Rush Hour Samba

Eric Rath

General Info

Year of Published: 2025
Publisher: Tapspace
Difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 00:04:15
Cost: Score and Parts - $48.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Player 1: Chimes
Player 2: Glockenspiel
Player 3: Xylophone
Player 4: Vibraphone 1
Player 5: Vibraphone 2
Player 6: Marimba 1
Player 7: Marimba 2
Player 8: Piano
Player 9: Timpani
Player 10: Bass Guitar
Player 11: Drum Set
Player 12: Brake Drum (High and Low) & Suspended Cymbal
Player 13: Bongos
Player 14: Congas
Player 15: Timbales (with Crash Cymbal & Cowbell) & Mark Tree
Player 16: Shakers (Large and Small)

Program Notes

Rush Hour Samba by Eric Rath is a medium level samba-inspired groove for percussion ensemble. Featuring a large keyboard percussion palette, a full rhythm section, and Latin percussion, this upbeat piece delivers vibrant textures and an infectious energy.

Improvised solo space is built into the Vibraphone 1 part and can be repeated as needed to give more performers a chance to solo. Flexible doubling (or even tripling) across marimba, vibes, and auxiliary percussion makes the piece adaptable to various ensemble sizes. Optional instruments like samba whistle, cuica, shaker, and bongos can be added or substituted to encourage ensemble creativity and maximize participation.

Rush Hour Samba was commissioned as a tribute to Dr. David Bessinger and premiered in 2023 by alumni of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. It’s an exciting and crowd-pleasing piece that invites players to move, groove, and engage the audience.

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Vibraphone

And Now These Three Remain

Percussion Ensemble

Batterie - Percussion Octet
Clave & Sons - 8 to 10 Players
Escape Artist - 6 to 7 Players
Helix (Rath) - 8 to 9 Players
Rechargeable Batterie - Percussion Octet
Vestiges - Mallet Quartet
Rush Hour Samba - 15 Players