Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Latin - Advanced

Publisher: Walrus Music Publishing

In 1974 with the success of Bill Watrous's first album for Columbia records, The Manhattan Wildlife Refuge, Bill and producer John Hammond asked me to write something in a Latin/jazz vein as a follow-up to my arrangement of Chic Corea's Spain, which was well-received on that first record. That resulted in The Tiger of San Pedro which became the title song of that album and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Twenty nine years later when preparing for my first recording under my own name, On the Wild Side, I decided to include Tiger because, for some unknown reason, Columbia Records had not re-issued Bill's albums on CD and I wanted this work to be exposed to a newer generation.

As with most composers, how a musical idea materializes and crystallizes is a mystery to me and is the beauty of composition. I will say that the title comes from the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge in which the story line revolves around Central American and Spanish characters and locales. I've always been a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and I've used the stories as titles of many of my works. Maybe I'm endeared to Holmes because in the stories, he was an improviser, creating original melodies on his Stradivarius violin.

Performance/rehearsal notes: The piccolo part may be played on flute (as written) as an option or, if necessary, eliminated all together. In measure 84, make sure to exaggerate the trumpets & piccolo hit on the down beat and the rest of the ensemble on beat 2. The open section at 85 can be for any solo instrument but I've put the changes in the solo bone part and tenor parts. This is a very flexible section and the percussion can be expanded or delegated to a dedicated percussion player or section...be creative and make it your own. Pay close attention to the accents in the saxes and rhythm at the section starting at measure 93. Also, all solo sections can be opened.

-John La Barbera

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones (Alto 1 Doubles Flute or Piccolo)
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
4 Trombones
Electric Piano
Electric Bass
Drum Set

Trumpet 1: F6
Trombone 1: A4