Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Latin/Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Anita O'Day teamed up with arranger supreme Billy May for two albums in the late 1950s, each dedicated to the music of a composer from the Great American Songbook. This arrangement of "Love For Sale," appropriately enough, came from the 1959 sessions that eventually became "Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May."

The arrangement begins at a brisk pace with a churning Latin groove. The plunger-wielding trombones offer up the first line of horn accompaniment under the vocals at measure 5, alternating back and forth between open and closed in a slightly non-traditional way. Notice how May alters the harmony during this part (and other A sections throughout the arrangement) in order to produce a more major-key sound. Due to the tempo and groove, most of the backgrounds during the first statement of the melody are more rhythmic in nature, and rarely do they become too lengthy or complex, minus a few quick sax lines around measure 23.

The full horn section finally comes together at measure 51 for a fanfare that signals a significant change four measures later - the key switches from Eb minor to G minor, and the groove shifts from Latin to straight ahead swing. The backgrounds, too, become a little more linear and less syncopated. The intensity during this part should also ramp up a notch as well, although the more range-intense trumpet parts should help make this a natural transition.

Just as things seem to be ramping up for an all-out climax, there is an implied drop to half-time at measure 83 that creates a wonderfully thrilling sensation that things are about to collapse in on themselves. A key change back to the original Eb minor and a shift back to a Latin groove at measure 91 prevent this collapse from happening, however. A slightly bebop-y trumpet line sets up an actual drop to half-time for the grand finale at measure 106, concluding with an ominous trumpet fanfare and somewhat nervous sounding chord that is wrapped up with a screaming brass rip and rhythm section thud.

This publication has been prepared from the set of parts used during the recording session and Billy May's original pencil score - this is not a transcription.

 

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

Trumpet 1: F6
Trumpet 2: E6 (opt. F6)
Trombone 1: Bb4