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In terms of the piece’s origins: When I began sketching the piece, I happened to improvise a lively, angular theme based on a 12-bar blues progression, and thought it would be a fun and interesting challenge to write a set of variations based on that progression, thinking about the many colors available for these three instruments. I have always been interested in exploring the idea that the variation form, in essence, is often used in jazz and blues; and that I might be able to explore the connections between jazz and concert music through such a set of variations. While some of the sections sound specifically “bluesy”, in general, the piece uses the theme and its underlying harmonic pattern as a taking-off point for a varied range of moods and textures: playful, lyrical, mysterious, boisterous. – Gerald Cohen