Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Jazz Rock - Advanced

Publisher: Walrus Music Publishing

Sassy Strut is one of the many last minute compositions/arrangements I did for a Buddy Rich recording. We were getting ready for what would be our last LP for RCA and I wanted something to feature my friend and guitarist Walt Namuth who was a major part of Buddy's rhythm section at the time. We played this at a gig just before the recording session (with RCA executives in house) and Buddy decided to let Walt "take it out." The crowd went wild so the guitar solo became a feature on the recording with a short and long take. That's the open vamp at measure 129 and after you've had enough guitar, jump back to measure 117 to finish out the solo. It's pretty flexible, so customize it to suit your players.

The band used to joke that the dynamics on this jazz/rock chart were "loud & louder," which is fairly accurate. But you can throw in a mf or two wherever you feel it might work. I've mentioned it many times that I always put in as many instrument doubles (flutes, clarinets, flugelhorns, etc.) in my charts at recording sessions whether they needed the coloring or not so the musicians would get the extra 20% scale. One of the players happened to have a piccolo and so it became a part of the chart. Have fun with it and include as many solos as you need because there are plenty of open sections with or without backgrounds to choose from. BTW this is from my original score and I've added the extra trombone part to accommodate the usual 4 trombone section. Because of range considerations, I've added some alternate notation in the bass trombone and trumpet 1.
- John La Barbera

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones (Alto Sax 1 Optional Piccolo/Flute Double)
2 Tenor Saxophones (Tenor Sax 1 Doubles Soprano Sax)
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Guitar
Piano
Electric Bass
Drum Set

Trumpet 1: F6 (Optional G6)
Trumpet 2: Eb6
Trombone 1: A4