Edition: Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Bolero - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

It should come as no surprise that Nat 'King' Cole's rich baritone voice and the silky smooth sounds of the George Shearing Quintet were a perfect fit for one another. Throw in some delightfully lush orchestral arrangements from Ralph Carmichael, and you get the 1962 masterpiece Nat 'King' Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays, from which this arrangement of Leroy Anderson's Serenata comes.

The arrangement begins with some ominously building strings and fluttering flutes before Cole's vocals enter at measure 5 for the first part of the melody. The tempo remains slowly rubato at first, with the string backgrounds remaining largely simplistic. The Shearing Quintet makes its first appearance for the second half of the melody at measure 21 with a gentle but moderately intricate counter line in their typical block chord style. The return of the flutes at measure 29 add a layer of rich complexity that hasn't been present in the arrangement since the beginning.

A key change occurs at measure 37 for the instrumental portion of the arrangement. During this, the melody is handled by the Shearing Quintet while the flutes and strings largely trade off with each other's counter lines. The key returns to D for Cole's re-entrance at measure 53, with a similar (but not identical) set of accompanying parts underneath. Things take a brief and effectively surprising detour into a minor key at measure 69, with the string and flute writing gently rocking back and forth dynamically before the final post-vocal rubato section at measure 78. This section should move along fairly briskly, with one final Shearing piano interjection at the end to wrap things up.

This arrangement is for studio orchestra with vocal soloist. It is not a transcription - it has been prepared from Ralph Carmichael's original score and the set of parts used during the recording session.

 

Full Score
Vocal
Woodwind 1: Alto Flute/C Flute
Woodwind 2: Alto Flute/C Flute
Woodwind 3: Alto Flute
3 Violins
Viola
Cello
Double Bass (arco)
Guitar
Piano
Bass (pizz)
Vibraphone
Conga Drums
Drum Set

Vocal Key: D