Please click here to read our April Jazz Publishing newsletter, sent on April 17th.

APRIL NOTES: (April 23rd Update) Our latest Jazz Lines Publications new releases are two more from the Count Basie Orchestra and one from longtime Basie associate Ernie Wilkins. The new A.K. Salim arrangement for the Count Basie Orchestra is best known under the title 'Blee Blop Blues', but was originally recorded and released under the title 'Normani' in 1949. It would become a staple entry in the Basie band's live performance catalog in the 1950s, where its bebop-influenced melody and harmonies would serve as a uniquely modernized show-stopper. One of the first arrangements he wrote for the Count Basie Orchestra, Neal Hefti's 'Fawncy Meeting You' features his textbook riff-based arranging style infused with a few bebop-influence twists. It's an arrangement that works well at several different tempos, so feel free to experiment in order to find what speed best fits your group. 'Broadway' has been a cornerstone jazz standard since the Count Basie Orchestra's recording in 1940. This arrangement was written by longtime Basie arranger Ernie Wilkins for Wilkins' 1960 album Here Comes the Swingin' Mr. Wilkins, and is a short but sweet foray that provides several unique moments that help it stand out from the many other covers this tune has received over the years.

Also new is Frank Sinatra's 1944 version of 'Ol' Man River', as arranged by Axel Stordahl. A lot has been written and said about Sinatra and this song; from his performance of it in the 1946 film Till the Clouds Roll that was beloved by co-writer Jerome Kern to his allegedly bringing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to tears with it during the civil rights era. It's been said that Sinatra believed that this song was a great fit for him to really let his vocal skills shine. As Sinatra was a lifelong fighter of all forms of racism and bigotry, it's likely that the combination of emotion he could summon and skill he could display for 'Ol' Man River' were such a powerful combo that the song stayed with him for many decades, through the various very different stages of his career. Stordahl and Sinatra certainly worked well together, and this earlier highlight is a wonderful example of the emotive power Sinatra could bring to a song.

Quite possibly one of the most famous recordings of the 20th Century, Percy Faith's 'Theme from "A Summer Place"' arrangement helped usher in the burgeoning lounge scene in the United States. It was released in September 1959 as a Columbia Records single before the November 1959 release of the film A Summer Place. In February 1960 it became a number one hit and went on to set a record of nine consecutive weeks at number one (a record later broken in 1977). In 1961 Faith won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year for his recording. 

We also have two more new Joe Newman small group arrangements. The longtime Count Basie trumpet star recorded a series of small group albums beginning in 1954 and our latest two are sextet charts from these sessions on 'I Never Knew' and 'Sidewalks of New York' as penned by Ernie Wilkins.

Michele Fernández shows her Latin expertise in a new high-energy and sizzling arrangement of 'My Favorite Things' for jazz ensemble. It's a wonderful new take on a timeless melody, sure to be a favorite with all audiences, and an impressive choice for contest or festival. 

BAKER'S JAZZ & MORE 2024 NEW ISSUES: We have just added all six of these in traditional paper or PDF download form, and they all are right below. Paul Baker's company publishes some of the most popular charts in the educational market, as well as some charts that are just flat-out excellent, so we heartily encourage taking a look at these; please click here to view all six.

NEW PDF DOWNLOADABLE ARRANGEMENTS NOTES: (April 23rd Update) The latest Basie as well as the six new charts from Baker's Jazz & More give us 14 new PDF choices for April right below. We also added 13 new ones in March; please click here to view all PDF downloadable arrangements brand new to our site in March.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS: Sammy Nestico's 'Hayburner' has become one of the best-known entries in the sizable library of the Count Basie Orchestra for good reason. Largely through-composed, its easygoing melody pairs perfectly with a hard-driving sense of swing to produce unforgettable results. This publication is based on the original set of parts used by the Basie band on its 1968 recording Basie, Straight Ahead. Another recent highlight is Jimmy Mundy's wild 'Ol' Man River' chart. Mundy's show-stopping take has an interesting and surprisingly long-winded origin story. It was initially conceived and arranged as a drum feature for Buddy Rich who was playing with Eddie Condon in 1949. Condon and Rich performed this live on TV for Condon's Floor Show (March 19, 1949). The chart was refined and developed over the next decade or so before making its way into the library of the Count Basie Orchestra to serve as a feature for drummer Sonny Payne. We also recently released one of Louis Armstrong's most beloved pieces, 'What a Wonderful World'.

Please click here to view these and many more new ones in our March New Arrangements pages.