Medium Ensemble

Ryan's professional hobby band is the Medium Ensemble, a 12-piece group featuring some of the best jazz musicians in the Chicago area. Founded in 2008, the group features original music in various styles and has performed regularly around Chicago including extended residencies and several themed concerts at local schools. The band is a frequent Jazz Education Network Jazz2U grant recipient, and is available for clinics and performances upon request using the contact form.

A selection of charts with score previews, recordings, and ordering information are below, and if you don't see the chart you're interested in please contact me. All charts are also available for standard big band instrumentation.

Ballad of Daniella IV - Title Page Image

April in Paris

Vernon Duke, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Solo feature for Alto Saxophone, hip hop style with a Basie swing ending

Ballad of Daniella IV

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Heavy funk tune based on a repeating interval row.

Boogie Stop Shuffle

Charles Mingus, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Classic Charles Mingus minor blues with a great riff and a tough post-bop head.

Caravan

Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Afro-Cuban arrangement of the Ellington standard.

Duplicitous

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original tune heavily influenced by the writing of Bob Brookmeyer.

Folks' Song

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original latin tune loosely inspired by Cuban folk music. Score features optional notated rhythm section parts.

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

Charles Mingus, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Classic Charles Mingus blues ballad, features tenor sax.

Haitian Fight Song

Charles Mingus, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Standard Charles Mingus blues.

Hello Dear

Kevin Kozol, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Very fun ballad by Kevin Kozol as performed by his band "Spare Parts".

Hiding in the Spotlight

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original modern style ballad featuring tenor sax and guitar.

I Mean You

Thelonius Monk, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Arrangement of the Monk standard using rhythmic variation and polytonality.

Ladle Duel

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Commissioned by Elkhart High School in Eklhart, Texas, this fast F blues is a sax section feature with blowing for all instruments.

Machito Forever

Tito Puente, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Arrangement of Tito Puente's theme song when he led the house band at Machito's. Fun and flashy salsa tune that goes through all 12 keys and features everyone in the band.

Moanin'

Charles Mingus, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

One of Charles Mingus's best known compositions, features bari sax.

Mr. Clean Teeth

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original composition taking themes and ideas from Chick Corea, Roy Hargrove and others.

My Romance

Richard Rodgers, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Deconstruction of the original standard, presented as a theme and variations representing a commentary on romance. I promise I wasn't upset when I wrote this, and it's worth noting that I am happily married.

New N'Awlins

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original composition using a modern take on traditional New Orleans jazz ideas.

Night Music

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original composition highly influenced by John Hollenbeck and David Morgan.

Pithecanthropus Erectus

Charles Mingus, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Charles Mingus composition poking fun at the "primitive" nature of his music.

Sabor

Joao Donato, arr. Ryan Erik Adamsons

Arrangement of a salsa standard with reharmonization to create changes that utilize the diminished cycle. Score features optional notated rhythm section parts.

Sandero

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Original composition mixing traditional cha cha and hip hop grooves. Small group version was winner of 2015 Jazz Palettes Composition Contest sponsored by the American Jazz Museum.

WEB

Ryan Erik Adamsons

Rhythmic contrafact based on Louis Armstrong's iconic introduction to "West End Blues".