Partitions pour big bands

W.C. Handy's 'St. Louis Blues' had already entered the pantheon of classic blues melodies when Gil Evans wrote this arrangement in 1958. The album that it appeared on, 'New Bottle, Old Wine,' was a co...

With its hip chord changes and riffy melody, this tune became an instant jazz standard. Ellington's 1933 chart starts out sedately, but quickly shifts gears to swinging figures and modern voicings. Ot...

Arranged by Frank Foster and recorded by Diane Schuur with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1987, Deedles' Blues features an infectious melody with some appropriately sultry lyrics by Los Angeles-based vo...

This grooving shuffle starts with a bang and keeps on building! Tenor Saxes and Trombone 1 and 2 present the catchy melody with the rest of the band joining in. The half time feel of the bridge is a g...

All young jazz musicians need to develop a sense for the blues and this chart gets them started on this essential song form. The infectious melody sets up the journey that includes solid scoring and e...

Just as you'd expect to find at a late night diner, this chart serves up a slow, greasy blues -- according to Doug Beach, the greasier, the better! All is built around a down-home, 12/8 feel with a st...

This straight-ahead shuffle will be a big hit with groups at many levels. For better bands, solid ensemble writing and blues-based changes make it a great solo vehicle. For younger players, it's a gre...