Edition: Jazz Nonet Arrangement

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

(from the performance notes by Jeffrey Sultanof):
Except for a rare few, historians now consider The Miles Davis Nonet one of the most important ensembles in the history of jazz. Certainly such composers as Shorty Rogers, Andre Previn, Marty Paich, John Graas, Jack Montrose, Manny Albam and Andre Hodeir were heavily influenced by the nonet, as their music shows.

Happily, many of the original parts of the sides recorded, plus parts for other compositions and arrangements for this ensemble, were discovered in three cartons of music that Miles Davis put into storage in Philadelphia and reclaimed after his death. In 2002, my edition of 12 scores from the repertoire of this ensemble was published by the Hal Leonard Corporation. An article detailing the editing process and errata in the folio itself will be published by the Journal of Jazz Studies in 2010.

These Jazzlines Publications are extensively re-edited, and I now consider these new editions definitive.

Godchild is identified on the parts as Wallington's Godchild. This was a very popular jazz tune in 1949. Several big bands had an arrangement of it in their books. Mulligan not only wrote this version for the nonet, but created a setting for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra in 1948. Mulligan did not like heaviness in his music, a key reason why he led an ensemble without a piano for many years. So lightness is the key word when rehearsing and playing this piece. Gerry also did not like his music played too fast, so please observe the tempo on the original nonet recording. All of the nonet pieces can be opened up for solos, and I encourage the band director to let the musicians blow!

Lastly, alternate parts have been included in the event that you don't have access to a horn in F or tuba. A trumpet 2 part has been included as a substitute for the horn and the tuba part may be played by a bass trombone.

Alto Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet
Horn in F (or Trumpet 2)
Trombone
Tuba (or Bass Trombone)
Piano
Bass
Drums