W.C. Handy was born in Florence, Alabama, on November 16, 1873, and died in New York on March 28, 1958. The Jeff Tyzik arrangement of St. Louis Blues is scored for solo clarinet, solo trumpet, and solo trombone, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, piano, acoustic bass (amplified), drum set, and strings. Approximate performance time is five minutes.

St. Louis Blues (“I hate to see that evening sun go down”), the iconic song by American composer and instrumentalist W.C. Handy, has been referred to as “the jazzman’s Hamlet.” The piece has been performed and recorded by countless artists. There are also numerous settings for various combinations of vocal and instrumental performers. 

This concert features an arrangement by Jeff Tyzik for “Ragtime Orchestra.” The arrangement features three soloists; clarinet, trumpet, and trombone. The solo trumpet (playing, according to the score, “à la Louis Armstrong”) opens the work. Soon, the three soloists join forces, playing in the style of a New Orleans jazz ensemble. Tyzik allows the performers space for improvisation, as the St. Louis Blues journeys to a rousing close.