Brian S. Wilson: The Avanti Feels Glued to
the Road Even When Cruising at 100 mph!
for Trombone and Percussion (1998)
(notes by the composer)
The idea for this piece arose from a real life adventure I experienced
in an Avanti sports car. My trombonist friend Michael Williams had appeared
and was a winning contestant on the television game show The Wheel of Fortune.
He solved the bonus puzzle “Grandfather Clock” and won a considerable amount
of cash as well as the Avanti sports car. Before the car had to sold to
pay the taxes on the cash winnings, I was treated to a thrilling ride at
breakneck speed, at least 100 mph, with the top down, through the back hills
of the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. This car indeed does what the title
of my piece says!
The fast tempi and gliding-like music near the end depict my journey.
Like most of my music, there is reference to jazz idioms and Jewish liturgical
music as well.