17th March 2026 Marryat Hall
Supported by the Cookie Matheson Trust 
Participants were 10 senior students from Dundee schools playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. The aim of the workshop was to develop ensemble playing and improvisation through worksing on a quartet arrangements of swing and blues.
The participants worked together on an arrangment of Satin Doll and improvisations on Duke Ellington’s C Jam Blues.
“What an opportunity to sit and work with these guys at that level.”
To develop the performance of Satin Doll, Martin demonstrated the art of swing through dynamics as well as syncopation.
"Also Martin was speaking about holding the notes for their exact value not like making them too short or making them too long it’s like feeling the beat as well, especially when playing jazz. "
Improvisation on C Jam Blues started with working on the blues scale and then incorporating this into solos for each of the participants. This led on to a second set of improvisations based on chord progression.
“The saxophone choir was the best part, hearing everyone play -- it was like you could hear people around you listening to you, knowing what you were doing, not just you, you can hear everyone’s different parts. It really opened your ears.”
The workshop concluded with performances by Steven and Martin of an improvisation and two arrangements.
“The pieces that they played at the end, it was such a subtle way to end the workshop.”
Flollowing the workshop a quartet of participants performed Satin Doll at a concert at the Morgan Academy and all participants committed to the continuation of their Saxophone Choir
You can watch videos from the workshop here
Satin Doll performance C Jam Blues improvisations
