Edition: Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

It's doubtful that there could have been any better way for Frank Sinatra to start his classic 1956 album Songs for Swingin' Lovers than with this interpretation of You Make Me Feel So Young. Nelson Riddle's arrangement does a marvelous job capturing the naturally jubilant nature of the tune while throwing in all of his trademark writing tricks, resulting in a piece that is equally satisfying from an artistic and entertainment standpoint.

A simple two-bar brass fanfare is repeated twice for an intro, first in the trumpets at full volume and then by the muted trombones to lower the temperature for Sinatra's arrival. Riddle's triplet-heavy orchestration for the horns is a bit on the busier side during this first melody statement, so all of the figures should be played with a light, breezy feel to complement rather than overwhelm the vocals. The horns combine with a steady two-beat feel in the rhythm section and some gentle string pads to create a musical environment that delights in its natural playfulness.

Sinatra sings the melody a second time beginning at measure 45, where the key modulates up a half step and the arrangement takes on an even brighter quality. The rhythm section switches to a walking feel, while the horn backgrounds discard their initial complexity for a simpler, punchier approach, playing around the vocals rather than directly interacting with them. The volume stays mostly reserved before a brief swell to the tune's climax. The ending few bars are tagged, pulling back the intensity before one final cutesy riff in the trombones and flutes brings things to a crisp finale.

The vocal key starts in Ab and modulates to A. Woodwinds 1-3 have flute doubles (see the contents tab).

This publication was prepared using Nelson Riddle's score - this is not a transcription.

 

Full Score
Vocal
Woodwind 1: Alto Saxophone/Flute
Woodwind 2: Alto Flute/Alto Saxophone/Flute
Woodwind 3: Tenor Saxophone/Flute
Woodwind 4: Tenor Saxophone
Woodwind 5: Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
3 Violins
Viola
Cello
Harp (Optional)
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Percussion: Vibraphone/Chimes
Drum Set

Vocal Key: Ab modulating to A
Trumpet 1: Bb5
Trombone 1: Bb4