Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz at Lincoln Center

Whereas most of Benny Golson's big band music has a lot for the ensemble to do, this piece is one where the soloists rule. Commissioned for and produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2001, Straw Boss reveals Golson's command of large structures that don't lose the spontaneity of the best small group jazz.

The form of the piece is simple: a 32-bar chorus revolving essentially around two chords: Bb and Gb, and Eb and Cb. There are a handful of interludes and transitions, but the essence of this piece lives in how much the soloists can make out of the harmonic structure. To make the piece come off at its best, the soloists should pace themselves over the long solos. It helps to think about telling a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and the end does not always have to be the most intense part of the story. Study extended solos performed by jazz masters and take note of how they structure particularly long ones.

Full Score
Solo Tenor Sax
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
5 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Acoustic/Electric Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpet 1: Eb6
Trombone 1: Bb4