Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Swing - Medium

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

An appropriately titled song if ever there was one, Paul Weston's arrangement of Irving Berlin's Lazy provides an easygoing, carefree setting for vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. Even on the few occasions where the volume picks up, the feel should remain pleasantly easygoing in every aspect of your ensemble's performance.

A back-and-forth horn fanfare kicks things off before the tempo settles into a gently swinging pulse for Fitzgerald's entrance at measure 5. The backgrounds are simple, but have some nice variety to them as they are passed around between the horn sections. The ensemble gets a brief moment to shine once Fitzgerald initially wraps up at measure 37 with a rollicking, but relaxed, shout chorus before handing the spotlight off to an 8 bar muted trumpet solo. Fitzgerald returns for the second half of the melody at measure 53, initially accompanied by just the rhythm section to thin the ensemble sound out for a moment. The horn backgrounds at measure 61 are copied from earlier in the performance, but with the trumpets added on top to beef things up a bit. The introductory back-and-forth is re-used in slightly modified fashion for an ending, with a warm brass figure concluding things atop some held tones in the saxes.

This publication was prepared using the original set of parts from the 1958 recording session - this is not a transcription.

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

Vocal Key: Bb
Trumpet 1: C6
Trombone 1: Bb4