Relentless Grooves

The Relentless Grooves series includes two differing styles of virtuosic compositions by famed tuba soloist, Sam Pilafian.  One is a four-movement work entitled "Armenia" and the other is a two-movement work entitled "Cuba."

'Armenia' is a great opportunity for instrumentalists (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba) to perform ethnic music with the indigenous percussion instruments of the country or region that is being depicted. It is a study in the music of the Armenian people from Pagan times until the modern era. The composition is written in four sections to depict images that are strong in Armenian life. Armenia challenges the performer to depict drama, history, sadness, and elation in ten minutes using melodic and harmonic material that spans nearly 2,000 years!  The CD accompaniments provided include multiple versions of the more technical movements. The fastest tempo presented is usually optimal for performance, however the slower "rehearsal" tracks can also be used in performance, especially in 'live' acoustical situations.

'Cuba' allows the performer (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba) to play world music on their instrument, and to explore their inner dancer. The two movements entitled, "Bolero" and "Mambo" will challenge even the most seasoned performer.  CD-accompaniment is included with tracks of varying tempi for adequate learning of the pieces. A performance track at the end is also included once the performer is ready to play at full tempo.