XAVIER PARLANT (1970) started playing the drums at the age of 17. A few months later, he studied at the Lajudie Drums School in Limoges (France) where he discovered the pedagogical advantages of rhythmic reading. He obtained the Certification of Scenic and Pedagogical Aptitude in France in 1994. After having been teaching drums since 1990, he joined Lajudie Drums Trio in 1996, a very requested group to give drums workshops and master-classes all around France.

XAVIER PARLANT also played in some French groups as NEW DEAL (Pop Rock), Bernard Entraygues Trio (Rock), K6 (Rock Metal Electro / SACEM Price at Bourges Spring Festival 2004), Cosmic Yogurt Group (1993), AliciaChic (Electro Dance Floor, since 2008). Now, he is playing with artist Silvia Ribeiro Ferreira, among others.

Personal edition. 2 pages. Duration: 4:40. Electronic (disco) music

Level: INTERMEDIATE. Range (written): A2 – D5

Technical elements: Fast excerpts, also tongued. Diversity of articulations. Breath (long phrases) and column air control

Performance skills: To play with rhythmic precision and in a solid beat. To play in the modern music style.

Saxophone player Sylvie Ferreira-Trinta commissioned SHEROW MUSTERY BAR in order to present a very varied programme for her “Prix de la Ville de Limoges” in June 27^th, 2011. Open to all styles of music, Sylvie was really interested in premiering an electronic music piece for baritone saxophone (she played a trio version for baritone saxophone, keyboards and drums) with other classical and contemporary works.

In the opinion from Xavier Parlant, SHEROW MUSTERY BAR could mean “the mysteries of Sherow to the baritone beginners”.

I perfectly remember that premiere because I also applied for the Price of the City of Limoges at the end of the scholar year 2010-11. Sylvie and I were students of the Cycle Perfectionnement: Saxophone Baryton with Damien Royannais at Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Limoges (France). After the recital, I had the opportunity to talk the composer (he was the drums player) about his piece and ask him for the baritone saxophone and electronics version for my next projects.

Some time later, while I was working on SHEROW MUSTERY BAR I felt that I had to include some melodic part to the piece since the original baritone part was totally rhythmic. Xavier Parlant agreed to my version as long as I didn’t make any changes to the structure of his work and didn’t remove any original theme neither rhythm.

So, my own version, revised and authorized by the composer, is as it follows (original version in italics and brackets): the beginning remains the same until the fourth repeat of the chorus, where an 8-bar melody of dotted half-notes and eight-notes connects with the next bridge (in the original version, the baritone saxophone keeps playing the chorus rhythm -8 measures-, has 4 measures rests and plays the bridge again); stops for 4 measures and plays the last repeat of the bridge (the same rhythm of the beginning – no changes with the original version); the same 8-bar melody on the chorus linked to the 8-bar melody on the bridge (in the original version the chorus is rhythmic and the baritone saxophone doesn’t play at the 8-bar bridge); and the final chorus is as it follows: 8 measure rests (both coincide), 5 times repeat a new motif in eight-notes until the end at the original version whilst my version has 2 times repeat of the original chorus rhythm, 2 times repeat of the new eight-noted motif and the melody last time…

Well, I don’t know if it is it clear (sorry for the detailed explanation in my English… hehehe!) but I tried to describe the version you have listened to above.

Anyway, I encourage you all to work on it and don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to know more about SHEROW MUSTERY BAR by Xavier Parlant.

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