Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

One of the staple charts of the Bob Florence Limited Edition's book, Be Bop Charlie was released on their album Concerts by the Sea. Its title is a slight misnomer, for while the arrangement features plenty of bebop-inspired cues, it's also deeply rooted in the style of West Coast big band swing as pioneered by the orchestras of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton.

The tone is set by a bombastic 16 measure introduction featuring the ensemble playing at full volume before everything drops down suddenly and significantly for the melody at measure 17. Said melody is initially handled by the tenor and baritone saxophones, and features an ample amount of space around some very simple riffs. Those spaces are filled in on the repeat by a unison trombone counter line. The saxes and brass engage in some more call and response at measure 57, with the saxes offering some sustained tones above the more rhythmic brass figures.

This back and forth continues for the final part of the melody, with the sax figures becoming a bit more disjointed to match the brass at measure 73. The sax section takes the spotlight over for themselves for a bit beginning at measure 89, with a soli section featuring a pleasant mix of jolting syncopations and corkscrewing triplets. A sharp brass figure announces the shift to a focus on solos at measure 121 - a chorus a piece for tenor sax and trombone, both featuring the same set of simple but effective backgrounds to prod them on.

The introduction is re-used to wrap up the solo section and set up the melody's return at measure 273, this time with all the horns getting in on the fun. A sense of tension underpins this melody statement, gradually building to some screaming trumpets and an ascending figure in the rest of the band announcing a key change for the melody's finale at measure 305. To add to the energy, the drums shift to a hard-driving back beat at this point. The chart ends similarly to how it begins - a condensed version of the introductory riff, a drum fill, and a final ensemble blast that ends things on a surprisingly dissonant note.

This newly engraved edition comes from Bob Florence's original parts and includes a complete score.

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones (Alto Saxophone 1 Doubles Soprano Saxophone)
2 Tenor Saxophones
2 Baritone Saxophones
5 Trumpets
4 Trombones
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpet 1: F6
Trombone 1: Bb4