Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Funk - Medium

Publisher: Walrus Music Publishing

As a band leader who is tasked with putting together the program/set list/concert I’ve always felt the need for charts that fill a certain gap in programming. We all like to open and close our set with a “barn burner.” We also try to insert a ballad toward the middle of the set to change it up. This leaves “the gap” in our program that really needs to be filled with charts that are NOT barn burners or ballads but rather medium to “up” tempo charts that both provide variety and engage the audience in such a way as to create interest as well as deliver big applause!

I’ve discovered that a well-crafted “story” used as an intro creates a context for the music that allows the listener to engage in the piece and clearly be able to visualize the “story” as the music unfolds. I also believe that if the “story” contains a little humor, it becomes even more effective and engaging.

“Ichabod IV, Slayer of Funk” – The Story: As we all know from the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ichabod Crane disappeared, never to be seen again in Sleepy Hollow. One local legend has it that he was killed in the surrounding forest by the ghost of a Hessian soldier known as The Headless Horseman. The other theory was that he was scared out of his mind by a series of pranks playing on his fear of the supernatural which drove him permanently out of town.

It was later discovered that Ichabod was not killed and eventually resurfaced in Schenectady, NY where he reinvented himself as a music historian and a highly respected genealogist. His meticulous tracing of the Crane family tree uncovered his earliest known relative, The Little Drummer Boy. This family history coupled with his fascination with music was passed down through multiple generations of the Crane clan and, as a result, the surname of Crane became famous in Schenectady’s musical culture.

Fast forward to today. The Great, Great, Great Grandson of Ichabod Crane was named Ichabod, the Fourth (IV) who feverishly carried on the Crane musical legacy by becoming one of the finest sax players in the state. An interesting side note: Ichabod’s Aunt Martha later moved to Nashville to marry an interesting character named Max Munchak. This union fostered a whole other branch of musicians in the family tree dating all the way back to The Little Drummer Boy!

His playing on funk tunes became legendary so much so that he soon became known as “Ichabod IV, Slayer of Funk!”

This is an alto feature and appears on the Alto II part as it was written for my second alto player. This part can be switched with the Alto I part if necessary.

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set