Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Advanced

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

NEWLY ENGRAVED EDITION FOR 2019!

Written for a since-closed jazz club, Carmelo's by the Freeway is one of Bob Florence's most beloved arrangements. Between its simple but catchy melody, warm harmonic progression and exciting shout choruses, it's not hard to see why that's the case.

The introduction features a nice harmonic contrast between the descending horns and ascending bass line before settling in to a few warm woodwind and trombone pads. This introduction gets re-used before each solo section as well, so be sure to keep a similar approach every time it comes up. The A section of the melody (at measure 13) is handled by tenor sax and muted trumpet. The backgrounds start out as a handful of brass, with the saxes joining in to fill the sound up on the second A. The saxes handle the bridge at measure 30, followed by the brass joining in at measure 46.

The first ensemble shout chorus commences at measure 66. It is very much in the Count Basie mold, and should be performed as softly and relaxed as possible. Florence then steals a page from the Woody Herman book at measure 98, with a "Four Brothers" influenced sax quartet soli with some subtle trombone hits underneath. The altos end up joining back in at measure 114 before the introduction makes its first re-appearance at measure 130. A tenor sax solo commences at measure 134, followed by a trumpet solo at measure 198. The backgrounds are the same behind each soloist, and consist of quick, short hits on the A sections and more sustained pads on the bridges.

The melody gets a teaser re-appearance at measure 258 following the trumpet solo, but this is really just a set-up for a climactic and hard-swinging shout chorus. The melody peaks its head up once more at measure 306 for a moment before dissipating back into shout chorus. Just as things start to grow even more, the bottom drops out at measure 332. A simple, sparse piano solo sets up a new 4-bar harmonic motif, with each section (saxes, then trombones, then trumpets) layering on top of each other until the chart reaches its climax at measure 357. Some quick riffs at measure 371 frame a series of solo drum fills, all leading up to a tension-filled full ensemble chord, followed by one last blast to wrap things up.

Both alto saxes double on flute, and alto 1 doubles on soprano sax. There is also a second baritone sax part. This is not a transcription - it has been prepared from a set of parts in Bob Florence's library.

Full Score
Woodwind 1: Alto Sax/Soprano Sax/Flute
Woodwind 2: Alto Sax/Flute
Woodwind 3: Tenor Sax
Woodwind 4: Tenor Sax
Woodwind 5: Baritone Sax
Woodwind 6: Baritone Sax
5 Trumpets (Trumpets 1 and 2 Double on Flugelhorn)
4 Trombones
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpets 1 & 3: G6
Trombone 1: Bb5