Edition: Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Ballad - Medium

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

This is one of a series of arrangements written by Nelson Riddle for Ella Fitzgerald focusing on the Gershwin songbook. These arrangements constitute some of the most famous settings of classic songs for one of the greatest vocalists in American music.

'Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook' was the high point in the series of songbook packages produced by Norman Granz for the Verve label. There had been four such projects beforehand: boxes of songs by Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin preceded it. Granz decided to make the Gershwin box the most ambitious of all of them; 5 LPs plus a 7" limited edition bonus disc that included Riddle arrangements of Gershwin instrumental compositions. This project had the enthusiastic cooperation and participation of lyricist Ira Gershwin who attended the recording sessions and re-wrote lyrics for the occasion.

Ella begins this arrangement singing the seldom-heard verse initially accompanied by the harp and subsequently joined by the strings. The woodwinds and brass enter and build up to the point of the beginning of the chorus. Trombone 1 receives a 4-bar cameo solo before the vocalist re-enters to close out the arrangement.

This arrangement was prepared using Nelson Riddle's original pencil score - this is not a transcription. The vocal key is Bb.

 

 

Full Score
Vocal
Woodwind 1: Clarinet/Flute
Woodwind 2: Clarinet/Flute
Woodwind 3: Clarinet/Flute
Woodwind 4: Oboe/Clarinet
Woodwind 5: Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Horn in F
4 Trombones
3 Violins (10 players)
Viola (3 players)
Cello (3 players)
Harp
Guitar
Piano/Celeste
Acoustic Bass
Percussion: Bells/Vibraphone
Drum Set

Vocal Key: Bb
Trombone 1: G4