Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Evans's treatment of the vaudeville-era popular song Margie begins with a more contemporary feel, as the trumpets and saxes both take turns playing some bebop-influenced lines on the introduction. The performance eventually settles into a more traditional Dixieland-style backbeat once the melody commences at measure 9, initially performed by unison saxes before the brass join in for some call and response a few measures later.

The melody's conclusion sees the first of this arrangement's multiple key changes. Occurring at measure 43, this initial shift marks the beginning of a chorus of alto saxophone with minimal backgrounds. The brass blow a firm wake-up call to the rest of the horns at the pickups to measure 75, where the arrangement's key changes once more for a shout chorus that is largely an expanded-upon variation of the tune's melody. Watch for the subtle rhythmic displacement in the a capella sax section line at measure 89. The extended tag used for the arrangement's ending features some surprising unexpected harmonic shifts, ending with a fake-out final lick in the saxes that precedes the actual conclusion, a quick snare drum hit.

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

Trumpet 1: Eb6
Trombone 1: Db5