A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (VJCP100-MP)
comp. by Martin Luther
arr. by Russell Schmidt
$10.00 (USD)
 
This product is available for download (in .pdf format) immediately after purchase. Please note that once payment for any VJC Publication download is received and the transaction completed, no refund or cancellation is possible.
 
VJCP100-MP – Combo MultiPack, which includes both of the following:
VJCP100-I-3 – Trio version for Piano, Bass & Drums
VJCP100-I-4 – Quartet version for Tenor Sax, Piano, Bass & Drums (with alternate horn parts provided for Tenor Sax)
 
Description: This combo version of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God offers a fresh-sounding update to a nearly 500-year old hymn. Released in 2018 as the opening track on the Russell Schmidt recording Jazz Triptych, Volume I: The Sacred (MSW 2021), this arrangement contains wonderful surprises, both harmonically (through its beautiful reharmonization of the original melody) and rhythmically (with transitions back and forth between an up-tempo jazz waltz and a gospel/rock-influenced 4/4 groove). 
 
With VJCP100-MP, you will receive both the original piano trio version (VJCP100-I-3) and a quartet edition (VJCP100-I-4), featuring tenor sax with the trio. Additionally, alternate horn parts have been included, allowing alto sax, trumpet, or trombone to replace tenor sax in the quartet. 
 
For groups having guitar (instead of piano) in their rhythm section, the substitution of guitar will work more readily in the quartet version. 
 
This combo arrangement is of intermediate-to-advanced difficulty.
 
While an excerpted audio sample is provided here at the VJC Store, complete recordings of many VJC Publications (including this one) can be found on YouTube HERE. And hear more from this pianist/composer/arranger be visiting Russell Schmidt's YouTube page.
 
Please note: The VJC will never pursue payment of synchroni­zation rights from middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, community colleges, universities, all-state ensembles, church groups, or independent edu­cational programs for young people related to the posting of recorded performan­ces of this work on YouTube or other, similar sites (including social media platforms). While sharing the .pdf files is not permitted, sharing your musical performance online is.
 
All proceeds from sales of VJC Publications go directly to fund the educational programs of the Valley Jazz Cooperative.