Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Performed and recorded live on multiple occasions in 1966 by Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (most likely with Jimmy Jones playing piano), this arrangement of Cole Porter's Let's Do It has a couple unique features going for it. First off, it was a fairly rare example of the Ellington band recording an arrangement written by someone other than Ellington or Billy Strayhorn (in this case, arranging duties were handled by the veteran Marty Paich). Second, it is almost as much a trumpet feature as it is a vocal feature, as Cootie Williams' signature plunger muted sound provides fills behind Fitzgerald's vocals throughout.

After a rubato vocal and piano interpretation of the verse, a medium swing tempo kicks in beginning at measure 15. The backgrounds are simple and bluesy, but do a good job of complimenting the song's infamously bawdy and suggestive lyrics.

The proceedings begin to ratchet up in intensity beginning at measure 49 with a series of key changes (from F to Ab at measure 49, from Ab to A at measure 57, and finally from A to Bb at measure 75) and stop-time solo breaks for the vocalist. The final breaks in measures 71 through 74 set up a shift to a backbeat in the drums, which only serves to ramp up the chart's innate raunchiness.

The arrangement gets comedic at measure 83 where the vocalist is allowed to improvise their own lyrics based around a simple melody line. Topical humor is highly encouraged; Fitzgerald’s performance included references to Sonny and Cher and James Bond, among others. This all leads up to the final ensemble blast at measure 95, with the vocalist holding out one final “love” over the top of the ensemble’s dynamic harmonic shifts before a final sour brass chord and bluesy sax riff.

This arrangement is for female vocal soloist with jazz big band. This is not a transcription - it has been prepared from Paich's original score. The vocal key starts in F and modulates up to Bb.

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

Vocal Key: F Modulating to Bb
Trumpet 1: Eb6
Trombone 1: Bb4