot big band and even the occasional visit from a theatrical string section for added pizzazz.

In many ways it is a very simple song, essentially an A minor blues, that uses just A, B, C, and D, and can be performed with just quarter and half notes if you like. You can also use the tracks to teach simple improvisation using just these same notes.

It's a lot of fun to play along with and is a good way to end the year concentrating as much on good tone and smooth playing as on learning new notes and rhythms. Have fun with it!