Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Ballad - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

The most famous and frequently covered portion of "Black, Brown and Beige," "Come Sunday" is without a doubt the best example of a jazz hymn. There should be a sense of reverence and awe throughout the performance of this movement, regardless of volume, tempo or feel.

The beginning of the movement is taken at an extremely slow, almost quasi-rubato tempo. It is largely a brass chorale, with some occasional interjections from the woodwinds. Several of the brass instruments get brief but noteworthy solo lines during this section, which should stand out from the rest of the ensemble as much as possible without resorting to excessive volume or force.

Interestingly enough, the full melody is never stated until the end of the piece, but bits and pieces come up at several points throughout the arrangement. The first main melody statement comes from Lawrence Brown's trombone at measure 12. The tempo remains dirge-like at first, but it gradually accelerates over the next several bars as the ensemble dramatically swells underneath. A full-powered trumpet fanfare sets up a woodwind soli at a new, brighter tempo at measure 22.

This soli eventually tails off for the entrance of Ray Nance's violin at measure 33, which takes center stage for a significant portion of the rest of the movement. It is important for all ensemble musicians to err on the side of caution when it comes to volume in order to not overwhelm the violin soloist. As the arrangement continues, gradually Lawrence Brown's trombone and Cootie Williams' plunger-muted trumpet join in with subtle yet highly effective counter-lines underneath Nance, adding a stunning layer of texture and depth. The written violin solo has been cued in the clarinet part in the event that a violinst is not available.

A brief and somewhat ominous growling plunger section in the brass at measure 57 marks the conclusion of Nance's portion of the program. A brief piano cadenza sets up the appearance of the full melody at last at measure 64, played with incomparable taste by alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Most of the backgrounds underneath the melody come in the form of trombone pads, with a brief woodwind counter line adding a little subtle depth at measure 73. The woodwinds bring the arrangement to a close after Hodges' full melody statement with one last barely audible chorale at measure 80.

Full Score
Violin (cued in clarinet part)
2 Alto Saxophones
Clarinet
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Chimes/Drums

Trumpet 1: B5
Trombone 1: C5