Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

One of the most famous selections from Victor Herbert's operetta Babes in Toyland, Dave Wolpe's reworking of March of the Toys strikes a perfect balance between nostalgia and creativity.

Beginning with a marching band beat in the drums and a regal fanfare in the brass, the tune eventually finds its primary groove as a medium-up swing. The minor key portion of the melody is handled mostly by the saxophone section, with trumpets and trombones providing biting background figures both with and without plunger mutes. There is a tenor sax solo that peeks through the ensemble writing at measure 49.

Atop a droning note in the trombones and bass, the woodwinds play a gentle theme at measure 72 that shifts the tune into a major key. The brass get more involved melodically during this part, both as a section and individually via a short trombone solo at measure 88. The band continues to build in volume and drive, culminating in the return of the brass fanfare from the beginning that sets up one final roar before the performance comes to a close.

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

 

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones (Alto Saxophone 1 Doubles Clarinet)
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone (Doubles Alto Saxophone)
4 Trumpets
4 Trombones
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set

Trumpet 1: C6
Trombone 1: Bb4