Quint's Jam, composed by RAMON ROPER is the evocative title of the main musical theme recurring in different ways throughout U & Me & Tennessee.Based on the clash between 5/4 and 3/4 time signatures, with sweeping, bravura passages. this original piano duet is alternately delightful, insistent, bustling and unexpectedly brutal.

You will soon be able to listen to it from this page!

RAMON ROPER - Composer

Ramon was born in England and received his musical education at Trinity College of Music, London (now Trinity Guildhall).

Early works include Triptych for Horn & Piano (written for Ifor James), Wings (s song cycle for Soprano & Piano written for April Cantello), and Fanfares & Canzonettes for Double Bass & Harp (commissioned by Bronwen Naish).

In 1970, Ramon was one of the founders of the East Anglian New Music Society - devoted to performances of composers based in and around that area. The society's patron was Gordon Cross. Numerous new works were premiered and toured between Ipswich, Colchester, Bury St. Edmonds, Norwich, Cambridge and London. All Ramon's earlier pieces were performed again under the banner of the E.N.M.S., as well as a new song cycle for Baritone and Piano - Awake, My Lute - settings of poems by Sir Thomas Wyatt.

In 1974 Ramon moved to Scotland, where he co-founded the Theatre of Light and Shadow, for whom he wrote a lot of incidental music including A Tudor Suite (for Medieval Jug Band!), and The Jackdaw (a setting of the poem by William Cowper, for Countertenor, Oboe & Harpsichord.

After a year as Composer-in-Residence at Dunfermline College of Physical Education, Ramon became a Music Lecturer at the Glasgow Arts Centre, where he was commissioned to write two chamber operas, The Selfish Giant and The Pied Piper. Both these shows toured widely to schools after their initial runs at the G.A.C. Other works composed at this time: 5 Bagatelles for Double Bass & Piano and Evolution - a ballet sequence for a male and a female dancer and chamber orchestra. Ramon has an abiding interest in dance music, often working as an accompanist for dance classes over the years.

Recent music includes Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano, Star Dances (for orchestra) and Fanfare for Spokane (for large orchestra), written for the world Subud Conference in 1997 and performed by the Spokane Symphony under Lucas Richmann.

In 2001 Ramon decided to train as a Suzuki teacher, and he now teaches piano by the method. This affords him time and opportunities to compose for that medium, as well as the space to create more challenging and complex work like Quint's Jam.

Ramon writes: "Quint's Jam began life a number of years ago as an improvisation in 5/4 time for dance. Paul Birchard's ongoing fascination with the piece led me to rework and expand it, eventually changing it into a duet for piano! The influences? Well, Jazz, Javanese Gamelan music and Ravel, I suppose..."

Ramon lives in Glasgow with his partner Sheena Coia, a wonderful teacher of violin according to the Suzuki method.