Edition: Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Originally featured in Martin Scorsese's 1977 film of the same name, "New York, New York" has perhaps become the song most associated with Frank Sinatra in the public eye. This version has been heard anywhere and everywhere, ranging from television commercials to being the unofficial theme song of the New York Yankees baseball team.

The arrangement (written by Sinatra's last great arranging collaborator, Don Costa) begins with a now-iconic ensemble riff, performed with a level of bombast appropriate for the "city that never sleeps." The volume dies down for Sinatra's entrance at bar 9, where he is initially only accompanied by the rhythm section before the band begins to slowly build in around him.

The introductory riff is repeated once again as a send-off into a key change. The heavy backbeat in the drums is perhaps intended to call to mind a Broadway-style chorus line as the chart (as well as Sinatra's vocals) continue to build in intensity. A climactic, but brief, ritard at measure 61 leads into the "show-stopper" portion of the arrangement, a bawdy, near half-time melody recap that begins at bar 64. The tempo eventually picks up one last time for the grand finale beginning at bar 76, with the introductory riff coming back once more to bring the song to a rousing conclusion.

This arrangement was written for a full big band with a string section consisting of two violin parts, a viola part and a cello part. The strings play a minor role in this arrangement and are not required. However, if you would like to play this chart as-written, but do not have access to a string section, an optional synthesizer part has been included. There is also an optional percussion part for glockenspiel and timpani. There are no saxophone doubles. We hope you enjoy playing this chart as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you!

This publication is based on the original parts: this is not a transcription.

Full Score
Vocal
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
2 Violins
Viola
Cello
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Percussion: Glockenspiel/Timpani (Optional)
Drums
Synthesizer (Alternate Part for Strings)

Vocal key: D modulating to Eb
Trumpet 1: F6
Trombone 1: Bb4