Surfboard was written during the bossa nova explosion of the 1960s by Antonio Carlos Jobim, the world-renowned Brazilian composer and piano player. Jobim happened to be in Los Angeles making a record when he was taken by a friend to the nearby Malibu Surfrider Beach. He was so inspired by the scene there that he bought a surfboard to take back to Brazil as a present for his son. This instrumental number was presumably written shortly thereafter. It has since been re-recorded by many different artists, including Sergio Mendes (with will.i.am) and Stereolab (with Herbie Mann).
In this adaptation for intermediate to younger percussion ensembles, Murray Gusseck lays the groundwork for players to focus on the polyrhythmic four over three aspect of the melody while not requiring technique beyond 2-mallets. That, along with the tune's overall chromatic nature, make it a good etude for less-experienced players as they learn to navigate the white and black keys while rhythmically playing over the barlines. Basic samba rhythms and a clever meter change before the recapitulation make for a catchy, groovy, memorable piece for percussion ensemble!
Surfboard comes as a full, bound score and includes all individual parts available for printing on the included CD-ROM.
Full Instrumentation:
glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, 4.3-octave marimba (low A) shared by 2 players), 3 timpani, hi-hat, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, snare drum, high/low tom toms, claves, small/large cowbells, tambourine, samba whistle (or other whistle like a police whistle).
