Coleman, V :: Goin' Uptown

VColeman Music presents Goin' Uptown for flute solo and flute choir by composer Valerie Coleman.

Written for the virtuoso ensemble Uptown Flutes and premiered with the composer herself as soloist, Goin’ Uptown is a lively, happy morsel that joyfully describes all the many ways a person travels through a city. It begins with an image of rush hour traffic through a syncopated 8th note ostinato pattern played by the piccolo. As each flutist joins in with the same bouncy rhythm, there is a sense of travelers packing into a subway car heading to work. The soloist flute part has a capricious, spicy nature in the styles of jazz and Afro-Cuban music throughout, fueled by a network of intricate rhythms within the background that form a fun groove when locked into place. The result is a toe tapping feel that gives a modern approach to being in a drum circle, ending with an bluesy improvised ‘last word’ from the soloist.