My Funny Valentine (Rodgers/ Hart) - arranged for trombone quartet by Richard Cross - duration: 3'45'' recorded on CD by Bones Apart trombone quartet.

As performed live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Commonwealth Radio

A glowing introduction opens the arrangement, leading into the hauntingly beautiful song. The parts blend in embracingly thick homogeny, over which the melody sings sweetly.  Although the music is played at a slow tempo, the accompanying parts create a feeling of slow, gentle fluidity by their rhythmic and harmonic movements. After the first sounding of the theme, the tempo pushes forward into a smooth, jazzier section. The top part plays written-out lyrical jazz lines, flowing seamlessly over the rich chords of the subtly pulsating ensemble. The feel and texture of the music changes several times during the course of the section, bringing with it the opportunity for different players to take the lead.
The tempo is once again shifted upwards and a highly charged groove section follows, over which the main theme is played energetically in duet by the top two parts. The "middle eight" section of the theme is subdued but soon grows expansively, leading into a powerful climax, projected in octaves, at the height of the theme. Any remaining tension is melted away by mellow, soft chords, bringing the arrangement to a timeless close.