This piece is Paul Gerike's arrangement of Four on the Floor.

Original program note from Four on the Floor.

Four on the Floor is inspired by boogie-woogie.  It is a celebration of American music and American musicians.  The metronome indication for Four on the Floor is 138-144 to the quarter note, a speed verging on breakneck, and breakneck is the theme of the piece—an America that is speeding up faster and faster, jazzing into eternity.

After a short 3-bar introduction, the boogie beat is laid down by the piano.  Its characteristic use of triplets and a “walking bass” in the left hand continues throughout the piece.  A jazzy pizzicato phrase for the three string instruments leads into a slightly slower section which features dialogue between the strings (playing in rhythmic unison) and the piano.  A re- statement of the earlier material is combined with a “ripping” riff.  Breathless solos for each instrumentalist bring Four on the Floor to a boisterous conclusion.

Four on the Floor was commissioned by the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble, and received its premiere in March, 1983.