Fanta Orange Blues is a jazz-influenced contemporary solo piece by Cameron Lee Simpson. It distinguishes itself through complex rhythmic syncopations fused with a traditional blues harmonic language.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse; polyrhythms that have to lock together without sounding mechanical; and sharp dynamic and character contrasts held together in one arc.
The performer must navigate the polyrhythms between the hands while maintaining a relaxed, improvisational feel.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Fanta Orange Blues is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Fanta Orange Blues lasts about 4 minutes.
Fanta Orange Blues is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Clock Tower Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson, 24th Street Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson, Cinema Rag by Cameron Lee Simpson — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.