NORMAN’S BLUES

For String Quartet

Program Notes

Norman's Blues was recorded in 1956 on Sonny Stitt's New York Jazz. Set in the uncommon key of D♭ major, the work showcases Stitt's effortless command of the bebop language, from the tightly crafted opening chorus to an extended improvisation of remarkable fluency and invention.

Rather than arranging only the melody and harmonic framework, this version reimagines Stitt's entire recorded performance for string quartet. Every note of the original saxophone part—including the complete improvised solo—has been preserved and redistributed among the four instruments. The result is both a tribute to one of bebop's master improvisers and an opportunity to hear a classic jazz performance through the distinctly different sonority of the string quartet.