Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Medium

Publisher: Walrus Music Publishing

As a band leader who is tasked with putting together the program/set list/concert I’ve always felt the need for charts that fill a certain gap in programming. We all like to open and close our set with a “barn burner.” We also try to insert a ballad toward the middle of the set to change it up. This leaves “the gap” in our program that really needs to be filled with charts that are NOT barn burners or ballads but rather medium to “up” tempo charts that both provide variety and engage the audience in such a way as to create interest as well as deliver big applause!

I’ve discovered that a well-crafted “story” used as an intro creates a context for the music that allows the listener to engage in the piece and clearly be able to visualize the “story” as the music unfolds. I also believe that if the “story” contains a little humor, it becomes even more effective and engaging.

“Amazon Grace” – The Story: Grace’s older sister, Big Dorothy, left home to attend Julliard School of Music leaving Grace as the only child left at home in Nashville, TN. Grace, unlike Dorothy, loved music even more than her sister. Instead of sports, however, Grace became enamored with the church and, more specifically, the church choir which is where she first heard her favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace.” This led to her interest in gospel music which led to her true calling….jazz! She was even larger than her sister, Dorothy, who was blessed with the long blonde hair in the family. Due to a medical condition, Grace had no hair at all. Grace tried out for band in 7th grade and was given a baritone sax by the band director because it was the only instrument big enough to accommodate her gargantuan size…and they’d already assigned all the bass drum players!

She got her nickname at a very early age when the “mean girls” heard her sing “Amazing Grace” in church and started calling her “Amazon Grace.” That backfired on the “mean girls” because Grace LOVED her new nickname and began to thrive because it changed her self-image. She began to view herself as bigger, stronger, smarter and tougher than any of the kids in school which led to her coordinating all her outfits with a “biker look” including bandanas for her bald head and leather sleeveless vests. Here, then, is “Amazon Grace!”

NOTES for the Director: This is a Bari feature IF your Bari player is male! This was written for my Bari player who is a large guy anyway and who was more than willing to wear a black leather biker’s vest and a bandanna to play the part of Grace. He got a lot of mileage out of the outfit by secretly changing into it while I read the story then appearing as the chorale started the chart.

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set