Misty (Garner)

Justin Lamb has done a masterful job of arranging this jazz standard for solo marimba. He states, “It is my goal that this arrangement will allow you to explore just a small piece of the jazz repertoire on marimba without the pressure of improvising everything on the spot.” He certainly has accomplished his goal by creating such a satisfying, well-presented arrangement.

After a short, rolled introduction, the melody is presented in an embellished format. A great feature of the notation is that the original, unornamented tune is notated above the solo, so the per-former can see/play/sing the original melody as a way of informing a performance of the solo itself. The greatest technical challenge lies in the left hand often playing a bass line and chords while the right hand plays the melody. This challenge reaches its peak in the middle section, where the right hand is taking a notated (“as if improvised”) solo over the left-hand comping. Lamb notes that performers should feel free to improvise if they are comfortable doing so. This kind of flexibility from composers and arrangers (when appropriate) is always refreshing to see.

I recommend this piece for any advanced marimbist wanting to explore jazz, or looking for a concert or recital solo that contrasts classical marimba repertoire. The accessibility of the genre to performer and audience, as well as the technical challenge, make this arrangement a must-have!

—Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 5, October 2023