Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing/Ballad - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

This appropriately titled final section of "Black, Brown and Beige" serves as a sort of musical curtain call for the entirety of the Ellington band. Multiple allusions are made to previous movements, certain key soloists get to take their bows, and the entire movement has a decidedly concluding feel to it.

A brief tag from the end of "Sugar Hill Penthouse" sets up a brisk tempo brass section feature that ultimately climaxes in a dramatically triumphant fanfare at measure 15. After a drastic drop in tempo and a brief Ellington piano cadenza, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges briefly recaps the melody from "Come Sunday" at measure 25. This section is taken at a quasi-rubato tempo, but should be played extremely slowly, with some brief obbligato trumpet accompaniment from Ray Nance and some chime-like intones from Ellington.

Yet another Ellington solo interlude sets up the next in-tempo section, where the trombones and baritone saxophone carry an intricate counter line to the trumpet and woodwind melody. This counter line, despite its "notiness," should be played with a very heavy-handed and labored approach in order to stick out as much as possible.

Ellington pulls a little trickery by starting off the final section at a relaxed swing tempo with some genteel horn figures, but ultimately shifts to a much brighter tempo at measure 60 for yet another "Come Sunday" recap, this time handled by the brass. The movement (and the suite as a whole) comes to an appropriately thrilling and triumphant climax beginning at measure 75, where some high-note trumpet acrobatics soar over the top of the final ensemble salvo.

Finale begins at 11:06 in the below clip.

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones (Tenor 1 Doubles Clarinet)
Baritone Saxophone (Doubles Clarinet and Bass Clarinet)
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpet 1: G6
Trumpet 2: D6
Trombone 1: A4