Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Ballad/Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Joe Newman was one of the star soloists of the 'New Testament' era of the Count Basie Orchestra, possessing a style that could best be described as a bebop-tinged update of original Basie hero Harry 'Sweets' Edison's approach. This ballad, written by his musical compatriot Frank Foster, serves as a lovely tribute to the trumpet great that features the entire section, with each player getting a chance to represent a distinct part of Newman's musicianship. This arrangement was recorded by the SWR Big Band in 1996 and released on their album 'A Fresh Taste of Thad Jones and Frank Foster.'

The band launches directly into the melody, which is largely traded back and forth between a Harmon-muted trumpet solo and a flugelhorn solo. The sax and trombone backgrounds, although occasionally complex, should be played in a fairly subtle fashion to not get in the way of the stars in the back row. The trumpets are only given a break on the bridge at measure 17, where a classically arranged sax section handles melody detail. Note how the form contains a built-in tagged figure at the end, as this will be maintained throughout the duration of the piece.

Things break into a sudden double-time feel for the improvised portion of the program at measure 37. First up is 16 measures of un-muted trumpet, followed by 20 measures of flugelhorn, and finally 16 measures of muted trumpet. As the tempo returns to its original ballad feel at measure 89, the volume ramps up a bit as the lead trumpet gets to do a bit of scream work before the melody returns to its more docile roots after a sudden pause at measure 97. The remainder of the arrangement goes back to featuring muted trumpet and flugelhorn working in a semi-cooperative, semi-competitive tandem all the way through the ending, where both play improvised cadenzas over a moody final chord.

This arrangement is for jazz ensemble featuring trumpet section. It is not a transcription - it has been prepared from Frank Foster's original score and the set of parts used during the 1996 recording session.

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets (Trumpet 3 Doubles Flugelhorn)
4 Trombones
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpet 1: G6
Trumpets 3-4: C6
Trombone 1: Bb4