Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Although trumpeter Harry James was best known for his romantic ballads, his bands often displayed a more adventurous and experimental side. This Neal Hefti arrangement from 1948 is a textbook example of James' willingness to embrace the new bebop sounds of the day.

The introduction begins with a gradual swell in dynamics. Although the harmony undergoes several unexpected shifts, the unison line in the brass provides an appealing melody for the listener's ears to gravitate toward. The backgrounds in the saxophones mostly establish the harmony, with the exception of one double-time burst in measure 5. The melody, which sounds more like Dizzy Gillespie than Harry James, is thrown back and forth between unison saxophones and brass. The solo trumpet covers the melody on the bridge at measure 18, followed by one last statement of the A section.

The interlude at measure 34 is highly bombastic, featuring some typical bravura trumpet playing from James over a hard-riffing ensemble. The trumpet soloist plays an improvised half chorus, followed by a brief double-time outburst to set up a saxophone solo for the second half chorus. The exciting shout section at measure 67 does an excellent job of splitting the difference between a classic 1930s big band sound with more modern bebop-style harmonies, and should serve as the emotional climax of the arrangement.

After a unison melody statement from the saxophone section on the bridge, the A section is repeated twice, starting out softly and getting even softer on the second time. The drums set up one final ensemble blast at measure 95, featuring a dramatic bugle-like unison statement from the trumpets and trombones before finishing on one final powerful chord.

This arrangement is for jazz big band with trumpet soloist. This is not a transcription - it has been prepared from the Neal Hefti pencil score and the original set of parts used by the Harry James orchestra. There are no saxophone doubles.

Full Score
Solo Trumpet
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
4 Trombones
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Solo Trumpet: D6
Trumpet 1: C#6
Trombone 1: Bb4