Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Latin - Advanced

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

This intricately crafted Thad Jones arrangement was originally recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1968. Although it has not received as much attention as some of Jones' other works, it is nonetheless an outstanding and forward-looking entry in his vast catalog.

A sneakily ascending introduction in the brass leads into the subtle quasi-beguine tempo that continues throughout the rest of the arrangement before Jones' flugelhorn enters with the melody at measure 7. This melody is one of Jones' loveliest and most disarming, and he plays it with appropriate subtlety and tenderness while accompanied by a series of fairly intricate saxophone and brass backgrounds.

Measure 31 sees an eight bar improvised solo break from Jones over top of a much more involved ensemble section with lots of interlocking parts. The main melody line returns at measure 39, but the ensemble remains just as complex. It is of utmost importance that every instrumentalist knows their role during this section, as even the slightest misstep can throw off Jones' delicately balanced counterpoint.

For the most part, the volume level of the arrangement lives up to its title through this point. This all changes at measure 55, when Jones steps aside to let the band take over the spotlight. This section is bombastic, aggressive, and highly dissonant at times, and requires a very strong brass section in general (and lead trumpet player in particular) to properly execute. Jones re-enters with an improvised solo at measure 69 over an extended vamp that sees the volume and scope of the backgrounds gradually increase before one last ensemble figure sets up an alto saxophone solo at measure 89. The brass enters for the first set of backgrounds at measure 103, with the trumpets and trombones going back and forth with each other before the saxes sneak in with another layer of texture.

Following the alto solo's conclusion, the band returns to the bombastic shout section from before at measure 137. Jones returns at measure 151, but the build up under his solo is much quicker and more dramatic than before. He plays a brief cadenza over a dissonant chord before the ensemble smears up to blast out one final unison note (with accompanying trombone clank) to bring things to a blunt but powerful conclusion.

This arrangement is for jazz big band with flugelhorn soloist. It is not a transcription - it has been prepared from Thad Jones' original score.

Full Score
Solo Flugelhorn
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpets 1 & 2: G6
Trombone 1: D5