Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra

Marketed as The King of Jazz, Paul Whiteman led an orchestra that was more of a
theatre pit orchestra than what would later become the standard jazz orchestra.
However, because of the way he was marketed, the American popular music industry put
him as a central figure in the late 1920s. The music, however, combined the jazz sound
emerging in the 1920s within the context of a theatre orchestra setting that included
trumpets, cornet, trombones, alto saxes, bari sax, violins, piano, bass, banjo, tuba,
drums, and ensemble and solo vocalists.
Changes November 1927
Personnel: Walter Donaldson, comp.; Bill Challis, arr.; Bing Crosby, vocal; Bix
Beiderbecke, cornet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 5as (3 w/ bari), 4vn, p, bj, tba, b, d, 6mvoc.
Commentary: The introduction composed for this piece is interesting because
it uses a series of descending steps which are sequenced 4 times, each repetition
leaping up a perfect fourth. This sound is rather spooky, suggesting that the music to
come might be minor/diminished sounding. This, however is not the case. Once the 8
bar introduction is complete, the music reaches a major tonality and the melody begins.
This piece is really divided into two distinct sections. The first section comprises
the first half of the tune that is purely instrumental. It includes the introduction
described above followed by the entire form of the piece (32 measures), which takes a left
turn during the last 2 bars in order to setup an instrumental shout chorus complete
with heavy brass punctuations. This 16 measure shout serves as the introductory
material to the second section of the piece. The first section is diagramed as follows:
Intro [instr] (8), A [bari/strings] (8), A [bari/strings] (8), B [trpt/bari/strings] (8), A
[bari] (6), Trans [instr] (6), Shout [instr/brass] (16)
The melody in this section is passed around among instruments, first played by
the bari sax and the string section during the A sections, then traded between the
trumpets, bari, and strings at the bridge. The bari takes the last A section, and the alto
saxes and violin begin the transition. Heavy brass punctuations fill out the shout
chorus, which serves as the transition to the second section of the piece.
Section two of this piece begins with the male vocalists entering with the melody
and words to the tune. The vocalists sing the entire form of the piece (32 bars). Bing
Crosby then enters with a solo vocal line for 16 measures (A sections), backed up by the
oohs & aahs of the other male vocalists. Bix Beiderbecke takes a 16 measure trumpet
solo over the A section changes. This transitions the piece back to the instrumentalists
who take the bridge, which is repeat of their bridge from the beginning of the tune. They
band then finishes out the last A section of the piece which becomes rubato for the last
few bars. This section is diagramed as follows:

A [vox] (8), A [vox] (8), B [vox] (8), A [vox] (8), A [Bing] (8), A [Bing] (8), Trumpet Solo
[Bix] (16), A [instr] (8), A [instr] (6) Coda (rubato)
Bill Challis, creates a mesh of styles in this piece, as well as in the subsequent
track Lonely Melody. On one hand, the instrumentation of the band suggests a theatre
orchestra setting, while on the other the arrangement is complete with jazz syncopations,
such as dotted quarter eighth note figures, and players, like Bix Beiderbecke and Bing
Crosby. But where Bix and Bing really swing in almost unprecedented fashion, the band
and other male vocalists do not. The um-pah of the bass, drums, and banjo certainly
dont help, and neither does the classical sound of the celeste, although Ellington would
use this sound to his advantage in his writing. It is interesting to note that the drummer
does play the rest with a choked cymbal in the third bar of the first bridge of the tune,
although this was most likely in Challis arrangement. However, it foreshadows a style of
drumming made popular by the great Mel Lewis with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Orchestra almost 40 years later. The tempo of this piece is moderate, good for dancing,
although that may not have been the intent.
Notes:

Lonely Melody January 1928

Personnel: Hal Dyson, comp.; Bill Challis, arr.; Bix Beiderbecke, cornet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 2as, 1c-melody sax, 1ts, 3vn, p, bj, tba, b, d.
Commentary: Like the previous song Changes which was also arranged by
Bill Challis, Lonely Melody is another popular tune with a simple 32-bar form. Again,
Challis adds an 8 bar introduction that involves the whole band, the first 4 bars played by
the saxes and light trombone, with the trumpets and heavy brass rounding out the last 4
bars. The melody in this piece, unlike Changes is stated in unison over the um-pah of
the rhythm section. This unison sound is a very deliberate musical theatre orchestration
of the tune. The melody is contrast between major and minor, constantly shifting
between the two tonalities.
After the melody is complete, the strings play an 8 measure transition to a full
band soli, which is also almost all in unison. The beginning of the transition actually
begins on the first beat of the last bar of the form, creating an elision. The rhythm
section also drops out during the last 4 bars of the transition. After the full band soli, Bix
plays a solo over the 16 bar A section. He again sounds great and swings just link in the
previous tune. The saxes and trombone interrupt the trumpet solo to restate the bridge
of the tune in harmony (8 measures). Bix finishes out his trumpet solo over the last 8
measure A section.
The saxes enter after the trumpet solo with a tastefully written soli, again almost
entirely in unison. The soli uses a lot of slides/bends and lots of sixteenth note figures
followed by quarter notes. These really make the solo sound square because of their

overuse, although great sax soli writers would use this same rhythmic effect to hip
outcomes in later years. Challis uses an interesting shimmer effect combined with a
pyramid in the last 2 measures.
The strings and band finish out the bridge and final A section, respectfully, and
the piece ends with a coda that sounds like it includes a clarinet, although it could be the
c-melody saxophone.
Here is a form diagram of the piece:
Intro [band] (8), A [band] (16), B [band] 8, A [band] Trans [strings] (8), Soli [band]
(16), A [trumpet solo Bix] (16), B [sax/bone] (8), A [trumpet solo - Bix] (8), A [sax soli]
(16), B [string] (8), A [band] (8) Coda [clarinet?]
As far as the rhythm section is concerned, not much is different from the previous
tune. The splashes and choked cymbals are still running wild in the drums, something
that would not subside until the death of swing era. The bass player however, does play
some rather rhythmically interesting lines, which lead me to believe that they are
composed in the arrangement rather than improvised. If they are improvised, this
particular bass player was far ahead of his time, rhythmically speaking. Particularly of
note are his lines during the trumpet solo and sax soli. During these two sections he
plays many drops on beat 2, which adds an interesting pedal-like effect.
The tempo of this piece is almost identical to that of Changes, and the band really isnt
swinging any harder than just a few months earlier when they recorded Changes.
Notes:

After Youve Gone October 1929

Personnel: Layton & Creamer, comp.; William Grant Still, arr.; Bing Crosby,
vocal; Bill Rank, trombone; Eddie Lang, guitar; Joe Venuti, violin.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 4tb, 1c-melody sax, 4 reed doublers, 4vn, p/celeste, g, bj,
tba, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: This piece, more than any of the other Whiteman pieces shows the band
beginning to mature in a number of areas. First of all, it is not a 32 bar popular Tin Pan
Alley song form like the previous two. Also, the arrangement itself inherently swings a
lot more than either of the other two tunes, possibly because After Youve Gone is
arranged by William Grant Still, a notable figure in African-American music. Still was
the composer of numerous works in the classical/orchestral genre that sought to
incorporate African-American music into the concert hall. Perhaps it is his knowledge of
this music that shows itself in the syncopations and rhythmic figures that make this piece
swing all the more harder than anything else we have heard from this band. Most notable
are the composed trumpet answers to the melody that almost sound like something

straight off a Louis Armstrong record. Even the guitar player behind Bings vocals plays
some nice, swinging syncopated rhythms that Still probably composed.
The band however, still plays the figures with a squareness, particularly the
intro, until measure 3 of the tune, where Bix plays a lick that seems to be a composed
answer to the melody. It is not the actual lick that is interesting but the unbelievable
swing it is played with that the band immediately responds to. Upon hearing that
irresistible swing, the saxes and violins stating the melody begin to stylize it and swing
much more. The band seems to slide back into that squareness until Bing begins to
sing. The band cant resist his swing either, and the tune starts to feel good again.
Still also begins to use sections of the band for different purposes in this
arrangement. The saxes and strings are used to play melodies while the brass are used to
play answers to these melodies (trumpet), play long tones (trombones), background
figures, counter lines (end of the tune), and muted punctuations (this is the first place we
hear a muted trumpet). Percussion effects like chimes and celeste are also used as
effects, something that Duke Ellington would do in the late 1920s and 30s at the Cotton
Club all the way through his Sacred Concerts.
One of the most notable things about this tune is the changes the rhythm section
has undergone between 1928 and 1929. The tuba plays a much less important role. In
fact, he lays out completely under Bings vocals and Joe Venutis solo, which really gives
these sections a much more swinging feel. The absence of the tuba, especially during the
violin solo, accompanied with the fact that Venuti really swings hard (for this time
period) makes the rhythm section really loosen up. If only the bass player had walked
four to the bar, then this section wouldve really swung. Either way, this section truly
shows how archaic and heavy the tuba makes everything sound.
Another first is the appearance of guitar, which adds to the more modern sound,
although the banjo is still present. The guitar is most noticeable under Bing Crosbys
vocals and Joe Venutis solo. Under this same solo, the drummer moves his beat up to
the hi-hat (although hes playing the pattern backwards with the open sound on 2 & 4
rather than 1 & 3), a sound that seems new to this music, but would become a staple
sound among Swing drummers like Jo Jones and Chick Webb.
This is also the first time on record we hear the use of a solo break, a device
where everyone playing cuts out except for the soloist, who is left to show their virtuosity
for measure or two. The break in this arrangement happens in the seventh and eighth
bars of the violin solo, and Venuti smokes it. Breaks like these became a standard and
clich device used ever since in jazz, but most notably in the bebop era, where players
like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie would use these breaks as introductions to their
solos and dazzle listeners with their incredible virtuosic talents.
A few interesting harmonic moments occur in this piece, where William Grant
Still uses parallel descending chords to embellish the rather bland changes. The first
occurrence of this is around the 0:50 mark, as the brass play this figure to wrap up the
almost one minute long instrumental intro that introduces Bing Crosbys vocals. The
rhythm section uses the same idea again under Joe Venutis solo. After the violin solo
the same idea repeats itself a third and fourth time when the whole ensemble restates the
melody.

The last lick the saxophone plays uses triplets nicely, something we havent heard
much of up to this point. The stinger on beat 3 played by the band is also indicative of a
stylistic trait many big bands like Ellington and Basie would use in their signature
endings (although their stingers were on beat 4).
The tempo on this tune is notably slower that the first two tracks and the
recording technology is extremely better, adding to the more modern feel of the track.
Here is a form diagram:
Intro [strings] (2), Melody [sax/string w/ trpt.] (18), Trans [woodwinds] (2), New
Melody [strings w/ brass] (12), Trans (4), Melody [vox-Bing] (18), Trans [strings] (2),
Trumpet/bone solo [Bix & Bill Rank] (18), Trans [saxes/strings] (4), Violin solo [Venuti]
(20), Melody restatement [ensemble] (18), Coda (2).
Notes:

Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra

A band ahead of its time, the Fletcher Henderson orchestra illustrates the shift from the
style of Paul Whiteman to the style that became popular during the Swing era. Many
stylistic traits and musical clichs of Swing music show up in the pre-1935 tunes of this
orchestra. By 1934, the Henderson band had forged a sound all its own and, although it
broke up just before the Swing era began, became the prototype for Swing music at its
popular peak.
Copenhagen October 1924
Personnel: Davis & Melrose, comp.; Don Redman, arr.; Big Charlie Green,
trombone; Louis Armstrong, trumpet; Buster Bailey, clarinet; Coleman Hawkins, tenor
sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 1tb, 2as (w/cl), 1ts (w/cl), p, bj, tba, d.
Commentary: After listening to this piece many times, I cannot tell if the first
8 bars of the piece (which are repeated two times) is an introduction or is actually part of
the piece. At first it sounds like an introduction because of the way it is fragmented in 4
bar segments and repeated twice. Secondly, the clarinet melody that directly follows it
seems to be the real melody to the piece, which again seems to suggest the opening 16
measures are introductory material. However, upon listening to the rest of the piece, the
music presented in the first 16 measures comes back again and again, thus leading one to
believe that it is not an introduction but rather the first motive of the piece.
Either way, Don Redmans arrangement is rather loose, using limited thematic
material and instrument combinations to create his piece. Redman uses the theme
stated in the first 2 bars of the piece as a short motive and uses the subsequent trumpet
driven ragtime-melody as another motive. The melody carrier by the clarinets
beginning in the seventeenth measure of the piece seems like a variation of the theme
stated in the first four bars of the introduction. The piece is also rather fragmented,
shifting from one thematic idea to the next without any sort of transition or motivic flow.
Secondly, Redmans use of instrument combinations is rather limited, keeping
sections of the music limited to instruments of a certain family. The clarinet trio carries
the melody beginning in measure 17, followed by solo trumpet (Louis Armstrong). And
later, after Louis solo and a short ensemble passage, three trumpets play by themselves.
Throughout the piece Redman keeps to this rule, if you will, of having either the entire
band play or just a section of the band. He doesnt combine two instruments of different
families in a duet, thus limiting his choice of color combinations.
The arrangement, however, is notable for a few reasons. First, it represents an
arrangement for jazz band that does not use the Tin Pan Alley 32-bar popular song
form. This particular piece is more of a ragtime form, with many different sections and
multiple themes that are interspersed and sometimes interwoven, although not so much
in this particular arrangement. The bass line played by the tuba is even indicative of the
ragtime style because it is essentially the left hand of the piano. Second, the sound of the
band and the arrangement itself is in direct contrast to the sound of Paul Whitemans
orchestra, although this recording pre-dates any of the Whiteman recordings contained

here by 3 years. Hendersons band sounds much less like a theatre orchestra playing jazz
arrangements and more like an early swing band. The music is much less overture-like
and less symphonic. Part of this is found in simple instrumentation because Henderson
did not use strings, although he did use clarinet whereas Whiteman used more alto sax.
Another reason for this shift in sound could possibly be that the trumpet is used to carry
the melody more in this tune than in the Whiteman examples where brass are used for
punctuations and the winds and strings are generally reserved for melodic purposes.
Other notable features of this track include Louis Armstrong, of course, who
swings hard throughout. He sounds very smooth and his sound and feel must have
influenced the band on this and subsequent recordings. During the beginning of the
track, after the 16 measures of introduction someone is either tapping their foot or
clapping their hands, helping to accent beats two and four. The drummer is noticeably
absent here. He is either not playing, playing very soft, or the recoding technology of the
time just didnt pick him up. Later in the tune, the drummer begins to imply a danceable
beat when he splashes and crashes on two and four. The banjo still um-pahs away for
the whole tune. Finally, this is the first time we hear a trumpet growl used as an effect.
Although this sound certainly existed in the blues playing of many players before it was
written into this arrangement, it shows that arrangers and composers are beginning to
realize the endless number of sounds and effects brass players can conjure from their
instruments. This sound occurs at the 1:15 mark during the trumpet soli.
Finally the backgrounds behind Buster Baileys clarinet solo near the end of the
tune show a much more melodic approach to background writing than the Whiteman
band. While Whitemans arrangements tended to use more long tones as background
figures, Redman uses the trumpets behind the clarinet solo in a riff like fashion. This
sound helps keep the solo from stagnating and is really ahead of its time.
The largest criticism I have of this arrangement is that the end is very weird. It
just ends and almost sounds like it got cut off on the track of the CD. It is a very
uninteresting and abrupt ending that really doesnt fit the tune.
Here is a form diagram of this tune:
A-Intro/Theme 1 [Ens] (8), A-Intro/Theme 1 [Ens] (8), B-Melody/Theme 2 [Clarinets]
(12), B-Melody/Theme 2 [Clarinets] (12), B-Trumpet solo [Louis Armstrong] (12), ATheme 1 variation [Ens] (8), A-Theme 1 variation [Ens] (8), Trumpet soli (16), AIntro/Theme 1 [Ens] (8), A-Intro/Theme 1 [Ens] (8), Trombone/Clarinet solo [Charlie
Green/Buster Bailey] (24), Clarinet solo [Buster Bailey] (16), A-Intro/Theme 1 variation
(8), A-Theme 1 variation (3), A-Intro/Theme 1 variation (7), Coda (3)
Notes:

The Stampede May 1926

Personnel: Fletcher Henderson, comp.; Don Redman, arr.; Rex Stewart, cornet;
Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax; Joe Smith, cornet; Fletcher Henderson, piano.
Instrumentation: 1t, 2c, 1tb, 2as (w/cl), 1ts (w/cl), p, bj, tba, d.
Commentary: This particular Henderson piece has a real ragtime feel to it, but
with a sort of sophisticated swing that ragtime lacked. Many factors lead to this. First,
the tuba player is playing much more legato than in previous examples of both
Henderson and Whiteman, giving the tune less of a ricky-ticky feel. The short cornet
solo by either Joe Smith or Rex Stewart in the beginning just screams ragtime and Louis
Armstrong. It is clear that the time Louis spent in the band had an influence on the
sound of the trumpets and the swing/feel of then rest of the band.
The A sections of the melody are particularly dense. It sounds like the trombone
is actually carrying the melody in a style close to the tailgate trombone of New Orleans.
Behind him are the trumpets and saxophones providing riff-like backgrounds and
interesting parallel harmonies. The piano is used at the very end of the A section
(second repeat of the melody) in a way we have never heard. We hear everyone cut out
and the piano plays a break. This is also the case at the very beginning of the tune. The
first voice we hear is the piano, which suggests that the piano is now moving into a more
central role and is being treated as an instrument that serves both a horn function
(capable of stating melodies) and an accompaniment instrument in the rhythm section.
The form of this tune is also the ragtime form discussed earlier. This is
particularly evident when the tune switches from a major to a minor tonality for the
cornet solo and the clarinet soli, then switches back for the second cornet solo and
ensemble shout. Redman uses the saxes very effectively to make this transition from the
end of Coleman Hawkins solo (major) to the cornet solo (minor).
Redman uses some interesting harmonic transitions throughout the tune,
including the sax transition that brings the cornet solo into a minor tonality. He also
uses a similar gesture in the piano to transition from the cornet solo into the clarinet soli
and in the ensemble passage at the end of the second cornet solo which transitions the
band back into the final shout chorus. This pseudo-shout chorus uses melodic and
thematic material from all over the piece, including a restatement of a lick in the clarinet
soli that appears at the 3:05 mark. Thus this piece is much more unified thematically
than the last arrangement by Redman of Copenhagen.
This tune is really the first time we hear the saxophones used predominantly,
although they do double clarinet as well. Redman uses saxes for most of the
arrangement although he does switch to clarinet trio for soli. However, it seems as
though the clarinet is being used here more for an effect, much like Ellington would do in
tunes like The Mooche. The opening few bars of the clarinet soli are a particularly
accurate forecast of the way Ellington would write for clarinets during the years at the
Cotton Club and beyond. This arrangement shows that the sax is beginning to take over
the chair that the clarinet once occupied.
Hawk swings hard just like Louis Armstrong did, and Buster Bailey is a little
squarer. Throughout the solos, however, we hear the break used as an effect device

both in the sax and clarinet solos as well as in the clarinet soli. As discussed previously,
this device would be used throughout the Swing years and well into the bebop era and
beyond. During the cornet solo, Redman arranges some spooky sax backgrounds that
foreshadow the clarinet soli to come.
The drummer slaps two and four on choked cymbals during most of the tune,
which creates a much more modern feel than anything we have previously heard.
Another notable moment in the drums occurs right at the end of the tune where the
drummer and tuba player sting beat 4 of the last measure. This is notable for two
reasons. For one, it is an indication of things to come in the signature endings of Swing
bands like Basie and Ellington, as discussed earlier. Second, it is also the first time we
hear a drummer hit a choked cymbal on beat 4 at the end of a tune, a vice that drummers
and arrangers alike wouldnt move away from until the death of Swing. It is an
extremely unnecessary sound, and at times can almost mar the end of a well arranged
tune because it is entirely unnecessary, although in this particular tune it serves a
purpose.
Here is a form diagram:
Intro & Cornet solo [Ens & Joe Smith] (16), A (16), A (16), A & A - Sax solo [Hawk] (32),
Trans (4), Cornet solo (minor tonality) [Joe Smith/Rex Stewart] (30), Piano break &
Trans (4), Clarinet soli (minor tonality) (30), Cornet break (2), Cornet solo [Joe
Smith/Rex Stewart] (major tonality) (16), Ensemble shout (14), Coda (2).
Notes:

New King Porter Stomp December 1932

Personnel: Jelly Roll Morton, comp.; Fletcher Henderson, arr.; Rex Stewart &
Bobby Stark, trumpets; Sandy Williams & J.C. Higginbotham, trombones; Coleman
Hawkins, tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1 w/cl), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Although this piece was written in 1922 by Jelly Roll Morton
and had become a standard piece by this time, this particular record is noteworthy for
many reasons. It is the first example we have of a tune where the sax section plays saxes
for the entire tune. Six years earlier, the Henderson sax section played mostly saxes on
Stampede but did switch to clarinet for a soli near the end of the tune. Now the
saxophone has officially moved into the place that the clarinet once occupied. It is also
important because the banjo of Stampede has been replaced by a guitar who, although
it is sometimes hard to hear, seems to play four chunks to the bar with an accent on
two and four.
Second, other revolutions in the rhythm section are evident on this track. This is
the first example we have of a walking bass line. Although the lines are highly triadic,

the energy level of the tune is much higher because the um-pah feeling between the
bass and drums is now gone. Speaking of the drums, the drummer seems like he is
playing with brushes or a brush. It almost sounds like he has a brush in one hand and a
stick in the other because he plays some time on the hi-hat but also on the snare drum.
Either way, the time feel is lighter and is beginning to move up to the cymbals more and
more. The time feel is solid 4/4 and it swings nicely, particularly the accents and slaps of
the hi hat. This particular drummer also fills the ends of some phrases on the snare
drum, a sign of many things to come for the men behind the kit. At the end of the piece
the drummer cannot resist (although it may have been in the written part) and he plays a
choked splash right as the band cuts off their last note.
The arranged parts swing nicely with modern syncopation. The interlude (0:30
mark) between the two trumpet solos is a nice example. The saxophone backgrounds
behind the soloists, although barely audible represent riffs that are energetic and swing
nicely.
The soloists on the piece, particularly Bobby Stark, Rex Stewart, and J.C.
Higginbotham seem comfortable and sound much less clumsy in their improvisation.
They even begin to use licks than become clichs in the swing era and are beginning to
find their way around the changes with scalar licks rather than broken triads. A good
example of this is the trombone solo at the 2:00 mark, which is filled with do-wats.
The rhythmic vocabulary of the soloists is also much more advanced. Coleman Hawkins
sounds like himself and doesnt use as much syncopation as the other players, although
his tonal vocabulary seems a bit more advanced than the rest.
Finally, the ratio between written parts and improvisation is way off balance from
where all previous examples have been. Almost the entire piece from the beginning to
the 2:35 mark is all improvisation, with the exception of the sax backgrounds behind the
soloists and the interlude at the 0:30 mark that separates the two trumpet solos. At the
2:35 mark the entire band reenters with a shout chorus that is composed. This is a
particular interesting section because the shout chorus is repeated 3 times, each time
growing in volume and intensity. This is one of the earliest examples we have of a
composer really using dynamics to his advantage in creating excitement. The triple
repeat of a shout chorus, each time growing in volume, is also a gesture that becomes
clich among the swing bands.
In conclusion, this piece sounds very much like an early Swing era recording,
although the Swing era is still a few years off. One of the biggest reasons for this sound is
the way the players are beginning to articulate their rhythms, most importantly the longshort sound of two adjacent eighth notes. The only major difference between this piece
and a Swing era piece is that the form of this piece is still a ragtime through-composed
form, something the music of the Swing era deviated from.
Notes:

10

Its The Talk of the Town September 1933

Personnel: Jerry Livingston, comp.; Fletcher Henderson, arr.; Russell Procope,
clarinet; Henry Red Allen, trumpet; Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1 w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Its The Talk of the Town is the first example we have of a
ballad-like tune, so its notable for that reason, although the Henderson band was surely
not the first band to play a ballad. However, this particular ballad is important for a
different reason. This tune marks the first time we hear Fletcher Hendersons band
utilize a form other than the ragtime through-composed form. This piece has a very
stable 32 measure AABA form, like many popular tunes of the early 1930s. Perhaps the
most popular form for a tune, the AABA form would outlast all the others (except the
blues) and serve the pioneers of bebop and beyond for many years to come. The A
section of this particular tune is 8 measures long and is repeated for a total of 16 bars.
The B section is 8 measures, followed by the last 8 measure A section, for a total of 32
measures. The soloist, Coleman Hawkins, also solos over this form.
Here is a form diagram:
Intro [Sax/Clarinet] (4), A [Ens] (8), A [Ens] (8), B [Ens](8), A [Ens] (8), Sax solo over
AABA form (32), Trans [Ens] (4), A-restatement w/ Coda [Ens] (10)
From an arranging standpoint this piece stands out because Henderson treats the
melody as two separate four bar phrases, using the brass to carry the first four measures
and the saxophones to carry the second four measures. This also occurs in the bridge of
the tune. This has not been seen previously, as examples like Paul Whitemans Lonely
Melody set the melody as a unison among the entire ensemble and Hendersons own
The Stampede uses solo instruments to carry the melodies (trombone and trumpets).
Henderson is also not afraid to use brass and saxes in combination with one another,
and does so at the restatement of the melody at the 3:07 mark.
There is an interesting harmonic moment, although awkward in this piece and it
occurs at the reentrance of the band right after the tenor sax solo. The bari sax enters on
beat 4 of the final measure of the solo, creating a pedal point, but the way this entrance is
scored in relation to the trumpets makes it feel like the bari enters on beat 1, throwing
the feel of the tune askew. This entire four measure transition feels really awkward, but
once it is over the pulse and feel becomes obvious again as the trumpets and saxes enter
with the melody. Another nice harmonic moment occurs at the 1:30 mark where parallel
descending harmonies slide down into the tenor solo.
One of the most interesting moments in this piece happens right at the 1:12 mark
when the final A section of the melody statement starts. The drummer kicks into a
double time feel for only four measures, but the bass and guitar stay home and keep on
playing as if nothing has happened. This is really the only time you can hear the
drummer in the whole piece because he is very obviously using brushes, another first for
these examples. The only other time the drummer becomes audible is during the
restatement of the melody where it is confirmed that he is playing with brushes. During
the fifth measure of the this final section the drummer plays the rest on the + of beat 1,

11

something that drummer Mel Lewis would become famous for doing with the bands he
played with.
Saxophone is being used as the primary woodwind instrument, although the
introduction to the tune uses clarinet with saxophone accompaniment. There also seems
to be clarinet behind, or possibly playing harmony with the trumpet during the A
sections, although this is hard to hear. The harmonic shift of major chord to minor
chord in the intro is also very interesting.
Hawkins, the only soloist on this piece, sounds a bit more sophisticated than on
previous examples. He uses scalar material nicely and even quotes the melody of the
tune at the end of the B section of his solo and at the very end of his solo.
Within the rhythm section, several interesting things are going on during this
tune. As customary for a ballad or down-tempo tune, the bass plays on the first and
third beats of every measure, implying a two-feel. The guitar however plays in direct
contrast to this and chunks on every beat of the measure, implying a steady pulse.
These two forces in opposition to one another create an uneasy groove, especially since
the guitar is so loud and out of balance with the rest of the band. The fact that the drums
are basically inaudible for most of the tune doesnt help either. Another interesting trait
of this tune is that the bass sounds like it is bowed rather than plucked. This helps to
smooth the sound out and actually almost makes the bass sound like a tuba. It is actually
a rather attractive sound for this piece, as a pizzicato two-feel in the bass would make a
slower piece like this sound ricky-ticky, and would create an unwanted um-pah effect
when juxtaposed with what the chunking of the guitar. Finally, the bass lines show
advancement in the harmonic conception of the instrument. Henderson, the arranger,
makes nice use of chromatic bass lines between the second and third measure (chromatic
slide down) and at the end of the fourth measure (chromatic walk down) of the A section.
Although these bass lines sound composed (the same figures are played each time the
music reaches those particular spots, respectively), the fact that the chromatic notes are
present show advancement in the conception of the bass. Once again, the drummer
catches the end of the tune with a choked splash. Will it ever end?
Notes:

Down South Camp Meetin September 1934

Personnel: Fletcher Henderson, comp. & arr.; Henry Red Allen, trumpet;
Hilton Jefferson, alto sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as (w/cl), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The form of this piece is rather interesting because it is a
ragtime form with two structured forms inside of it linked together with a number of
transitions.

12

Here is a form diagram:

Intro [Ens] (4), A [Sax] (8), B [Brass] (8), A [Sax] (8), Trumpet solo [Henry Red Allen]
ABA (24), Trans [Sax v. Trumpet] (8), C [Sax] (8), C [Sax] (8), D [Sax] (4), C [Sax] (8), C
[Brass] (8), C [Brass] (8), D [Sax] (4), C [Brass] (8), Trans [Ens] (4), Clarinet Soli
[Brass bkgrds] (31), Coda [Ens] (2)
Barring the intro, the first 24 bars of the tune (melody) are an ABA form, which is
then kept for the trumpet solo. After an eight measure transition, that pits Allen
(trumpet) and Jefferson (alto sax) against one another, a new form of AABA is
introduced, only I have labeled it CCDC because the melody is different than the
previous ABA form. This form is 28 measures long, having three C sections with 8
measures each and one D section with 4 measures. This form is then repeated and is
labeled as CCDC because the melody moves from sax to brass and contains a few slight
variations. However once this form is played a four measure transition at the 2:15 mark,
reminiscent of a New Orleans street band, enters and segues into a clarinet soli that
flows directly into a coda to end the tune. The coda is nice and syncopated, with all the
horn attacks on the off beats, a passage that the band executes nicely. Although the
overall form of the piece is a ragtime form, it does contain some structure when
examined section by section.
The basic idea of this piece, it seems, is to use saxes/woodwinds and brass in a
number of configurations. First and foremost, these two sections are used in a call and
response fashion. This can be heard in the A sections where the brass respond to the
saxes statements, and in the B sections when the roles are reversed and the saxes
respond to the brass melody. This also happens during the C sections, where the brass
section finishes the last two measures of the saxophone section's phrase in a responsorial
fashion. During the C sections, the saxophones play a background behind the trumpet
melody and then join them for the last four measures of the eight measure phrase. The
saxophones always take the D and D sections by themselves. The instruments are also
pitted against one another at the 1:00 mark where Allen and Jefferson trade 2s. This
also occurs in the four measure New Orleans style transition that moves into the
clarinet soli. Here the brass plays the call and the clarinets respond. Finally, the soli
section juxtaposes clarinets with the numerous brass interjections that are stuck in any
and all rests the clarinets have in their part.
This piece strikes a nice balance between composition and improvisation. The
trumpet solo over the ABA form is just the right length, and Allen uses some nice
vocabulary. Jefferson also has some nice things to say when he trades 2s with Allen.
Both players sense of rhythmic vocabulary really swings.
This is a very danceable piece and the melodies throughout the piece sound like a
Swing era tune. The rhythm section is heavily responsible for the dance-ability of this
piece, as the four on the floor feel that many Swing bands would play with is very
evident here, mostly because of the way the bass player walks (although there are still
repeated notes). The style of articulation in the brass, particularly in their short
interjections when the woodwinds have the melody, is indicative of the style brass
sections solidified during the Swing era.
Notes:

13

Wrappin It Up September 1934

Personnel: Fletcher Henderson, comp. & arr.; Hilton Jefferson, alto sax; Henry
Red Allen, trumpet; Buster Bailey, clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 3as (w/cl), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: To my ears the form of this tune is pretty weird. Here is a
diagram of what I could decipher:
Intro [Ens] (8), A [Sax] (16), A [Ens] (17), AA?-Sax solo [Brass bkgrds] (32), A-Trumpet
solo [Sax bkgrds] (8) & Interlude [Ens] (8), A-Trumpet solo [Sax bkgrds] (17), AInterlude [Ens] (8) & Clarinet solo [Brass bkgrds] (8), A-Sax soli (8) & Ensemble (8).
The weird thing about this form is that Henderson basically uses one section with two
variations and combines these variations to create the form. The first A section is 16
measures, but the second (A) is 17 measures because of an interesting extension
Henderson adds on to the end. Then the sax solo sounds like it could possibly be two 16
measure A sections back to back. Then the combination of 8 measures of trumpet solo
and 8 measures of ensemble interlude create another 16 bar A section. The trumpet solo
then continues, but Henderson uses the 17 measure A section this time. There is
another 8 measure ensemble section (interlude) and an 8 measure clarinet solo that
comprise another 16 bar A section. Then finally Henderson uses yet another 16 bar A
section for an 8 measure sax soli and an 8 measure ensemble shout that ends the tune.
This is really weird arrangement.
Going along with this weirdness is the intro. It contrasts the rest of the tune
because it is actually pretty square. This is because the band articulates the figure as all
short notes, rather than the first note being long (it was probably written that way). The
lick in the saxophones sounds like it is the whole tone scale; could it possibly be? If my
ears do not deceive me, then this is the earliest appearance of that particular scale that
we have heard, which only adds to the weirdness of the intro.
The melody of the tune is rather quasi riff-like, in the style of a tune like
Stompin at the Savoy. This combined with the walking bass and four to the bar
pulse makes the tune danceable. In the A section, the melody is carried by the saxes
alone, with the brass providing interjections like in Down South Camp Meetin. In the
A section, however, the brass join the saxes and the melody becomes an ensemble
statement.
There are two sets of background figures in this tune. The first set, brass
backgrounds behind the sax solo, are just chords voiced as long tones and are rather
boring. The second set however is actually a melody that goes on in the saxophones
behind the trumpet solo. Up until now most backgrounds have been either long tones or
riff-like figures. This is the first appearance of a new countermelody composed
specifically as a background behind a solo. Although the solos arent worth analyzing in
detail, the soloists seem increasingly comfortable with playing over changes.
The interlude that occurs at the 1:34 mark between the two sections of trumpet
solo is rather hip. It is notable because of the articulation with which the players are
phrasing. You can hear that the stress is being placed strongly on the upbeat of the

14

second set of figures. The notes on the beats are almost ghosted, a style the Swing
players would come to solidify.
After the trumpet solo, the style of call and response seen in Down South Camp
Meetin comes back when the clarinets are used to respond to the brass figures. These
two sections do battle for a few bars in order to transition into Baileys clarinet solo.
After the clarinet solo comes perhaps the squarest part of the tune, the sax soli. During
this eighth measure soli, which really serves as a transition to the final ensemble section,
there are two problems. First the figures are written as sixteenth notes, rather than
triplets or eighth notes, which would have really made this swing. Second, the sax
section plays these sixteenth with extremely short articulation, making it sound rickyticky. It is also played sloppily. This portion of the tune is really the only giveaway that
one is listening to a pre-Swing era band, otherwise this sounds like an early Swing chart.
When the brass section enters after the sax soli the chart swings nicely until the
chromatic ensemble lick right at the end of the chart that becomes a Swing clich.
Notes:

15

McKinneys Cotton Pickers

McKinneys Cotton Pickers (what a name!) is a representative of the different styles and
sounds many territory bands across the US were experimenting with during the time
preceeding the Swing era. Although there is nothing necessarily revolutionary or new
about their music, it is interesting to examine some of the ideas other composers and
arrangers were working with while Fletcher Henderson was refining his early Swing
style.
Put It There July 1928
Personnel: Todd Rhodes, comp. & piano; John Nesbitt, arr. & trumpet; Claude
Jones, trombone; Don Redman, alto sax; Prince Robinson, tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1tb, 2as (1 w/cl, 1 w/cl & bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, bj, tba, d.
Commentary: The sound of this band is much closer to that of Paul
Whitemans band than that of Fletcher Hendersons. Whitemans band and this band
were contemporaries working with similar stylistic concerns of the late 1920s. The string
bass and guitar had yet to come into the picture for the Cotton Pickers, so this music
sounds archaic when compared to the more sophisticated sound, swing, and feel of the
Henderson band. The Cotton Pickers, however, do swing harder than the Whiteman
ensemble in a number of areas. First, not having a string section makes a big difference.
There is just something about the sound of strings in a jazz ensemble that just doesnt
feel right. Second, the Cotton Pickers tuba player articulates with a more staccato style
much closer to a string bass than Whitemans tuba player. His lines also tend to move
around a bit more, whereas Whitemans tuba player would articulate the same note on
all four beats of a measure. The drummer is also playing time on a closed hi hat during
this tune, which helps drives the energy of the four to the bar chunking of the banjo
player.
The piano interlude in the middle of this piece presents an interesting stylistic
shift. Whereas the beginning of this piece sounds like an early pre-Swing era band trying
to carve out their own style, the piano interlude has both feet firmly planted in ragtime.
In fact, when the band reenters after this interlude, the ragtime sound and feel
continues, with a melody in the saxophones replete with ragtime gestures.
The rhythmic vocabulary of the arranged parts also seems slightly more idiomatic
of Swing than Whitemans band. This is particularly evident in the introduction to this
tune. In conclusion, the Cotton Pickers have a sound that is part Whiteman and part
early Fletcher Henderson.
Notes:

16

Stop Kidding July 1928

Personnel: John Nesbitt, comp., arr. & trumpet; Claude Jones, trombone; Don
Redman, alto sax; Prince Robinson, tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1tb, 2as (1w/cl, 1w/cl & bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, bj, tba, d.
Commentary: By far the more interesting of the two selections by the Cotton
Pickers, this tune contains many interesting and musically surprising moments
throughout its random, through-composed form. The introduction to the tune, for
example, is a very theatrical 7 measure opening that is a foreshadow of the quirky tune
that follows. With its seemingly random syncopations and percussive hits, the
introduction has little to do with the tune itself, as it is never repeated, but it offers a
clever introduction to a tune that becomes even wackier as it progresses.
For the first 32 measures (A and A) after the introduction, almost nothing
significant happens. The saxophones simply state the melody over brass background
figures. A two bar ensemble break leads the way for a very punctuated and alto sax solo
by Don Redman, whose staccato articulation detract from what sense of swing the band
may have had during the first 32 bars. The solo segues directly into a 16 bar sax soli by
means of a four bar saxophone break. The soli, although intended to showcase the sax
section contains some legato brass figures that, because of their volume, obscure the
lines the saxes are playing. This section is significant, however, because it is the first
time in the piece where the underlying chord changes are different.
After the soli, composer and arranger John Nesbitt perks the listeners ears with
his choice of harmonic progression. This descending pattern which is repeated twice,
marks the beginning of the B section and adds an nice touch to the tune. The dynamic
change here, from f to p as the sequence descends is also pleasant to the ear.
The section of music from B through the end of the tune is by far the most
interesting and significant portion of this tune, both harmonically and rhythmically. The
first 8 bars of this section uses the same progression of the B section, although more
ornamented. What follows it, however, is the first chronological example of a time
signature change we have heard. The piece, for no apparent reason, shifts into 4
measures of what sounds like 5/4 time. Whether it was originally written that way is
unknown, but to the ear these 4 bars sound like they are in 5 rather than 4. This section
quickly switches back to 4/4 for the last 2 measure of the B section which transition into
a section of new music.
The C section, which switches to half time feel for the first six measures is an
awkwardly composed section, consisting of 6 measures of a half time feel, two measures
of the original feel, back to 2 measures of half time, which transitions into an 8 measure
trombone solo to end the section. Here, the chord changes of the A section finally come
back, and the full band plays a unison solo for 16 measures. A 2 bar coda is attached to
the end, and of course, the drummer tags that silly sounding cymbal.
Finally, one interesting feature of this tune is that the improvisation requires the
whole tone scale, something I dont believe we have an example of up to this point.
The form of this tune is through-composed. Here is a diagram:

17

Intro [Ens.] (7), A [Ens.] (16), A [Ens.] (16), Break [Brass] (2), Sax Solo A (16), Sax Solo
A (14), Break [Saxes] (4), Soli [Saxes] (16), B [Ens.] (8) + [Trumpet solo] (8), B [Ens.]
(8) + 5/4 [Ens] (4) + 4/4 [Ens.] (2), C [Ens.] (10), Bone Solo (8), Full Ens. Soli A [Ens.]
(16), Coda [Ens.] (2)
Notes:

18

The Casa Loma Orchestra

The Casa Loma Orchestra had been in existence since 1924, when they were known as
the Orange Blossom Band. They changed their name in 1929 after they had been the
house band at the Casa Loma Hotel in Toronto. They were led, at the time of this
recording by violinist Mel Jenssen who moved the band to Detroit, Michigan. The height
of their popularity was reached in 1937 when they were led by Glen Gray. The bands
music continues in the tradition of the Fletcher Henderson band, and uses many clichs
that would continue well into the swing era.
Casa Loma Stomp - December, 1930.
Personnel: Gene Gifford, comp. & arr.; Billy Rauch, trombone; Pat Davis, tenor
sax; Dub Shoffner,trumpet; Ray Eberle, clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1w/cl), 1ts, p, bj, b, d.
Commentary: Noticeable right off the bat in this tune is the emphasis of four
on the floor. This is the first audible example of a drummer feathering his bass drum
on all four beats of the measure, although the bass player is still playing a two feel. This
style of bass drum playing would continue throughout the swing era and into later
drummers (It was Buddy Richs signature), and even into modern 21st century big band
players.
The melody to this tune, which enters after a 4 bar intro, is played in a stacatto
style by the entire horn section in unison. This melody is stated twice (A, A) after which
the saxophones have a 16 bar soli that is basically a variation on the main melody. Most
noticeable, however, is the difference in articulation between the melody played by the
whole band and the soli played by only the saxophones. While the melody is played in a
biting stacatto, the saxophones seem to give slightly more weight to each of the notes,
and rather than play all the notes the same length (as in the statement of the melody),
the group actually phrases lines that really begin to swing. The soli even employs some
nice syncopation that creates a more sophisticated swing feel. For example, in bar 11 of
the soli they play an anticipation on the and of beat 4 rather than waiting until beat 1 of
the next measure (as in the melody).
The trombone solo that follows is pure ragtime. Interestingly, it is the only solo
in the tune that is reminiscent of the archaic turn of the century style. The other solos,
saxophone, clarinet, and especially the trumpet solo are much more modern (for the
1930s). The trumpet solo has its feet planted firmly in the Swing era even more than the
other solos. The high point of this solo comes in the ninth bar, when Dub Shoffner plays
a nice, bluesy flat 7 over the I chord and even inflects it with a well-played scoop into the
note. These types of effects were common among later trumpet players in the swing era,
particularly those in Duke Ellingtons and Count Basies bands. Overall, the trumpet solo
seems to contain more space. The less is more idea would also become a popular one
up through the mid-1940s when bebop exploded.
The second saxophone soli, which comes at 1:29 is more technically advanced
than the first one, and it shows the growing popularity of the saxophone soli within a
piece. The backgrounds behind the clarinet solo are also of particular interest because
they are a syncopated riff (4 dotted quarters and 1 half note to round out the phrase)

19

played over each chord change of the form. These syncopated riffs were also highly
common in playing of Swing charts and were usually made up on the spot rather than
written into the arrangement of the piece.
About one minute before the end of the tune, a shout chorus begins at a mezzo
piano and grows to forte by the final bar of the piece. It starts with a nice call and
response between the brass and the saxophones. The drummer even gets a piece of the
action and plays a few well-placed splashes at the ends of phrases on beat 4. This kind of
backbeat playing became an institution in the Swing era in tunes like Benny Goodmans
Sing, Sing, Sing. In the last strain of the tune the drummer even interacts with the band,
playing a complimentary rhythm on his splash cymbal to what the band is playing.
Finally, at the 14th bar of the final strain, Gifford, the composer, tacks on a coda that
ends, of course, with the idiomatic and highly clich splash cymbal solo.
Notes:

20

Benny Motens Kansas City Orchestra

Benny Motens Kansas City Orchestra is a historical link to one of the greatest big bands
of all time, the Count Basie Orchestra. Basie, who played piano in Motens orchestra
would later go on to lead his own band and, along with Sammy Nestico, define a style all
his own. Although the Benny Moten band only recorded four tunes for Brunswick on
their east coast tour, which incidentally was a bust, two of them are discussed below.
Toby December, 1932.
Personnel: Eddie Barefield & Buster Moten- comp., Barefield-arr. & clarinet, Count
Basie - piano, Eddie Durham - guitar, Oran Hot Lips Page - trumpet, Walter Page bass, Ben Webster - tenor sax, Dan Minor & Durham -trombones, Willie McWashingtondrums, Leroy Berry - rhythm guitar.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb (1w/g), 1as (w/cl), 1as (w/bari), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This tune is by far the fastest one among the early Swing tunes,
and is indicative of the pre-Swing (1935) time period because a tune this fast would
probably not have been played in a Swing era dance hall like the Savoy. However, this
tune does present an excellent band playing more advanced music than bands like the
Casa Loma Orchestra and The Cotton Pickers.
Although the tune owes its um-pah feeling mostly to the piano player who is
doubling the bass line on 1 and 3, the tune still swings hard! The drummer is clearly
accenting 2 and 4 in the snare drum and the bass player is walking four to the bar,
although most of his note choices still center around the triad .
One of the most interesting moments of the tune comes in the first 30 seconds,
where we heard a guitar solo (played by the trombonist Eddie Durham), albeit short, for
the very first time on these examples. The fact that a guitar is not only present in the
Moten Orchestra but also takes a solo is a testament to the solidification of the guitar in
the modern jazz ensemble rather than the banjo which is heard only two years earlier in
the Casa Loma Orchestra. The guitar would also become a major player in the sound of
the Basie rhythm section, with Freddie Green almost leading the groove with his four-tothe-bar chunking that set the standard for big band guitar playing for decades to come.
It is clear that by this time the clarinet is being phased out and is now considered
a double for the saxophone and is used only as a solo instrument. In this tune it is only
heard for a split second (8 bars), where it takes a quick solo before the band moves on to
bigger and better things.
The soloists in this tune have also matured and come into the modern Swing
sound. Gone are the ragtime gestures that prevailed in the pre-1930s solo style. The
horn soloists in this tune even imitate vocal effects, like the growls in the short trombone
solo in the last 20 seconds of the tune.
The rhythmic vocabulary of this tune is also more advanced than that of the other
bands of this time. At this tempo syncopations are usually played too heavy and drag the
tempo of a tune down. However, the talented horn players of Motens band execute each
passage with ease, particularly the last minute of the tune, which presents a call and

21

response between the quick syncopations of the brass section and the quick-fingered
licks of the saxophone section. This type of shout chorus would later make its way into
the arrangements and tunes of Count Basie and two of his most prominent arrangers,
Neil Hefti and Sammy Nestico.
Overall, this tune is ahead of its time, except for the archaic sound of the piano
solo; an irony considering that the pianist, Count Basie, would lead the charge as an
innovator and frontman of his own very influential and groundbreaking orchestra just a
few short years later.
Notes:

Moten Swing December, 1932.

Personnel: Benny & Buster Moten - comp., Eddie Durham - arr. & Guitar, Count
Basie - piano, Oran Hot Lips Page - trumpet, Walter Page - bass, Ben Webster - tenor
sax, Eddie Barefield - alto sax, Willie McWashington - drums, Leroy Berry- rhythm
guitar.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb (1w/g), 1as (w/cl), 1as (w/bari), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: If ever a pre-Basie piece existed that sounds almost exactly like
something the Basie band would have played, this is it. The piece even uses the format
made famous by the Basie band: piano introduction piano melody with rhythm
section accompaniment full band interrupts piano melody etc..
The arranged parts of this tune are highly dynamic. The brass figures swing with an off
beat staccato eighth note feel as do the saxophone responses to the brass riffs. The brass
and the sax sections are used throughout most of this piece in a call and response
manner and rarely play a unison rhythm together, except for the shout chorus. The brass
riff at the beginning of the tune is also fairly loud, much louder than almost anything else
weve heard. It seems as though arrangers and brass players are both beginning to fully
realize the power the brass has to set off some fireworks.
The piano playing on this tune is vintage Basie. Not only the introduction and
the first chorus of piano melody, but also the piano chatter going on underneath the
brass and sax figures and melody. Basie fills every small spot not occupied by a horn
with his signature style of higher register chords and small melodic cells. Again, there is
a short guitar solo in this piece by trombonist Eddie Durham, further solidifying the
sound of the guitar in the modern day big band. The pulse of this tune feels great
because of the bass player Walter Page who is walking four notes to the bar. He also uses
few repeated notes in his lines, making the feel of the tune move forward. There is also
guitar throughout the tune in the Freedie Green style, which was obviously a regional
style of guitar playing native to Kansas City. The drummer, who is playing with brushes,
also seems to be playing a more modern pattern and even includes a few skips in his
comping. He even beings to emphasize 2 and 4 toward the end of tune while Walter

22

Page really begins to dig in (you can hear the strings snapping against the finger board)
during the last 30 seconds of the tune.
Again, the solos on this tune are firmly planted in the Swing era style. All the
soloists play far fewer notes than earlier soloists in other bands. They seem to really get
to the point, probably because each soloist, with the exception of the Eddie Barefield
(alto sax), is given a relatively short amount of time to solo. The note choice is also more
highly refined, and the soloists have found ways to weave melodic lines through their
solos rather than arpeggiating chords in the ragtime style.
The shout chorus of the tune is also very Basie-esque with every horn player
playing a unison rhythmic line. This portion of the tune swings harder than any other
section primarily because the horn players are all using the same style of articulation and
the length of notes is unified among sections of the ensemble. The band sounds tight
and rehearsed, something that Basies band would also pride itself on.
Finally, it should be noted that this tune is a contrafact of Youre Driving Me
Crazy.
Notes:

23

Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra

Louis Armstrong is, without a doubt the most well known of all great American jazz
musicians. His name has become synonymous with jazz all over the world and was one
of the biggest stars and names of his time. In the 1930s, Armstrong took a shot at
fronting several big bands of varying sizes, but usually no less than 15 musicians.
Although he was a big name, his bands didnt prosper the way the other bands of the
Swing era (Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller) did. By the end of World
Way II Armstrong dissolves his band in favor of a smaller group (usually 5-7 musicians)
with which his success was almost instantaneous.
Ive Got The World On a String January, 1933.
Personnel: Harold Arlen - comp., arranger unknown, Armstrong - trumpet & vocal,
Teddy Wilson - piano.
Instrumentation: 2t (+Louis), 1tb, 2as, 1ts, p, bj/g, tba/b, d.
Commentary: Perhaps one of the reasons Armstrongs band wasnt as
successful as other bands of this time period was because the band was really a showcase
opportunity for its frontman rather than a band that played music for dancers. This is
completely obvious in the arrangement of this tune. After the four bar piano intro,
Armstrong takes the melody on trumpet with some stock saxophone backgrounds
playing chords behind him. He sounds amazing, as always, inflecting each note with his
signature sound. Armstrongs playing never ceases to amaze with its highly emotional
sound and detail given to every note.
After the trumpet solo, Teddy Wilson plays a four bar transition to allow Louis to
get the horn off his face and sing the words to the tune. The format of this tune is
reminiscent of the Paul Whiteman songs with Bix Beiderbecke and Bing Crosby. In
those tunes, as in this one, the role of the band is to back up the trumpet soloist and
vocalist, which in this case is the same person. Like the Whiteman tunes, the band plays
one full chorus (in this case, a trumpet solo) before the vocalist comes in and sings the
tune.
After Louis finishes singing the band enters with a pseudo-shout chorus that
actually alternates 4 bars of the full band with 4 bars of trumpet solo by Armstrong. The
band takes the bridge, with the sax and brass sections playing in alternation. Armstrong
enters and solos over the last A section with the band behind him and the tune ends (of
course) with a cymbal splash.
The rhythm section in this tune is for function only, with the exception of the
intro and transition played by Teddy Wilson. The bass player and the drummer lay
down nice four to the bar time, with few repeated notes in the bass.
Notes:

24

Swing That Music January, 1936.

Personnel: Lil Hardin / Armstrong - comp., Chappie Willet - arr., Armstrong trumpet & vocal, Bingie Madison - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t (+Louis), 3tb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Perhaps what is most interesting about the feel of this tune is
that although it was recorded four years after Ive Got The World On a String it feels
much more archaic, particularly in the rhythm section. The entire tune has an um-pah
feeling and the bass player sounds like he is hitting something against the strings for the
entire tune, although it could just be a sound quality / recording issue. The occasional
syncopations in the bass line also sound slightly hokey and dont help modernize the feel
of the tune at all.
Again, like the previous tune, this arrangement showcases both Armstrongs
trumpet playing and vocals. After a 32 bar intro, Armstrong comes in with the vocal of
the tune. After a full chorus of vocals (32 bars), the saxophone section gets a 32 bar soli,
following which is a trumpet solo by Armstrong, with ensemble backgrounds. The
trumpet solo is perhaps the longest solo weve heard so far, lasting 4 full choruses (128
bars). This solo keeps growing and growing dynamically (in both the band backgrounds
and Armstrongs playing) and in registration (in the trumpet solo), with Armstrong
repeatedly pinning high concert C naturals over the entire last chorus (32 bars) of the
tune, culminating in a high concert E flat on the very last note.
Armstrongs solo playing sounds like no other. He plays nothing but melodies all
the time. Rarely can a listener observe Louis playing a figuration of a chord. His
thinking and playing is purely linear, and he connects melodies seamlessly from one
chord to the next. He also can build intensity in an extremely dynamic and exciting way,
such as the entire chorus of high C naturals at the end of his solo. This technique is very
much reminiscent of New Orleans brass band players, a sound that, without a doubt,
found its way into Armstrongs playing.
The tempo of the tune is also quite brisk, indicating that Armstrong was not
playing primarily for dancers, even in 1936, when the Swing era was in full........swing.
Although I havent mentioned it, the form of this tune, as well as those of Motens
band have begun to use the form of the melody and the chord changes throughout the
arrangement. Gone, it seems, are the days of the ragtime, through-composed forms of
the Whiteman band and the Henderson band.
Notes:

25

Cab Calloway & His Cotton Club Orchestra

Cab Calloway is probably the most ingenious bandleader who has ever lived; the reason
being because what he lacked in musical talent he made up in showmanship. Cab was
much more a showman and comedian than a musician; in fact, Im not sure he played an
instrument proficiently. Rather, he backed himself up with a good band and brought the
house down with his 1931 theme song Minnie The Moocher at ballrooms and clubs all
over the country. After the Duke Ellington Orchestra left Harlems Cotton Club in 1930
(although Ellington did return for a few more stints in the 1930s), Cab Calloways band
was hired to replace him. After Minnie The Moocher sold over 1 million copies and
broke many sales records, the Calloway band became one of the top grossing acts in jazz.
Cabs band stayed together until the late 1940s, when bad financial decisions and
gambling debts forced him to call it quits. He kept his career alive in the sixties and
seventies by starring in musicals, and even made it to the big screen in the 1980s, playing
a supporting role in Blues Brothers, where Minnie The Moocher made perhaps its
last stand.
Zaz Zuh Zaz November, 1933.
Personnel: Harry White & Cab Calloway - comp., White - arr., Calloway - vocal,
Eddie Barefield - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 3as, 1ts, p, bj/g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: The similarity in sound and color of this tune to Cabs mega-hit Minnie
The Moocher cannot be denied. When a formula works it is hard to give it up, and the
sound of this tune is a testament to that fact. Cab was also probably searching for
another hit that could sell the numbers of records that Minnie The Moocher sold.
Either way, the introduction to this tune is notable, because it is one of the first
examples we have heard of a tune that intentionally juxtaposes swung and straight
rhythms. While the brass and rhythm sections are clearly swinging the eighth note in the
opening bars of the tune, the trombones are playing their eighth notes straight. The
trumpets also use the same growl effect that is present in Minnie The Moocher and
many pre-1930s Cotton Club tunes by Duke Ellington such as The Mooche.
The vocals to this tune are essentially a set of throw-away lyrics; they really dont
mean anything and their only purpose is to get to the part where the band repeats back
the line that Cab says, just like the Hi-De-Hos in Minnie The Moocher. Cab even
mentions the words Hi-De-Ho in the second verse of this tune and Minnie The
Moocher in the third verse.
Essentially this song is Minnie The Moocher just 2 years later. The horns
hardly plays a note, with exception of the 10 bar introduction, a brief saxophone soli, if
you could call it that, beneath Cabs Zaz Zuh Zaz-ing, and a very short 8 bar shout
chorus near the end of the tune. In total, the brass play for no more than 20 measures of
this 3:30 minute tune.
Notes:

26

Ghost of a Chance June, 1940.

Personnel: Victor Young - comp., Andy Gibson - arr., Chu Berry - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 3as (1w/bari), 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Ghost of a Chance is a much more interesting tune than Zaz Zuh
Zaz, because it actually features the band playing their instruments rather than just
shouting back at Cab. It is also a piece of note because it features Chu Berry on tenor
sax. Berry was a well-known saxophonist who drew his inspiration from Coleman
Hawkins, played in many dance bands, the most popular of which was the Calloway
Orchestra. Sadly, Berry died in a tragic car accident after one of the Calloway Orchestras
gigs when he was 33 years old.
Nevertheless, this particular piece is basically a vehicle for Chu Berry to
improvise on. During the standard 32 bar, AABA song form, the band plays nothing
more than backgrounds which, during the first chorus, mostly consist of long notes and
chords with the occasional brass interruption (second to last bar before the bridge). The
rhythm section does a nice job during this piece. After the introduction which is played
with four notes to the bar, the rhythm section lays low by playing a 2-feel for the entire
first chorus behind Chu Berry. The drummer plays a rimshot on beat 4 of the last bar of
the first chorus which sets up a swinging 4 feel for the second chorus, during which the
bass player walks four to the bar and the ensemble pipes up a bit by playing more
stylized and staccato background figures. At the bridge, the 4 feel continues, but the
horns go back to playing more legato backgrounds. The final A section is 9 bars plus 3
fermatas and is interesting because the harmony changes slightly from the rest of the
tune.
The form of the tune is standard AABA, 32-bar song form.
Notes:

27

Earl Hines & His Orchestra

Although Earl Fatha Hines first attempt at leading his own hand in 1924 was a bust, he
tried again in 1928, but this time he was successful. Hines was already an accomplished
piano player who was revered by musicians and listeners alike. He also had been the
musical director for Louis Armstrongs band in 1927, which became one of the most
popular black bands in Chicago. When he formed his second band in 1928, they played
at the Grand Terrace Ballroom (a club controlled by the Capone mob) in Chicago, and
what was supposed to be a limited engagement stretched on and on for the next 10 years!
He terminated the contract because of a labor dispute (he and his band werent getting
paid the proper wages), and the Union stepped in on Hines behalf. During their tenure
at the Terrace Ballroom, the Hines Orchestra was broadcast nightly over the radio to
homes all over the country, which garnered the band national fame. Hines band is also
important because some of the most important musicians in the history of jazz played in
it. Among them were Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the founding fathers of Bebop.
Madhouse March, 1934.
Personnel: Jimmy Mundy & Earl Hines - comp., Mundy - arr., Walter Gil Fullertrumpet, Hines - piano, William Franklin - trombone.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl, 1w/cl & bari), 2ts (1w/cl), p, g, tba, d.
Commentary: The sound of this piece is interesting because it presents the Hines
Orchestra just before the Swing era really took hold. The band is obviously in a
transitional state. One only has to take a look at the instrumentation to understand this;
while the guitar has replaced banjo on this piece, the use of a tuba still points back to an
earlier time.
The arrangement also presents this dichotomy. The articulation and phrasing of
the band, particularly the trumpet soloist at the beginning and the saxophone section
during their melody is rather square. The eighth notes are played fairly straight and
short and arent swung the way bands would begin to play in 1935, just one year later.
However, there are sections of the arrangement that exhibit a more modern sound, the
first of which comes at the 0:30 mark when the saxophones carry the melody and are
answered by the brass with a staccato eighth note on the and of the beat 3. The
drummer even catches the brass figures on the snare drum, a very modern concept for
this time. The arranged horn parts at the 1:00 mark are also modern, presenting a
hemiola of 3 beats over 4 beats. While the rhythm sections remains in 4/4 time, the
horns go into for a 6 beats before returning to 4/4. This happens twice over the
ensuing 8 bars.
After a short saxophone transition, Hines takes a piano solo. After the solo, the
most modern part of the arrangement occurs. The band comes back in with a modern
sounding shout chorus that is composed of juxtaposed riffs between different sections of
the ensemble. The first two A sections (8 bars each) use the same material, a high
instrument riff (trumpets & alto saxes) answered by the lower instruments (trombones
and tenor & bari saxes). The bridge presents all the horns playing together. While the
saxophones play quicker runs, the brass section plays punctuations above them. The last
A section of the shout chorus presents more riffs, this time with the sax section
answering the brass. Finally, the last 2 measures unify the band when everyone,

28

including the rhythm section, plays a unison line into the final fermata. The drummer
even sets up the last 2 notes of the tune with an almost inaudible splash on his cymbal,
something we have rarely heard up to this point. Miraculously, there is no splash
cymbal stinger on the end of the tune, a clue that drummers and arrangers are
beginning to move away from that clich.

Notes:

Grand Terrace Shuffle July, 1939.

Personnel: Earl Hines - comp. & piano, Budd Johnson - arr. & tenor sax, John
Ewing - trombone, Robert Crowder - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl & ts), 1ts, 1bari (w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The sound and feel of this tune is light years away from Madhouse, as
it should be, because by 1939 the Hines band is well into the Swing era, and they sound
like it. The most notable thing about this track is the way the rhythm section feels.
Although Hines is playing stride piano, it isnt as heavy as some of the earlier examples
we have heard and doesnt sound as archaic. The addition of the bass, rather than tuba
helps as well. Most notable, however, is the sound of the drummer playing on the hi-hat,
opening and closing it in the way made famous by Papa Jo Jones with the Count Basie
Band in the early 1930s. This sound, rather than brushes, adds a lighter touch and a real
swinging feel to the groove.
The tune is also notable because it features the trombone, one of the less featured
solo instruments, but an instrument that would gain more fame during this same time
period with Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. When the trombone solo comes in, the
band begins to wail. The saxophones pipe up from the whisper they were at behind the
piano solo and the rhythm section starts to dig in. The rhythmic language of this
arrangement is also much more advanced than almost anything else weve heard so far,
maybe with the exception of Fletcher Henderson. Here the saxophones are really
dexterous, executing all sorts of rhythmic patterns with ease. The abundance of triplets
in the saxophone parts behind the trombone solo is notable. The phrasing of the
saxophones is nothing but swing; none of the eighth notes are played straight and
accents within the phrase a placed in a syncopated fashion, with many falling on upbeats
rather than downbeats.
The 16 bar ensemble section that transitions between the trombone and tenor sax
solos is a nice addition to the tune. It is simply a series of riffs between the saxes and
brass put together in a juxtaposing fashion. The drummer even comes alive during this
section and crescendos into the end of each 4 bar phrase, playing a snare drum fill on
beat 4 and then dropping back down to a softer dynamic.
The sax solo is interrupted by a shout chorus, which presents riffs in the brass
and saxophones in alternation for 16 bars. The tenor sax takes the bridge and the same

29

riff section comes back to finish the final A section. What follows this A section is a nice
surprise. All of a sudden the dynamic level drops to subito piano. The brass drop out,
but the rhythm section and saxes continue, playing an ascending and descending blues
scale pattern that grows softer and softer as Hines plays an ascending scale in octaves on
the piano. The tune ends with a tag reminiscent of an Ellington-style ending.
Notes:

Piano Man July, 1939.

Personnel: Earl Hines - comp. & piano, Budd Johnson - arr.
Instrumentation: 4t (1w/bari), 3tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Obviously meant to be a Hines feature (the words are presumably about
him), Piano Man showcases Hines virtuosic stride piano abilities. The band plays very
little in the tune, and when they do play, they are used primarily as a short interruption
to comment on Hines solo. All of the horn licks in the tune are rhythmic unisons. At
the end of the tune the horns play back the last lick of Hines solo, which is obviously
composed rather than improvised. Otherwise the members of the band sing the words
during the first chorus of the tune that follows the short 2 bar full band introduction.
The feel in the rhythm section is um-pah-ish, primarily because of the stride
piano playing. The bass player is playing on 1 and 3, mimicking the left hand of the
piano and the drummer is playing his bass drum on 1 and 3 as well, which is highly
audible in this tune. He also plays a backbeat with his brushes, which completes the
um-pah.
The last few bars of the tune are slightly weird because Hines goes into half time
but the rhythm section does not follow him. Instead they keep on chugging with their
um-pah groove. The horns answer Hines lick exactly as he played it, and the tunes ends
with a fermata. Unfortunately, the drummer plays a splash cymbal stinger at the end of
the tune.
Notes:

Skylark March, 1942.

Personnel: Hoagy Carmichael - comp., Budd Johnson - arr. & tenor sax, Billy
Eckstine - vocal.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 5 sax doublers, 1fl, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: One of the most beautiful passages in this tune is the fully realized and
orchestrated introduction that includes every section of the band including a flute. The

30

introduction is also functional, unlike many of the introductions up to this have not
been. Budd Johnson, the arranger, uses one motive and repeats it three times, moving
around the ensemble three times, transposing the motive to a different harmony each
time it is repeated in order to set up the top of the form and Billy Eckstines vocal at the
end of the 8 bar introduction.
One of the most satisfying elements of this arrangement is the tempo. Although
it is still at ballad tempo, it is not too slow; the reason for this being that people still had
to dance to this tune and if it was too slow it would be too long and much harder to dance
to. The tempo also presents more options for the composer. Because it isnt a extremely
slow, Johnson writes some licks in the brass during the bridge that swing nicely beneath
Eckstines vocal. The rest of the background figures in the arrangement are fairly
standard: the saxes play pads behind the A section of the vocal with the flute
answering the vocal line with a composed motive taken from the introduction.
Budd Johnsons short solo over the A section gives the listener a short break from
the vocal, but it certainly could be longer; he plays some variations on the melody that
show his maturity as a player and it would have been satisfying to have heard a full
chorus from him. Eckstines vocal re-enters and finishes the lyrics to the tune. The
outro to the tune is just as well composed as the intro. The band plays a highly
percussive eighth note motive that is played straight rather than swung; another example
of the technique heard in Cab Calloways Zaz Zuh Zaz. Eckstine sings a few more notes
accompanied by saxophone chords, and after they come to rest, the brass section plays
one more closing motive. The coda (outro) to this piece is notable because it is one of the
first examples on this compilation (with exception of the Duke Ellington material) that
present a section of music that must be conducted in order for the ensemble to be
together. The necessity of a conductor would become more and more common in the
post-Swing era and particularly with more contemporary ensembles such as the Stan
Kenton orchestra.
Notes:

Stormy Monday Blues March, 1942.

Personnel: Eckstine, Hines & Bob Crowder- comp., Crowder- arr., Shorty
McConnell- trumpet, Earl Hines- piano, Billy Eckstine- vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 5sax doublers, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: Stormy Monday Blues is one of the first fully modern sounding tunes
discussed thus far. Whereas many of the previous tunes possessed some modern
features, all of them had traces and remnants of archaic styles. This piece, however, is
completely modern not only in its conception but it the arrangement and sound of the
band; although it must be noted that this is a blues, one of the oldest composition forms
of American music.
The piano into to this tune seems slightly out of place. The chords Earl Hines is
playing sound like some sort of sus chords; something foreign to the ear up to this point.

31

The first 4 measures are not consistent with the rest of the intro. Nevertheless, after 4
measures Hines is joined by the rest of the rhythm section which plays a 12/8 shuffle
pattern. The bass in particular, with its triplet rhythms gives this feeling to the trio. The
drummer, who is almost inaudible is stirring on the snare with brushes. Rather than
chugging straight through the intro and into the first bar of form (where Eckstine begins
singing), the trio plays an anticipation into the 12th bar of the intro and lets the note ring;
the bass player adds the finishing touch to this intro and plays the lower octave of the
root of the chord on the and of 2 of the 12th bar of the intro. The intro to this tune is
much more delicate than intros to other tunes and it really takes its time. Thus far, most
of the intros have been relatively short, usually lasting no more than 8 bars, if that. This
intro really takes its time and sets the tune up well.
Eckstine is not the bluesiest singer, but the addition of the electric guitar
commenting on the vocal line adds the blues touch that is missing. The saxophone
pads beneath his vocal are also a nice touch, but its the guitar here that is really
playing the blues. The arrangement begins escalating in intensity in the final two bars of
the first 12 bar vocal chorus when the horn section plays a motive that interrupts the
vocal. In the second chorus, the saxophones and brass section begin alternating
background figures, commenting on the vocal line but also answering one another while
Eckstine sings over them. This chorus keeps crescendo-ing until the final two bars of
this chorus, when the horns again play another motive (different, but similar than the
first) to round out this chorus. Then, like a shot out of a cannon, the drummer nails beat
one of the next chorus and Shorty McConnell comes blaring in with a barrage of high
notes. They continue through the first 4 bars of the chorus while the rest of the ensemble
plays stop time, the first example of this technique heard so far. Also notable is the
way the drummer fills the fourth bar and kicks beat four, setting up the band and leading
the rhythm section back into playing time under the trumpet solo. Although this isnt
completely uncommon for this time (1942), it is done very tastefully and in a way that
very few drummers could do; with the exception of Chick Webb. Shorty continues to
wail as the band plays some swinging backgrounds behind him for the first chorus. In
the second chorus the ensemble parts escalate to a full blown shout chorus, complete
with the drummer playing a backbeat on his snare drum. Here the saxes play a
countermelody to Shortys solo as the brass play shorter, stacatto figures above them.
The shout chorus settles down slightly at the 5th bar, but the drummer keeps playing his
backbeat. At the end of the second chorus of Shortys solo, the arrangement takes a left
turn with a 4 bar extension that segues smoothly into a 4 bar coda, climaxing with a
rhythmic unison line in the horns and a stratospheric note by Shorty.
As a side note, the feel of the rhythm section in this chart is fantastic! The
drummer sets up the band going into the first chorus of trumpet solo, and he lays into a
backbeat during the second chorus of the trumpet solo. The bass player walks four to the
bar almost the whole chart and really lays the time back with the drummer, especially at
the shout that occurs during the second chorus of trumpet solo.
Finally, this chart is notable because it is one of the first examples on this
compilation of a vocal tune that is not really a vocal feature. Eckstines part on this tune
is almost an afterthought. The chart really showcases Shorty McConnells prowess at
high register trumpet playing and the bands ability to swing their collective you-knowwhat off!
Notes:

32

Chick Webb & His Orchestra

One of the most important bands of the Swing era, the Chick Webb Orchestra was led by
a miniature drummer with a sound just the opposite. The band had a residence at the
Savoy Ballroom in Harlem and was notable for many reasons. Chick Webb, the bands
leader and drummer, was one of the first superstar drummers. At a time when drums
were thought of as a timekeeper only, Chick revolutionized solo playing and was one of
the first drummers to really kick the band. Chicks playing was the main attraction,
although the band could really Swing, and they kept the Savoy Ballroom jumping all
night long. The band was also where Ella Fitzgerald got her start at a very early age.
(Chick Webb actually became her legal guardian so she could perform at the Savoy
before she was of legal age to be a patron there). Unfortunately, the band couldnt stay
together for long, as Chick eventually succumbed to his illness, leaving a lasting legacy in
the jazz community.
Stompin at the Savoy May, 1934.
Personnel: Edgar Sampson - comp., arr. & alto sax, Mario Bauza & Reunald Jones.,
Sr. - trumpets, Sandy Williams - trombone, Elmer Williams - tenor sax, Pete Clark clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 1tb, 2as (1w/cl), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of the most recognizable Swing anthems of all-time, Stompin is
never a let down. The four bar intro of the tune is purely functional, setting up the top of
the form nicely. This arrangement is notable for its use of call and response between the
saxophones and the brass during the melody. The brass play biting staccatos as the first
two notes of the riff melody, while the saxophones play with a more legato phrasing,
creating a nice contrast of styles over the A sections. This orchestration continues
through the bridge as the brass figures overlap with the saxophone melody. After the
bridge, the final A section is played with no variation.
The next chorus of the tune offers a different texture to the listener. The melodic
roles of the saxophone and brass sections are reversed, with the saxes playing the first
two notes of the melody in a legato fashion rather than the staccato phrasing used by the
brass in the first chorus. The now muted brass section answers with a slight variation on
the melody. This brings the dynamic of the band down and sets up a trumpet solo at the
bridge. This chorus is again completed with no variation of A section.
The soloists on this tune all sound like modern Swing players. Elmer Williams,
the tenor soloist plays off the melody during his solo, and the second trumpet soloist
(before the clarinet solo) lets off a few fireworks of his own. What is most interesting is
the number of solo sections jammed into the first two and a half minutes of the tune.
There are 8 different solo sections before the shout chorus which comes around the 2:30
mark. The way this is accomplished is by no soloist taking more than 16 consecutive bars
of solo; although two soloist do get a total of 24 bars, they are broken up. This was a
common way of featuring as many soloists as possible while keeping the tune within a
the time limit for a recording; usually between three and three and a half minutes. Solos
during live performances may have been longer, although not much longer, as the
dancers would get tired out if a tune stretched longer than 4 or 5 minutes. The following
is a solo diagram for this tune:

33

1st Chorus:
2nd Chorus:
3rd Chorus:
4th Chorus:
5th Chorus:

no solos
Bridge (8) Trumpet
AA (16) Trombone; B (8) Sax; A (8) Trombone
AA (16) Trumpet; B (8) Clarinet; A (8) Trumpet
B (8) - Sax

The shout chorus of this tune, which comes around the 2:30 minute mark is
notable because of the way Chick Webb fills the spaces in and around the ensemble
figures. He also plays a fill at the end of the trumpet solo that sets up the top of shout
chorus. This was very rare among drummers playing in 1934, and Chick was one of the
first truly modern big band drummers in his conception of the role of the drums in a big
band.
The end of the tune is slightly interesting because it doesnt end the way most
other arrangements of Stompin end. Instead of having a fully orchestrated fermata at
the end of the tune, Edgar Sampson, the composer and arranger, chose to have the piano
echo (in octaves) the final motive played by the saxophone section; quite a playful ending
to such a stompin tune.
Notes:

Dont Be That Way November, 1934.

Personnel: Edgar Sampson - comp., arr. & alto sax, Elmer Williams - tenor sax,
Claude Jones - trombone, Taft Jordan - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This arrangement of Dont Be That Way, another Swing era
standard, uses the same orchestrational palette that Stompin at the Savoy employs.
The melody is stated in a legato fashion by the saxophone section while the brass play
stacatto punctuations. What is notable about the arrangement of the head of this tune is
that it represents one of the first documented examples of a trombone section soli. The
trombone section takes the bridge to the tune without assistance from any other section
of the band; other than the rhythm section. The last A section, which is notably marked
by Chicks cymbal crash, is played in a similar style to the first two, except that Sampson
adds a 4 bar extension onto the end of it which transitions in the saxophone solo. The
solos in this tune are again broken up in a similar way to Stompin, with one soloist
taking the A sections of the form and another taking the bridge.
During the saxophone solo, the brass and bari sax (I think) play backgrounds,
one of which (on beat 2 of the 8th bar of the first A section) Chick Webb catches with a
nice snare drum and cymbal crash. The catching of certain background figures is
something Webb excelled at, and something many other drummers of this time period
did not do. In the eighth bar of the bridge, Webb again catches the same rhythmic
figure. Chick also catches the ensemble figures in the first A section of the trombone
solo. The most notable of these figures comes in the eighth bar of the last A section of

34

the first solo chorus (at the 1:20 mark) where Chick not only catches the figure but plays
a setup in the rest preceding the figure. To this point of the compilation, no other
drummer has played such a clear and precise setup for the band. Although it seems
miniscule and insignificant, this idea is absolutely revolutionary to the future of the big
band drummer; and it all begins with Chick Webb. Also of note is the fact that Chick
seems to be playing time on the hi-hat, rather than with brushes, for most of the tune.
During the last forty seconds of the tune, the most revolutionary and important
moments occur. At the end of the trombone solo, Chick plays a fill that sets up the top of
the shout chorus. During the first two A sections of the shout, Chick is filling, kicking,
and setting up the band, as well as playing crashes on beat 1 of every two bars. When the
bridge arrives we hear the first drum solo of this entire compilation, a barrage of quick
triplets and eighth note rhythms accompanied by stop-time figures in the horns. During
the final two bars of the bridge the horns re-enter to set up the last A section. Here,
Chick not only plays then figure with the horns but also sets them up by playing cymbal
crashes during the rests, a very musical, revolutionary, and mature sound that would
make its way into the playing of drummers like Mel Lewis (particularly the cymbal crash
during rests). With Chick in the drivers seat, the band swings hard during the final A
section, which is marked by stinger played by the brass, to which Chick adds a cymbal
splash that actually has a purpose!
Notes:

Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie March, 1937.

Personnel: Joseph Meyer - comp., Edgar Sampson - arr., Chick Webb - drums, Ted
McRae - tenor sax, Louis Jordan - clarinet, Tommy Fulford - piano, Pete Clark - baritone
sax, Taft Jordan - trumpet, Sandy Williams - trombone.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1w/cl), ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Another example of the masterful playing of Chick Webb, Clap Hands,
Here Comes Charlie, is a quick paced tune for its time. Right off the bat, in the
introduction, Chick Webb takes four bars of drum solo, setting up the top of the form.
The melody to this tunes sounds like the title; you can sing the words along with
the band, and it may actually have words that go with it, although there is no singer here.
The arrangement of the head is rather simple, with the entire band in rhythmic unison
on the A sections. The saxophones take the bridge as a soli with brass interruptions. All
of the sections are 8 bars long with the exception of the last A section, which includes an
elision at the top of the 6th bar and an 8 bar extension which segues by way of solo break
into saxophone solo. The use of a solo break is notable, although it was a common
feature of tunes by this time, because it foreshadows the importance these breaks would
carry in the later Swing years and into Bebop. The form of the head is as follows:
A
||: A (8) Unison :|| B (8) Sax soli | (6) Unison Extension (8) ||

35

Much like Stompin and Dont Be That Way, the solo choruses are broken up
amongst a variety of different soloists in order to feature as many players as possible.
The solo order is as follows:
1st solo chorus: AA (16) - Tenor Sax; B (8) Clarinet; A (8) Tenor Sax
2nd solo chorus: AA (16) Piano; B (8) Bari Sax; A (8) - Piano
3rd solo chorus: AA (16) Trumpet; B (8) Trombone; A (8) Trumpet
4th solo chorus: AA (16) + Coda (8) Drum solo breaks
Among the solos, three are notable. First, it can be stated now that by 1937 the
clarinet has become a solo instrument and a common double for saw players, but no
longer carries the importance as a section instrument that it once did in the years
preceding the Swing era. It is only heard in this tune for a mere 8 bars. The piano solo is
also interesting because all the other instruments except piano and drums drop out. The
pianist plays the three A sections of solo in a ragtime-esque style. Chick Webb switches
to playing on his rims, further invoking the ragtime style. This is perhaps the first time
we hear a player, and in this case two players, intentionally draw on the sound of an
earlier era for a soloistic effect. Not only does the piano utilize ragtime in his solo, but
Webb responds with the appropriate stylistic drum accompaniment, a true sign of a
master drummer at work.
Finally, and most notable is the drum solo. These breaks are clearly an arranged
drum solo, in a similar style to Dont Be That Way, but slightly more elaborate. Rather
than simply writing a stop time chorus for the drums to solo over (like Dont Be That
Way), Edgar Sampson sets this drum solo as a section where Chick Webb trades with
the full ensemble. Webb takes the final two bars of the trumpet solo and plays a raucous
drum fill that sets up the top of his solo chorus where he trades 2 bar sections with the
band for 8 bars, which then segues into a mini-shout chorus that quotes the melody and
lasts for another 8 bars. All the while, Chick is filling, kicking, and setting up the band
effortlessly. He even plays cowbell and woodblocks during his second solo break, a
sound that many Swing drummers, including Gene Krupa (on the famous Sing, Sing,
Sing) and Sam Woodyard (Ellington), embraced. Chick plays fully orchestrated solos,
using not only his snare drum but also his bass drum and toms (as well as the previously
mentioned toys) to fill out the sound of his solo breaks and fills. The last 8 bars are a
departure from the rest of the tune. Sampson employs a pedal point here and omits the
piano and bass from the ensemble, leaving Chick free to splash and crash his way
through the horn figures into the end of the tune. The form of the drum solo is as
follows:
|| A (8) Trade 2s w/ ensemble A (8) Mini-shout with drums soloing
Coda (8) Pedal point with drums crashing ||
For the entire tune (save the piano solo), Chick plays time on an opening and
closing hi-hat, a more modern sound even than what he plays on the previous tunes from
3 years earlier. For most of the tune (except the bridge of the melody) the bass player is
playing a 2 feel, which seems to work underneath the A sections of the head of the tune,
but could have switched to a 4 feel during the solos. When the bass player does walk,
during the bridge of the melody, he plays a lot of repeated notes, a slightly archaic sound
for this time period.

36

Notes:

Undecided February, 1939.

Personnel: Charlie Shavers & Sid Robin - comp., Van Alexander - arr., Ella
Fitzgerald - vocal, Chick Webb - drums.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d, fvoc.
Commentary: Perhaps it is the vocals of the young Ella Fitzgerald (whos only 21 on
this recording) that makes the band swing harder than usual (much like the vocals of
Bing Crosby on the early Paul Whiteman tracks); or perhaps it is a combination of Van
Alexanders arrangement, the excellent players in the band, and the groundbreaking
drumming of Chick Webb. But either way, this chart swingshard!
Right from the start, the brush playing of Chick Webb (with a slight accent on 2
and 4) combined with the four to the bar (no repeated notes) walking of the bass player
propels the swinging feeling of this tune. The alternation between saxophone melody
and brass punctuations is modern sounding and keeps the introduction of this tune light.
In the seventh and eighth bars of the intro the trombones play a two bar solo, again
confirming the heightened importance of the instrument, much like Chicks earlier tune
Dont Be That Way. The next 6 bars of the introduction continue the same saxes /
brass alternation, followed by a 4 bar brass soli where the bass drops out and only Chick
keeps the time behind the brass. The reason for this is unknown, but it is an interesting
sound, a new color that has been used rarely before. The total length of the intro is 18
bars and is as follows:
6 (Sax / Brass) + 2 (Trombones) | 6 (Sax / Brass) + 4 (Brass) Vocal
Ella sounds fantastic, her tone is round and her pitch spot on, and traces of her
signature vibrato can be heard at the end of each line. The feel of the rhythm section
beneath the vocals shifts from the four feel of the intro to a two feel, with the piano
player doubling the bass line in the left hand, a slightly archaic sound; although Chicks
smooth brush player helps modernize it. After Ella sings each line, the band responds to
her musing with riff-like motives. The A section is played twice, repeated exactly in the
band parts (the lyrics are different the second time.) An interesting note about the A
sections is that the last four measures switch to a four feel. This is unusual, especially
when the next section goes back to a two feel. Van Alexander even fakes out the listener
at the end of the second A section, when the time feel again shifts to a four feel, which
breaks two beats before the bridge. Although the listener expects the bridge to be in
four, as is standard for many arrangements, it clearly reverts back to a two feel. The
saxes play countermelody behind Ella, and the entire band responds to her vocals in the
eighth bar with a single accent on beat 1, creating a one bar break in the middle of the
bridge. When the A section returns it is an exact repeat of the earlier A sections, with the
exception of the final four bars, which are repeated twice and present the horns playing
an unaccompanied transitional soli into the shout chorus of the tune.
Most notable in the shout chorus is that Chick Webb switches to sticks right at
the top of the shout chorus and fills beats three and four, kicking the band right into the
shout chorus. He also plays some splashes and crashes, filling up the spaces between the

37

horns licks. Chick even accentuates the backbeat in bars 9-12 to fill in the space between
the alternating offbeat entrances of the trumpets and saxes. The last four bars of the
shout chorus are odd because rather than writing ensemble figures, the arrangement
calls for a quick saxophone solo to transition back into a repeat of the shout. The second
time the shout is played, Chick Webb ups the ante, playing a few more snare drum fills
and crashes. Rather than a saxophone solo, Webb takes the last four bars of the shout
which end in a blistering flurry of 32nd notes.
Ella re-enters with the bridge, played exactly as before. The final A section is also
a repeat of the in-head, except that the final two measures are cut off, and instead the
arrangements segues directly to a coda. Here, the saxes back up Ella with whole note
chords for 8 measures. Suddenly, the feel switches to half time for a rather bluesy
sounding ending. Notable here is the doubling of the descending bass line in the low
brass and how the trumpets lay back their entrance on the and of beat three in the first
bar of half time.
Overall, the arrangement is rather sophisticated, utilizing many techniques and
colors while showcasing a budding young vocalist. The arrangement also does an
excellent job of balancing the importance of the singer and the band. While earlier vocal
arrangements of such groups as the Paul Whiteman Orchestra (with Bing Crosby) and
the Cab Calloway Orchestra tended to focus solely on the vocalist with very little playing
time for the band, Van Alexander finds a way to include a swinging shout chorus and
even utilizes all the horns behind the vocalist, something many other arrangers did not
do.
Notes:

38

Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra

From its meager beginnings as a student jazz band in Memphis, Tennessee, the Jimmie
Lunceford Orchestra grew into on of the most creative black bands of the swing era, and
along with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, Count Basie Band, and Duke Ellington
Orchestra, set the style for that era. Lunceford himself was a former physical education
teacher who formed a band (originally called Chickasaw Syncopation) of students from
his school, which eventually morphed into his orchestra. Influenced by Zack Whytes
band, who Lunceford saw at the Cotton Club (named after the famed Harlem nightspot)
in Cincinnatti, Lunceford not only began using Whytes style in his music, but also hired
some of the younger players out of Whytes band. These players included Sy Oliver, who
would go on to arrange for Jimmy Dorsey, and also Eugene Snooky Young, who would
become famous with the Count Basie Band. The Lunceford Orchestras popularity lasted
throughout the Swing era (1935-1943), but during World War II he experienced the same
problems as many other leaders. Unfortunately, Lunceford died of a heart attack in July
of 1947 at the age of 45.
Mood Indigo September, 1934.
Personnel: Duke Ellington & Barney Bigard - comp., Willie Smith - arr., Eddie
Tompkins & Sy Oliver - trumpets, Russell Bowles - trombone.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 3as (2w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d, vibes.
Commentary: Immediately noticeable is this tune is the phrasing of lines. Every
single note and phrase has precise dynamics and articulations. The brass forte-pianos
and swells in the intro coupled with the staccato countermelody of the woodwinds
(clarinets & sax) creates a nice contrast. During the statement of the melody the
woodwinds keep a fairly constant dynamic level while playing the countermelody, a sort
of bebopish line that is very choppy and precisely articulated. This sound is very
hokey, although the rhythm section swings nicely beneath the horns for the entire tune.
The feel of the tune is rather laid back, and has a sophisticated swing, especially for 1934.
The brass, playing the original melody use dynamics superbly, shaping each note and
entrance with forte-pianos, swells, crescendos, decrescendos, etc..
Following the melodic statement the tune transitions via an ensemble interlude
(minus rhythm section) to a trumpet solo (perhaps with a mute). This solo is inventive,
using more advanced chromaticism than many other players were using in 1934, right on
the cusp of the Swing era. Following the first trumpet solo is a second trumpet solo, this
time definitely with a mute. This solo is a paraphrase of the melody with improvisational
liberty. This trumpet player even uses a growl effect toward the end of his solo. Also
notable is the way this solo is arranged; as the rhythm section drops out and only the
saxophones accompany the trumpet with staccato background figures. On the second 8
bars of this solo the rhythm section joins the saxes, playing the rhythm of the figures
while the drummer keeps steady time.
The shout chorus kicks in after the second trumpet solo, with the melody still
present in the saxes, albeit varied and ornamented, while the brass play the shout which
also sticks close to the melody. The saxes then take a short 4 bar soli with staccato brass
accompaniment before the rhythm section drops out and the trumpets take over the
melody with trombone backgrounds.

39

One notable feature of this tune is the expanding orchestration pallatte arrangers
like Willie Smith are using. The brass section uses many different types of mutes in this
tune, and clarinet is also used as a double for the saxophone. Although the range of
orchestrational possibilities is expanding, Smith still chooses to use each section of the
ensemble as a unit in the arrangement. He does not combine colors (i.e. a trumpet and
clarinet playing the same part), but rather separates the different motives, melodies, and
countermelodies by assigning them to specific sections of the band. Smith also utilizes
the effect of the rhythm section coming in and out to great success in this arrangement.
A few more things are notable about this piece. First the melody is almost always
present throughout the entire tune. In fact the melody is only absent for approximately
24 measures (give or take) of the 74 measure tune. Secondly, this piece marks the first
appearance of the vibraphone (right at the end of the piece) on this collection; an
instrument that would come into vogue with the Benny Goodman band, featuring Lionel
Hampton.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro [Full Band] (4) Melody [Brass w/ woodwind countermelody] (16) Ensemble
Interlude [Horns only] (4) Trumpet solo 1 [w/ sax bgs.] (16) Trumpet solo 2 [w/ sax
accomp. only] (8) Continue Trumpet solo [add rhythm section] (8) Shout chorus
[melody in saxes] (8) Sax soli [w/ brass bgs.] (4) Trumpet Soli [trombone bgs.] (6)
Notes:

Stratosphere September, 1934.

Personnel: Jimmie Lunceford - comp. & arr., Willie Smith - alto sax, Joe Thomas tenor sax, Jimmy Crawford - timpani.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 3as (2w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d (w/timp).
Commentary: Because of the tempo Stratosphere is clearly not a dance piece, as
many of the later Lunceford tunes would be. The tune is also very orchestral in its
scoring, utilizing many sonic effects, quick changes of texture, dynamics, and
articulations. It almost sounds like it could have been the underscore for some sort of
stage act.
Notable among the effects used in this piece are the staccato note hairpin
crescendo and decrescendo in the solo trumpet over the A sections of the tune. When
this section is played again, a highly difficult echo effect, coupled with the swells, is used.
It sounds as if two trumpets are playing here, one echoing the other with 16th note
precision.
The tune is really divided into two sections with a transitional section in between.
The first section ends at the exact middle point of the tune (1:07). The first section is as
follows:

40

Intro [Full Band] (8) ||: A [Trumpet w/ sax bgs.] (8) :|| B [Saxes w/ brass bgs.] (8)
A [Same] (8) Intro [Full Band] (First 4 bars only) ||: A [Simile] (8) :|| B [Sax
solo w/ brass bgs.] (8) A [Simile] (3)
The final A section of this half of the tune is interrupted midway by a dissonant,
stinging brass chord, which is held for 3 measures, finally resolving when the trombone
enters. The following 8 bars present a chromatic decent that segues into a timpani solo
punctuated by rhythmic figures in the horn parts. Interestingly, the drum plays the
breaks on timpani rather than on the drumset, the first time on this compendium that
timpani can be heard, especially in a solo context, a rare occurrence in the jazz idiom. It
seems as though the timpani solo is the first four measures of a new A section, because
after the timpani solo, the band comes charging back in with what sounds like the last
four measures of the A section as an ensemble shout. Here is where the transitional
section of the tune ends and the second section begins. The transitional section is
diagramed as follows:
Trans. [Brass] (5) Chromatic Transition [Full Band] (8) Timpani Solo [w/ horn
accomp.] (4) + Ens. Shout (4)
The second section of the tune, which begins after the 4 measures of ensemble
playing succeeding the timpani solo are marked as such for the following reason:
Although the section of the timpani solo sounds like the return of the A section it is not
included in the form of the tune. Rather than playing one more A section (8 bars) of
shout after the timpani solo before moving to the bridge (in keeping with the form), the
arrangement is scored as two more A sections (16 bars) of shout, which means the top of
the form returns after the timpani solo and not at the top of the timpani solo.
The
bridge comes back here as a saxophone solo with brass backgrounds and the last A
section of the tune is again played as a shout chorus before the tune transitions into an
extremely weird coda that begins with two measures of a downward spiraling figure in
the saxes. What sounds like 14 more measures of coda follow this figure, marked by the
bass players constant quarter note pulse and many intricate and intertwining motives in
the horns. Unfortunately, the splash cymbal at the end of the tune is back. The second
section of the tune is diagramed as follows:
||: A [Ens. Shout] (8) :|| B [Sax solo w/ brass bgs.] (8) A [Simile] (8)
Coda [Ens.] 2 + 14.
Notes:

Stomp It Off October, 1934.

Personnel: Sy Oliver & Jimmie Lunceford - comp., Oliver - arr. & trumpet, Tommy
Stevenson - trumpet, Joe Thomas - tenor sax, Willie Smith - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 3as (2w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d (w/timp).
Commentary: Stomp It Off is a swingin dance tune. The rhythm section really
drives this tune with an understated swing feel that propels the band and keeps the tune
from getting bogged down by some of the rhythmic passages in the horns, most notably

41

the pyramid figures in the bridge. The biting staccato style of saxophone articulation is
used in this arrangement and is very similar to the articulation and sound of the
saxophone section on Mood Indigo. The saxophones swing the first A section with
authority, phrasing and articulating in a modern fashion. The brass take the second A
section, and notably lay back all the figures, effectively turning the eighth notes into
drag triplets or quarter note triplets with staccato articulation. This same figure is
used repeatedly throughout this second A section, and it is really the first time we hear a
brass section really lay a figure back (although it was probably written in the part by Sy
Oliver). The pyramid figures at the bridge are hip and a new orchestrational texture that
arrangers and composers begin to use more and more in the Swing era. The saxophones
take the melody on the last A section, aided by brass.
Next comes a full band soli that moves away from the chord progression of the
melody, although it does seem to use the bridge. Here the brass and saxes trade riffs,
licks, and the saxes even take two 4-bar breaks. Interestingly, this soli is 40 bars long
and is in the following form: C (8), D (8), D (8), B (8), C (8). The letters C and D are
used because the chord progression here is different from both the A sections and the B
sections of the melody, however, B is used here because the bridge returns at that
particular point.
The first trumpet soloist (Sy Oliver?) is perhaps the soloist who shines the most
on this tune. He chooses his notes carefully and almost sounds like Louis Armstrong.
He even comes within one note of perfectly quoting Mary Had A Little Lamb in the first
few notes of his solo. Oliver takes the first two A sections of the tune, followed by tenor
sax with ensemble backgrounds and the bridge. These backgrounds are dynamic in
nature, utilizing both long and short notes with dynamics; particularly of note are the
large swells on the longer notes. The final A section is taken by another trumpet player,
this time with a mute. Notable here is how the soloist uses the last lick the saxophones
play in the bridge (it overlaps with the first measure of the last A section) as the opening
to his solo. Also of note is the fact that the drummer drops out (or is playing so quite
that he is inaudible) during this solo. He almost isnt even missed as the guitar
chunking really grooves and feels great!
Immediately following the muted trumpet solo, Oliver presents an 8-bar
interlude where the rhythm section drops out and only the horns play. This section has
the highest trumpet playing heard thus far. After the interlude the form returns and is
treated as an outhead/soli/shout chorus. The trombones play an 8-bar soli with horn
backgrounds over the first A section of the tune, loosely quoting the melody. Again, the
trombone is rising in stature, becoming an equal voice that arrangers are beginning to
write solos and solis form. During the second A section we hear the saxophones and a
clarinet play a 8-bar soli with horn backgrounds and accompaniment, although the
melody is not quoted. This is the only time in the tune the clarinet is heard, and for only
8 bars, further indicating its stature as a doubling instrument for a saxophone player
rather than the main woodwind voice (as it once was) in a big band. The bridge is played
by solo saxophone in a very archaic and hokey staccato style which almost undermines
the swing and groove of the last two minutes and fifty seconds of the tune. The last A
section is a shout section where the brass and saxophones alternate riffs in a typical style.
During this entire 32-bar outhead/shout chorus the rhythm section swings superbly
beneath the horns. The tune ends, of course, with the obligatory splash cymbal.

42

One final note: the most important feature of this tune is the arrangement itself.
Oliver uses many new orchestrational techniques such as the pyramid effect, the rhythm
section dropping out, etc. that change the mood and feel of the tune and vary the texture
of the ensemble in interesting ways. The final 32-bar chorus is the most inventive
because rather than simply presenting the outhead in a similar fashion to the inhead,
Oliver instead crafts a superbly arranged section of music that shifts quickly between
sections of the band, soloists, riffs, and backgrounds, effectively creating the high point
of the piece at the very end which certainly left this listener wanting more.
Notes:

Organ Grinders Swing August, 1936.

Personnel: Will Hudson - comp., Sy Oliver - arr. & trumpet, Ed Carruthers baritone sax, Edwin Wilcox - celeste, Al Norris - guitar, Willie Smith - clarinet, Paul
Webster - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 4as (1w/cl, 2w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p/celeste, g, b, d
(w/timp).
Commentary: Organ Grinders Swing is a masterful arrangement and highly
dynamic piece that is a wonderful segue from Stomp It Off. Here Sy Oliver again uses
many orchestrational effects and combinations of instruments in interesting ways. This
tune is perhaps the most interesting and significant arrangement that Sy Oliver did for
the Lunceford Orchestra. Much like Stomp It Off it is the arrangement here that takes
center stage and if nothing else, certainly shows a master arranger at the height of his
powers.
Notable immediately is the combination of clarinets and saxophones presenting
the melody with only woodblock accompaniment. Oliver also uses the bari saxophone to
play a bass line, a technique we have not previously heard, beneath the muted trumpet
melody in the second 8 bars of the tune. Behind this trumpet solo are the rest of the
trumpets (muted) playing a simple, but swinging background figure that is almost too
quite to even be noticed. It seems as though Luncefords orchestra, moreso than any
group heard thus far, plays with the widest dynamic range and sensitivity (Ellingtons
groups did the same). Immediately following this section, Oliver presents yet another
textural shift as a solo celeste player is heard above the same stark woodblock
accompaniment as in the intro. Then the arrangement shifts again, this time to an 8 bar
guitar solo with rhythm section accompaniment and saxophone pad backgrounds. The
rhythm section drops out and solo clarinet is heard for 4 bars with only saxophone
accompaniment. This segues to an 8 bar trumpet solo with full rhythm section and
saxophone pad backgrounds. Then another trumpet player takes over, this time with a
mute, and the solo section continues for another 16 bars. Notable here is the shift from
long note backgrounds in the saxophones to a staccato, offbeat background. The entire
band drops down in dynamic level to accommodate the volume concerns of a muted
trumpet.
The melody then returns and is presented the exact same way as the beginning of
the tune; first clarinet and sax over woodblocks, then solo trumpet with bari sax bass line

43

with rhythm section accompaniment. The tune ends with the bari player playing a
typical bass tag line and, of course, the obligatory cymbal, however, in this
arrangement played with a soft mallet and allowed to ring, rather than the choked sound
at the end of almost every single tune from this time period.
Notes:

For Dancers Only June, 1937.

Personnel: Sy Oliver - comp. & arr.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 4as (1w/cl, 2w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of the swinginest Swing-era tunes of all time, For Dancers Only
is a tune that helped invent Swing clichs. The tune begins with a bass line played by the
trombones and bari sax, one of the first examples heard of a tune beginning this way.
The melody is a simple riff played almost entirely in rhythmic unison by the horns, with
the exception of the saxes, which sometimes play in the spaces between notes. In the
second and sixth bar of the melody the rhythm section and lower register instruments
(trombone/bari) land heavily on beat four, a sound that would gain more and more
prominence throughout the history of jazz. Other examples of this include the
Ellington and Basie style endings, the bomb dropping of Bebop drummers, as well
as the post-Bop rim click on beat 4 (made famous in the tune Milestones by drummer
Philly Joe Jones). This is merely a foreshadowing of things to come.
The drum playing in this tune is particularly of note. Right off the bat the
drummer catches the initial entrance of the trumpets with a staccato rimshot on the and
of beat 3, perfectly matching the articulation of the trumpets. This concept, the
catching of figures in the brass (particularly of staccato figures with rimshots) is very
modern and the greatest big band drummers of all time (Mel Lewis, in particular) were
masters at this. This particular technique is still present in big band drumming of the
21st century. Next, the click the drummer plays on either the rim or the snare drum on
beat 2 in measures three and seven in the first two times through the melody is
important because he is playing the rest, a term for playing in the gap between horn
lines. Notice that the drummer plays this click exactly when the horns but off their
previous note, but before the next horn entrance. Although it is a small detail, the tune is
not complete without it, and every post-Lunceford arrangement of this tune that Ive
heard includes this feature. Also notable is the audible feathering of the bass drum on
all 4 beats of the measure.. Although many other big band drummers before this
recording was made undoubtedly used this technique, this is one of the first recordings
where it is clearly heard. Secondly, the drummer, as well as the rest of the rhythm
section, is really laying into beats two and four of every measure a little more than usual,
creating a tight pocket that helps this tune swing! Finally, the drummer plays a backbeat
during the trombone soli, trumpet solo and the shout chorus (where he even adds crash
cymbal to his backbeat); not the hokey um-pah backbeat heard in earlier pre-Swing
recordings, but the modern chop wood backbeat that serves as one of the grooviest
band-kicking, intensity building techniques drummers have ever used in all styles of
music.

44

Although this the form of this tune is essentially the same 8 bar section repeated
over and over, Sy Oliver again works his magic and keeps it very interesting. The first
two times (16 bars) we hear the full ensemble playing the melody orchestrated
throughout the ensemble. The second two times we hear a variation on the melody with
a countermelody in the low brass and bari sax. A similar countermelody is also present
in Benny Goodmans Sing, Sing, Sing, recorded around the exact same time as For
Dancers Only. This countermelody then becomes the basis for the trombone soli the
fifth time around. The trombone soli then becomes the background for a sax solo the
sixth time around. The seventh time around is part shout chorus (4 bars) and then sax
soli (4 bars), segueing into the eighth time around which finishes the sax soli (w/
backgrounds). The ninth and tenth repeats are a stratospheric trumpet solo (w/
backgrounds). The eleventh and twelfth repeats are the shout chorus, complete with
backbeats and crashes on two and four.
A few notes: Obviously the range of the brass section is expanding. The
pedal/bell tones in the trombones and the high register trumpet playing on this tune are
prime examples. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this is perhaps the first tune on
this compendium where the articulation is completely modern throughout the entire
tune. Gone are the musical vestiges of an earlier time. The Swing era, although still in
its infancy, has spawned an articulation style of its own, a style that will set the standard
for decades to come.
Notes:

Taint What You Do January, 1939.

Personnel: Sy Oliver & Trummy Young - comp., Oliver - arr., Young - vocal, Willie
Smith & Teddy Buckner - alto saxes, Jimmy Crawford - drums.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 3as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The beginning of this tune again shows Sy Olivers imaginative
orchestrational techniques as he orchestrates the first A section of the tune in the saxes
with only drum accompaniment. The drum groove beneath the saxes is interesting, with
its tom based (perhaps snare drum with the snares off) sound it reminds the listener of
an earlier era before drummers switched to playing time on their hi hat. The second A
section brings the rest of the band in and includes a brass answer of two quarter notes
on beat 3 and 4 of every other measure. The drummer catches this figure every time, a
very modern approach to playing. He is also playing time primarily on his hi hat,
another modernism, with exception of the first 8 bars of the tune. The melody of the
tune as well as all the horn parts are very riff based. The bridge is played by the brass
section with a solo saxophone player soloing in the gaps. Although this solo is short, it is
significant because I think he plays a bebop scale, obviously pre-bebop. The final A
section is orchestrated as a call and response between the saxes and brass, a very popular
texture for this era. The drummer expertly sets up the next 8 bars, a pseudo shout
chorus which serves as a transition to the vocal portion of the tune. The form of the
beginning of the tune is as follows:

45

A (8) [Saxes & Drums], A (8) [Full band], B (8) [Brass w/ sax solo], A (8) [Brass vs.
Saxes] Shout chorus / Transition (8) [Full band]
Immediately at the top of Trummy Youngs vocal the texture shifts to stop time, a
technique heard before in some of the Chick Webb Orchestras repertoire (during Chicks
solos), but here it seems much more sophisticated and understated, played and arranged
in a much cooler manner. Stop time is used for the verse (8 bars) that introduces the
idea of the tune. The time feel then shifts back into a 4 feel for the A sections which
present the vocal refrain to which this song owes its title. The vocal refrain sections (A
section x 2) is an excellent example of a Swing era clich; having the band and featured
vocalist alternate lines in a call and response style. The bridge is sung almost entirely by
the band, with vocal comments made by Trummy Young. The final A section is the
same as the first two vocal refrain sections. The form of this vocal section is as follows:
Stop Time (8) [Vocal solo], A (8) [Call & response vox], A (8) [Simile], B (8) [Band
vocal], A (8) [Call & response vox]
Following the final A section of the vocals, we hear a saxophone solo with brass
accompaniment over the first A section of the tune. The repeat of the A section ups the
ante, with the drummer kicking the band and delineating the form by setting up the
repeat of the A. Here, the saxophone solo is replaced by riffs in the saxophone section ,
responded to by riffs in the brass section while the rhythm section swings effortlessly
below. This riff chorus ends at the bridge which is marked surprisingly by a drum solo
which, rather than lasting the length of the bridge (8 bars), is extended to 10 bars (the
band re-enters on the last two bars), heightening the tension before releasing it into the
final shout chorus of the tune. The tune ends oddly, with the band playing a clean cut-off
as the drummer continues to solo. This may have been a mistake on the drummers part
or it may be an ill-conceived ending, but it is the only sloppy part of the entire tune. It
almost seems as though it may be in the style of what later drummers, particularly the
Bebop and post-bop drummers, would do at the ends of tunes; play a final fill and a
crash to cap-off the end of a tune after the horns had already cut off their final note.
The form of the last section of the tune is as follows:
A (8) [Sax solo w/ brass bgs.], A (8) [Riff chorus], B (10) [Drum solo], A (8) [Full band
shout]
A final note on this tune is that the rhythm section feel is excellent and very
modern. The drummer plays time almost exclusively on the hi hats (with exception of
the intro) as well as sets up sections, catches brass figures, kicks the band, and even takes
a solo. The bass player keeps the 4 feel going on the entire tune (with exception of the
stop time) and hardly plays any repeated notes. The guitar is very understated and is
played in a Freddie Green style that propels the groove forward and is not intrusive.
Notes:

46

Well, All Right, Then May, 1939.

Personnel: Sy Oliver - comp. & arr., Teddy Buckner - alto sax, Elmer Crumbley trombone, Jimmy Crawford - drums.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 3as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This tune rockets out of the gate with an intense two bar, double time
feel drum solo played on snare drum with bass drum accents. What odd about this is
that not only is the solo intense, but it is very rudimental and militaristic in its approach.
It seems very out of place, especially when the laid-back swing feel of the tune kicks in.
Again we hear the band singing the words to the tune in a style that by 1939 had
become a clich. Beneath the vocals the pianist plays Basie-esque high register comping.
Under subsequent vocal sections the piano player solos, although it is difficult to hear
because he is so far in the background.
The form of this tune is perhaps the simplest of all the Lunceford tunes on this
compilation. The form is simply 8 bars repeated over and over again, but Oliver uses his
arranging talents to vary the texture of each repeat, resulting in a piece that is listenable
and not boring. Below is a form diagram which illustrates the different orchestrations
and textures Oliver uses throughout the piece.
The form of the tune is as follows:
||: Band vox [w/ piano solo] (8) Solo (1st x sax; 2nd x trumpet ) [w/ various
backgrounds] (16) :|| Band vox (8) Drum solo (8) Sax solo (8) [Full band bgs.]
Band vox (8) [Trombone bgs.] Tag (3)
Stylistically this piece swings with an understated sophistication. A few
interesting things occur. First, this is the first tune in which we hear the entire rhythm
section play a background figure with the horns. During the second eight bars of the
trumpet solo, the bass and drums catch the background figure on the and of 1 that the
saxes have been playing all along. Also, the drummer creates some background figures
of his own, accenting the and of beat 3 during the sax solo preceding the trumpet solo.
The second drum solo, which kicks the band into a sax solo with full band
backgrounds is just as awkward in its composition as the first time, although this time it
actually sets up the most exciting moment of the piece. Although the sax solo is
interesting, the most revolutionary music is what is arranged as the background behind
the sax solo. If one listens carefully one can hear the saxes play a pitch-bending whole
note on beat 1 which is echoed on the and of 3 by a muted, growling trumpet. The
trombone section then responds to the trumpet, creating a great stretto effect. After this
section the vocals come back with the trombone section play a countermelody. The tune
ends with an awkward 3 bar tag in which Trummy Young simply says the words Well
Alright Then
Notes:

47

Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

The Benny Goodman Band received one of the single greatest breaks in working band
history in 1935 when they played the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. Prior to that
date the band was struggling to win an audience on their cross-country tour. All that
changed when the band returned to New York. They were celebrities overnight and the
success of the Goodman Band was one of the catalysts in starting what was dubbed the
big band era. Goodman himself was named The King of Swing and remained wildly
successful until the early 1950s when he disbanded his big band, opting to perform as a
small group instead. Most notably, the Goodman Band employed many of the greatest
talents of jazz, many of whom would go on to lead their own bands and have prolific and
influential recording careers. These included Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Harry
James, Roy Eldridge, Louie Bellson, Terry Gibbs, and Teddy Wilson, to name but a few.
Sometimes Im Happy July, 1935.
Personnel: Vincent Youmans - comp., Fletcher Henderson - arr., Bunny Berigan trumpet, Arthur Rollini - tenor sax, Frank Froeba - piano, Benny Goodman - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The way this particular arrangement is played presents a dichotomy
that is more evident in this tune than any other thus far. On one hand this tune feels
slightly archaic for 1935, especially when juxtaposed with some of the Sy Oliver
arrangements from the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. Most of this feeling has a lot to do
with the rhythm section. At first this tune is a slightly um-pah-ish 2-feel with one-fiveone root movement in the bass and some repeated notes. The piano playing does not
help this because it is doubling the bass line and playing a stride-like um-pah pattern.
For the trumpet solo, however, the bass player moves to a 4 feel which is much more
modern, but the drummer beings playing a backbeat on a small splash cymbal, which
sounds extremely hokey and almost more archaic than the two feel. The two feel returns
for the sax solo. During the saxophone soli the feel shifts back and forth between the 2feel and 4-feel. This time, however, the drummer does not employ the cymbal during the
4-feel, but rather plays time on the snare with brushes. This is perhaps the most modern
feeling section of the entire tune, particularly because it keeps shifting back and forth
from 2 to 4, something many of the previous tunes have not done. When the rhythm
section changes to the four feel, the saxes really swing; the stylistic difference is
extremely evident.
After listening to this tune multiple times, it becomes obvious that this particular
piece is the type of ballad dance bands played during the Swing era. It is slower than a
regular dance tune, but isnt exactly slow, at least compared to the definition of slow in
the Bebop era. The tempo is slower than the usual Swing tune, but still danceable. The
horn lines all have more length and legato phrasing than a faster tune would. The two
feel that permeates most of the tune also gives the allusion that the piece is slower than it
really is, and when the rhythm section shifts to a four feel, particularly in the sax soli, a
little more life is breathed into the tune.
Perhaps one of the most extraordinary moments of the tune comes at the brass
soli. Here the drummer shifts to the hi-hat and plays time on it for most of this section,
except for when he catches some figures on the drums towards the end of the soli. The

48

rest of the drum playing in the tune picks up on things drummers like Chick Webb and
Papa Jo Jones were doing around this time, such as playing the rests on drums/cymbals
and catching brass hits. The section in this tune that is particularly of note comes near
the end, just before the clarinet solo. Here the drummer catches some of the brass
figures on his cymbals, one of the first times weve heard a drummer catch things on
cymbals rather than on the drums. Secondly, he also plays a rim shot right in the rest,
nicely setting up the horn lick that follows.
Notably, and obviously, the clarinet has returned, but as a solo instrument, a role
it would remain in until after the Swing era when it was largely faded out, except as an
occasional saxophone double.
Finally, one of the most important moments comes at the end of the tune. Rather
than playing the obligatory splash at the end of the tune as an after thought, the
drummer catches the final note of the horn parts on a cymbal the way a modern
drummer does. Although this seems miniscule, it really ties the end of the piece together
nicely.
Notes:

King Porter July, 1935.

Personnel: Jelly Roll Morton - comp., Fletcher Henderson - arr., Bunny Berigan trumpet, Red Ballard- trombone, Benny Goodman - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: King Porter is one of the first fully modern sounding tunes on this
compilation. Both the horn parts and rhythm section help realize this sound in many
ways. First of all, the drummer plays time on the cymbal (hi-hat) for the entire tune. He
is also playing with sticks for the whole tune, something that earlier drummers didnt do
because of recording limitations. Obviously the technology is getting better and the
recording devices of the time could withstand more volume than before. The drummer
on this tune kicks the band with fills, plays backbeats, and catches some of the rhythmic
figures in the horn parts, most notably at the end of the tune. Also notable in the drum
parts is the two quarter note fill played perfectly in the rest during the saxophone solo.
This exact fill would be used countless times throughout jazz history, and is still in use
today. Secondly, the time feel in the rhythm section is a four feel for the entire tune,
although the bass player is still playing some repeated notes. Finally, the horns swing
nicely on this tune. The articulation matched throughout the ensemble and rhythms are
played with proper jazz articulation (long-short, etc.).
The arrangement of this tune is rather busy and sophisticated although it doesnt
seem that way on first listen. In the first minute of the tune we hear a solo trumpet play
the melody with two sets of backgrounds played simultaneously behind him. Slower
moving brass backgrounds (whole notes), and quicker saxophone backgrounds that are a
figuration of the harmonies of the tune. Fletcher Henderson even interrupts the trumpet
solo melody with a full band unison line in the 15th and 16th bars of the tune. After this

49

the background figures shift, and the brass and saxes are juxtaposed in a call and
response fashion beneath the solo trumpet melody. A four bar transition, which includes
the drummer kicking the band and filling in spaces, shifts the tune into a saxophone soli.
Benny Goodman then enters with trombone backgrounds for a solo that is marked by
interaction by the drummer. All within the first minute!
Following the clarinet solo is a swingin trumpet solo. Here the drummer beings
chopping wood and plays a groovy backbeat accompanied by a heavy bass line and
rhythmic backgrounds figures in the saxes. Then we get a trombone solo. Notably, the
trombonist uses a dotted quarter note hemiola in the beginning of his solo; a rhythmic
motive that permeates jazz history, particularly small group music, but also has found its
way into the trick bag of many arrangers. After the trumpet solo, the shout chorus of the
tune begins, first at a softer dynamic level, gradually rising in volume and intensity with
its riff structure. Finally the shout chorus really kicks in with the saxes and brass calling
and responding to each other while the rhythm section trudges on and the drummer fills
the spaces. The tune ends with a typical Swing era tag that is reminiscent of a New
Orleans brass band.
Notes:

Sing, Sing, Sing July, 1937.

Personnel: Louis Prima & Chu Berry - comp., Jimmy Mundy - arr., Gene Krupa drums, Benny Goodman - clarinet, Vido Musso - tenor sax, Harry James - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This was Goodmans smash hit! Perhaps no other tune has come to
define the Swing era the way Sing, Sing, Sing has. It features a drum part that
everyone knows. It is the Wipe Out, if you will, of the jazz cannon. Notably, this tune
is the longest tune so far on this compilation, lasting 8 minutes and 45 seconds.
Basically the entire tune is comprised of a bunch of different melodic statements
and riffs with drum solo in between each section. This is also the first tune of this
compilation that is a feature for the drummer; Gene Krupa is given room to stretch here
in the breaks between each melodic statement and before the shout chorus of the tune.
Solos are interspersed throughout the tune. The tune is basically played twice, although
the melodic statements and riffs are different, the shout chorus in the middle of the tune
and at the end are the same.
The solos on this tune are extremely notable, particularly the Harry James
trumpet solo in the middle of the tune that changes the key of the piece. Goodman, of
course, takes a few clarinet solos on this tune, defining it as perhaps the single most
important clarinet solos in jazz history. Interestingly, both the James and Goodman
solos are played with drum accompaniment only.
Although it is probably not meant to be funny, the cowbell Krupa plays right
before the band kicks into the shout chorus both times is quite hilarious because it really

50

doesnt set up the shout chorus very well. It almost sounds as though the drum solo is
coming down in dynamic each time he plays it and then, WHAM! the shout chorus rips
the listeners face off; especially at the very end of the tune when Krupa launches into a
tyrade of rimshot triplets for 16 bars.
This tune really swings hard. And although the licks, riffs, and melodic lines
played have now become old hat and are completely clich, this tune was a remarkable
feat of arranging when it was conceived. The band plays with an intensity that hasnt
been matched thus far by any other group on this compilation. The jazz phrasing and
articulation in this tune is very modern. The articulations across the band are precise.
Although the time feel is mainly played on the drums (rather than cymbals), it doesnt
sound dated for some reason, probably because the groove of this tune is so timeless. It
just works no matter what decade or century it is played in.
Notes:

Ridin High November, 1937.

Personnel: Cole Porter - comp., Jimmy Mundy - arr., Benny Goodman - clarinet,
Harry James - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This entire tune is based around the idea of call and response and its
many different orchestrations. The entire melody is set as call and response between the
saxes and brass in the following fashion:
Intro (4) [Unison Full Ens.] ||: A (8) [Brass then Saxes] + (8) [Saxes then Brass] :||
B (16) [Brass then Saxes] A (8) [Brass then Saxes] + (8) [Saxes then Brass]
Following the melodic statement, this call and response pattern between
woodwinds and brass continues as Benny Goodman and Harry James trade 8 bar solos
while the saxophones play background figures. The form of these solos is as follows:
||: A (8) [Goodman w/ sax bgs.] + (8) [James w/ sax bgs.] :|| B (8) [Goodman w/ full
ens. bgs.] + (8) [Brass/Saxes alternation no clarinet] A (8) [Goodman w/ sax bgs.] +
(8) [James w/ sax bgs.]
Finally this call and response texture culminates in a 16 bar shout chorus (plus a
two bar coda to end the tune) that again juxtaposes the brass and sax sections,
alternation measures of melodic statements.
This is a rather raucous tune. Because this tune was recorded live, you can hear
the crowd going berserk in the background, particularly when Harry James plays a solo.
He became more and more of a star with Goodman, and eventually outgrew the
Goodman band and left (with Goodmans blessing) to lead his own orchestra in 1939.
Also, the drummer (possibly Gene Krupa) bashes away on this tune, utilizing his entire
kit to kick, fill, splash, and crash his way to victory. The backbeat during the last A of the

51

solo form when Harry James plays is perhaps the highlight of the tune, especially when
one listens to the reaction from the crowd.
The rhythm section feel on this tune is completely modern. The drummer plays
time on the cymbals, utilizes modern techniques and musical ideas (fills, crashes, kicks,
etc.). The bass player walks four to the bar the entire tune (although there are some
repeated notes) and thee guitar player can be heard chunking a la Freddie Green the
entire tune. At the end of the tune, the drummer does play the classic extra note on a
cymbal, but this time it is accompanied by a bass drum and is played on a larger crash
cymbal rather than a splash cymbal as heard in the past. This is also a much more
modern sound, and drummers would continue to play the stinger this way throughout
the Swing era, and even into the Bebop era at the ends of tunes where a fermata was
placed.
Notes:

Solo Flight March, 1941.

Personnel: Charlie Christian, Jimmy Mundy & Benny Goodman - comp. Mundy arr., Goodman - clarinet, Christian - guitar.
Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Solo Flight is a revolutionary piece because it is the first piece on this
compilation that really features the guitar. Earlier tunes, such as Toby and Moten
Swing, played by the Bennie Moten Kansas City Orchestra featured short guitar solos by
trombonist Eddie Durham; however, Solo Flight is was clearly written with the intent
of showing off Charlie Christians guitar playing. This was possible because the electric
guitar has the ability to cut over the band.
The form of this tune is very simple. It is basically one 16 bar section repeated
over and over with varying backgrounds each time. Essentially the horns in this tune
function purely as background beneath Christians solos. The rhythm section holds
down the fort and plays some rhythmic figures along with the horns, but nothing else
spectacular. The fireworks are left up to Christian. Jimmy Mundys arrangement is
focused on shifting the background orchestrations and colors beneath Christians solo.
What is interesting is how Mundy orchestrates the backgrounds so that they gradually
get louder, more intense, and wider in range as the solo goes on. For the first chorus of
Christians solo, the backgrounds are played by the trumpets and saxes only. The second
chorus comes down dynamically as only the saxes play backgrounds. For the third
chorus all the horns play background figures, and in the fourth chorus the dynamics
finally hit forte for a shout-like background chorus. To compliment this, the drummer
becomes more and more active as the backgrounds get more intense, kicking and filling
accordingly to heighten the drama. After Christians solo is railing, Goodman takes a
short solo in the tune, although it seems out of place because the entire rest of the tune is
all Charlie Christian soloing. After Goodmans solo, Charlie Christian comes back in for
one final chorus of solo before the tune is drawn to a close.
The form of the tune is diagramed below:

52

Intro (6) [Full Band] + (2) [Guitar Break] A1 (16) [Guitar over trpt. & sax bgs.], A2
(16) [Guitar over sax bgs], A3 (16) [Guitar over full ens. bgs.], A4 (16) [Guitar over full
ens.
shout
bgs.],
A5
(12)
[Guitar
over
full
ens.
shout bgs.] + (4) [Guitar Break] A6 (16) [Clarinet over full ens. shout bgs.] A7
(12) [Guitar over full ens. bgs] + (4) [Guitar Break] Coda (Fermata)
Another notable feature of this tune are the breaks. Although weve seen breaks
before, the breaks in this tune are four measures long and are the longest breaks up to
this point. By the time this tune was recorded, breaks were already a staple in
arrangements that intended to showcase the stars of the band (like Charlie Christian).
These breaks would gain even more importance in the Bebop era, as virtuosic soloists
like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie would covet these breaks to showcase their
incredible talents.
Finally, this tune is the first tune on this compilation that includes a modern
saxophone section of 2 altos, 2 tenors, and 1 bari. It also features four trumpets,
something that many of the previous tunes have not.
Notes:

How Deep Is The Ocean October, 1941.

Personnel: Irving Berlin - comp., Eddie Sauter - arr., Benny Goodman - clarinet,
Peggy Lee - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, fvoc.
Commentary: This tune is essentially a double feature, and showcases both Benny
Goodman on clarinet and Peggy Lee on the vocal. The first minute of the tune functions
as an introduction to Peggy Lees vocals, but it also gives Benny Goodman the chance to
play the melody by himself over the rhythm section and horn backgrounds. The first six
measures of the piece function as an introduction to Goodmans solo and are composed
using an interesting stretto effect, where a motive is passed between sections of the band.
It is very effective in this arrangement and works nicely to set up the top of the form.
The form of this tune is also very simple; just one 16 bar section repeated (with a slight
variation on the repeat).
The form of the tune is as follows:
Intro (4) [Full ens. stretto] + (2) [Solo Clarinet] A (16) [Clarinet solo w/ band bgs.)
Transition (4) [Full band] A (16) [Vox w/ band bgs.], A (16) [Vox w/ band bgs] + (2)
[Full ens. extension] A (8) [Shout Chorus] + (7) [Clarinet solo over band bgs.]
Coda (4) [Full Ens.]
The background figures in this piece are particularly rich harmonically and
rhythmically. The first two measures of the first A section (Goodmans solo) are
particularly tense, owing this feeling to what sounds like a minor ninth relationship
between the trombones and the trumpets. These first 8 bars of the first A section utilizes

53

legato notes as the rhythms in the background figures. For the second 8 bars, however,
Eddie Sauter staccato background figures, creating a nice contrast between the
antecedent and consequent phrases. When Peggy Lee enters the legato notes return for
the first 8 bars while Goodman plays a solo behind Lees vocals. Again, Sauter switches
to shorter background figures (saxes only) for the second 8 bars. For Peggys second 16
bars, the same formula is used, although the backgrounds on the second 8 bars are not as
staccato as before, but are still shorter than the whole notes of the first 8 bars. After she
sings this verse, Sauter uses a two bar extension on the form to transition into a full band
shout chorus for the first 8 bars of the form. Goodman then takes a clarinet solo (with
backgrounds), which last for 7 bars. In the fourth measure of this solo, Sauter writes a
rhythmically interesting background figure. As heard before, the notes here are played
staccato, but what is interesting about the figure is that the eighth notes are played
deliberately straight, rather than swung. This marks one of the first times we hear a
band play in this fashion; not swinging on purpose, for dramatic effect. And it works!
Finally, the clarinet solo transitions into a coda that utilizes a similar stretto effect as the
beginning. A short rudimental drumset solo, punctuated by a unison rhythm in the
horns ends the piece; and, unfortunately, the drummer plays the clich splash cymbal.
What is also interesting about this piece is that the vocalist is treated like a
featured soloist rather than as the main attraction. Peggy Lee doesnt really get much
more face time than anyone else in the band. Goodman still takes a solo and after she
sings her two choruses she never comes back in again. The vocalist that really became
the main attraction was Frank Sinatra with the Harry James Orchestra, which will be
discussed shortly.
Notes:

Mission To Moscow July, 1942.

Personnel: Mel Powell - comp., arr. & piano, Benny Goodman - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: What is interesting about this tune is that it modulates right off the bat.
The intro is in one key, but at the end of the intro the tune modulates to a different key
and stays in that key. If the listener goes back and compares the outro to the intro
he/she will find they are in different keys.
This tune has two sections, labeled A and B in the diagram below. There is really
no discernable rule governing the alternation of these sections within the tune. It seems
as though Mel Powell, the composer and arranger just uses whichever section he feels
like at any given point. At first it seems as though the form is ABA because the form uses
this pattern twice in a row, but then Powell uses two A sections congruently, skipping the
B before going to the outro.
Below is a form diagram:

54

Intro (16) [Trombones vs. Trumpets] A1 (16) [Saxes w/ Bone countermelody & Brass
bgs] B (16) [Clarinet solo w/ band bgs.] A2 (16) [Simile to A1] A3 (16) [Sax Soli]
B (16) [Clarinet & Piano soli] A4 (16) [Band soli] A5 (16) [Clarinet solo w/ sax
bgs.] A6 (14) [Shout Chorus] Outro (16)
The trumpets are used in this tune primarily to play one pitch over and over
again in a riff-like fashion, this occurs both in the A and B sections. In fact, they only
start playing other pitches in the fourth A section, which presents a hip full band soli,
and even then they return to playing the same pitch for the final 8 bars of this soli. The
saxes are used in this tune as the primary melody carriers and for background figures on
the B section behind Goodmans solo. The trombones are used to play the motive that is
used for the intro and outro, they also present a countermelody during the A sections
when the saxes have the melody and finally, they team up with the trumpets for the soli
and shout chorus.
Notes:

55

Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra

Bunny Berigan, a veteran of both the Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman bands, was
not destined for success as a bandleader. His bands were plagued by breakups, failed
attempts, and reorganizations, with at least one of these attempts ending in bankruptcy.
Fortunately, Berigan took almost all of his bands into the studio to record, and many of
his cuts still survive today. Unfortunately for Berigan, he died in 1942 at the tender age
of 34. An attempt made by sax man and Benny Goodman alumnus Vida Musso to keep
the band going was a failure.
I Cant Get Started August, 1937.
Personnel: Vernon Duke - comp, Joe Lipman - arr., Bunny Berigan - trumpet &
vocal.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The beginning of this tune is perhaps the first example on this
compilation of a soloist improvising over static chords. Berigans beautiful sound
dominates the texture here with the rest of the band playing slight forte-piano
crescendos beneath him. The feeling in the rhythm section is very chunky and not
smooth at all, although the horn players, particularly the trumpets employ smooth legato
phrasing. This chunky feeling shifts to borderline corny when the drummer shifts to a
snare drum cadence-type beat on his snare drum when Berigan begins to sing. This
feeling really undermines the smoothness and legato phrasing of the horn players.
Incidentally, Berigan has quite a nice voice. Going into the bridge the drummer plays a
funky fill that is triplet based, a sharp juxtaposition to the rudimental approach he has
used thus far.
The horn players in the band are used primarily as background voices for the
entire tune. The saxophones play almost all the backgrounds with the brass section
usually interrupting during the last two measures of an 8 bar section. This occurs during
the second A section (sax soli) and the first two A sections of the vocal melody. The
entire band plays backgrounds during the bridge, and the final A section of vocals is
presented similarly to the first A section, except it is cut two bars short. Here the static
harmonies return with Berigan soloing over top. This time, however, the rhythm section
keeps playing time beneath the harmonies while the horns hold each chord for two
measures for a total of 10 measures (5 chords). This C section functions as a transition
back to the top of the form where Berigan continues to solo over the first two A sections
of the tune, the second of which is again cut two measures short for a trumpet cadenza
which moves into a short coda to end the tune.
The form of the tune is as follows:
Intro (4 fermatas) [Trumpet solo over static harmonies] A (8) [Trumpet Solo over
band bgs.] A (6) [Sax soli] + (2) [Add trumpets) ||: A (6) [Vox w/ sax bgs.] + (2)
[Add trumpets] :|| B (8) [Vox w/ full band bgs.] A (6) [Vox. w/ sax bgs.] C (10)
[Trumpet solo over static harmonies in time] A (6) [Trumpet solo over sax bgs] +
(2) [Add brass] A (6) [Trumpet solo] Trumpet Cadenza/Coda.
Notes:

56

Harry James & His Orchestra

Perhaps the most popular trumpeter of the Swing Era, Harry James split from the Benny
Goodman Band and decided to try his hand at leading a band. (Gene Krupa would
eventually follow suit). Either way, the James Orchestra was just as popular as its main
star. Ironically, James ended up sharing the spotlight with the wildly popular Frank
Sinatra who rose to fame singing in the band. It was during Sinatras time with the
James Orcehstra that the vocalist rises in prominence, becoming a main attraction
rather than being treated like a featured soloist.
All of Nothing At All August, 1939.
Personnel: Altman & Lawrence - comp., Frank Sinatra - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This piece, perhaps more than any other, illustrates the growing
popularity of the vocalist during the Swing era. One of the most popular and well known
singers, if not the most popular, was Frank Sinatra who sang with the Harry James
Orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s. What is so important about his rise to
prominence on the Big Band scene is that composers and arrangers began writing tunes
with Sinatra in mind. That is to say that everyone wanted Sinatra to sing their music,
because it would inevitably become a popular song. Because of Sinatras immense
popularity, composers and arrangers would put him in the spotlight mores than other
vocalists. In the past, like with Peggy Lee on the Goodman version of How Deep Is The
Ocean, vocalists were treated more like a featured soloist; as one part of a whole, if you
will. However, with the rise of Sinatra and some of the singers that would follow him
(mostly males), the spotlight was firmly planted on the singer, and the band functioned
simply as his/her backup band.
All or Nothing At All is a perfect example of this phenomenon. What is most
interesting, however, is that the Harry James Orchestra already had its star; the wildly
popular trumpet star (Harry James) who used to play with the Goodman band. James,
however, was obviously willing to share the spotlight with Sinatra who inevitably made
his band even more famous. Either way, there is no denying that the focus of this
arrangement is squarely on Frank Sinatra.
This arrangement wastes absolutely no time. After the five bar intro (1 bar triplet
pickups + 4 bars) Sinatra comes crooning in with the first verse of the song. In fact,
Sinatra is featured for 2:45 of the 3:00 tune; and rightfully so. On this song he sounds
fantastic, as usual, taking his time with the lyrics and really allowing them to breath and
stretch. His phrasing in particular is remarkable; each long note has a distinct shape and
the words just seem to roll right off his tongue.
The arrangement of this tune is simple but effective. The band remains in the
background for almost the entire song with the exception of the intro and a short
ensemble section after Sinatra sings the entire tune. The form of the tune is as follows:
Intro (1 bar triplet pickups + 4 bars) [Ens.] A (16) [Vox. w/ ens. bgs.], A (16) [Simile]
B (16) [Vox. w/ ens. bgs.] A (16) [Vox. w/ ens. bgs.] A (12) [Ens. Soli] + (4)
[Vox. w/ Ens.]

57

The instrumental parts of the arrangement are self-explanatory. The arranger of this
tune uses the same horn backgrounds over all of the A sections (but with different
endings to adhere to the harmonic structure of the tune). The ensemble soli that follows
the last A of Sinatras vocals is almost too short; it leaves the listener wanting more. The
soli is simply the brass stating the melody, which the saxophones respond to in the gaps
between phrases. The band takes the first 12 bars of this A section and Sinatra finishes
off the A section by singing the final line to the melody (All or Nothing at All). For the
entire tune the rhythm section just keeps a nice swinging 2-feel, although it is a little
um-pahy in the piano part because of the chords being played on beat 2 and 4 of every
measure. The tempo of this tune is similar to Benny Goodmans Sometimes Im
Happy; although they both are ballads, the tempo is not too slow and the time feel has
a bounce to it. Obviously this is because the song needed to be danceable. Any slower
and it would feel sluggish and probably be too long. One must remember that dance
tunes were usually shorter and too the point so that dancers wouldnt get tired out
dancing to one tune. The point was to keep people on the dance floor for as long as
possible, and one way to do this was to keep the set moving from number to number
quickly.
Notes:

Friar Rock December, 1945.

Personnel: Harry James - comp., arr., & trumpet, Willie Smith - alto sax, Arnold
Ross - piano.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 1btb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Before even listening to this tune it is important because it represents
the first tune of this compilation that has 5 trumpets, although probably only 4 section
players plus Harry James. Either way, five trumpets have not been used on any of the
previous tunes. It is also the first tune to have a bass trombone. The presence of 5
trumpets and bass trombone is notable for two reasons: That bands could afford to hire
more players (this tune has 17 people on it) and thus expand their lineup is a testament
to the economic success that many bands had during this era. Second, it shows the everexpanding palate that arrangers and composers are using. What ends up being the
standard setup for most bands by the end of the Swing era (5 saxes, 3 or 4 trombones,
bass trombone, 4 or 5 trumpets, guitar, bass, piano, drums) virtually remains unchanged
even into the 21st century.
The four bar intro presents the brass and saxes in alternation for two bars before
coming together to play an ensemble rhythm for the second two bars of the intro. When
the first A section begins the band makes a wonderful dynamic contrast between the
forte introduction and the lighter, swinging, softer feel of the A section. The same
dynamic shift occurs between the A sections and the bridge. Although some sections are
softer than others, the intensity level, particularly in the rhythm section, does not drop.
The time really locks in with the guitar, who can be heard above the rhythm section on
this particular take. Overall, the feel in the rhythm section is excellent; the musicians are
all locked tightly together and they groove hard for the entire song. The melody for the

58

first two A sections is played by the saxophone section with brass interjections every two
bars. The roles are reversed at the bridge. Finally, the last A section is presented in the
same manner as the first two.
Harry James takes the first solo and wails! Meanwhile the horn players play rifflike backgrounds in a call and response fashion behind him for the A sections, and
longer, legato backgrounds over the bridge. During the last A, the drummer really lays
into the backbeat, helping the background riffs groove harder and propelling the tune
into the first four bars of the new form which are a quick ensemble interlude. An alto sax
solo completes the second four bars of this A section. Then, all of a sudden we hit the
bridge for a piano, skipping the second A section of the form. It almost seems silly to
have the alto player solo for only for bars when Harry James got an entire chorus; clearly
he was the star. The pianist plays the bridge, which brings the tune back to the A section
where shout chorus is presented.
The shout chorus is quite interesting because of how it builds. For the first 8 bars
the melody is in the trombones with saxophone accompaniment. The second time
around muted trumpets are added. Both eight bar sections are played fairly quiet. The
last two bars of the second eight are occupied by a triplet drum fill that crescendos and
kicks the band into the final 8 bars of the shout chorus. Here the melody shifts back to
the saxophones. The trumpets and trombones playing riff figures over the melody. A 2
bar extension is added to this final 8 measure section which then segues into a 4 bar coda
to end the tune.
The form is as follows:
Intro (4) [ens.] A (8) [Saxes w/ brass bgs.], A (8) [Same] B (8) [Brass w/ sax bgs.]
A (8) [Saxes w/ brass bgs.] AABA (32) [Trumpet solo w/ ens. backgrounds] A (4)
[Ens. interlude] + (4) [Alto Sax] B (8) [Piano] ||: A Shout Chorus (8) [Ens.] :|| A
Shout Chorus (10) [Ens.] Coda (4) [Ens.]
Notes:

59

Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy

Big Jim Blues November, 1939.
Personnel: Mary Lou Williams & Harry Lawson - comp., Williams - arr., Floyd
Smith - guitar, Ted Donnelly - trombone.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1w/cl & bari), 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Big Jim Blues is an unconventional blues, although it doesnt seem
like anything is odd in the beginning. The introduction is played by solo guitar with
piano accompaniment. Floyd Smith plays a four bar introduction with typical blues
licks. The melody then enters (as does the rest of the rhythm section), played by a trio of
saxophone, clarinet, and muted trumpet; a colorful combination of instruments not
usually paired together in arrangements of the Swing era, although clarinet and trumpet
is a classic Dixieland and New Orleans combination. While clarinet and trumpet play the
melody, the Floyd Smith fills in all the spaces with his bluesy guitar, again raising the
importance of guitar as an equal opportunity solo instrument.
The first four bars of the melody go by without incident; the rhythm section is
playing the I chord. In the fifth bar, where the IV chord is expected (in a traditional 12bar blues) all we get is more I chord, until finally the IV chord arrives in the eighth bar of
the melody. The ear expects the IV chord to resolve to the I chord in bar nine, but Mary
Lou Williams skirts that expectation, employing the IV chord for a total of 3 measures
before resolving it to the I chord in bar eleven. This I chord lasts for four measures until
we finally hit the turnaround (V IV I) which lasts a total of another four bars. That
gives this tunes first chorus a total of 18 measures with the following layout:

||

|////|////|////|////|////|////|
|/ / / / | / / / / | / / / / |

| / / IV |

IV

|////|////|

| / / / / ||

Instead of maintaining this form, the second chorus of the tune reverts to the
standard 12-bar blues form. Here the first four bars of the melody are quoted as
background figures beneath a trombone solo. The saxes then switch to playing pads
for the rest of the trombone solo chorus. The third and final chorus of the tune goes back
to the original 18 bar form of the tune and passes the melody around the ensemble in
various orchestrations (solo trumpet, muted trumpet soli, clarinet and trumpet duet).
Meanwhile, the sections of the band that are not carrying the melody at any given point
are playing in the spaces between phrases or background figures behind the melody. A
tag of 3 bars of the IV chord, resolving to the I chord is added to the end of the tune.
Notes:

60

Gene Krupa & His Orchestra

Let Me Off Uptown May, 1941.
Personnel: Earl Bostic, Roy Eldridge, & Redd Evans - comp., Elton Hill - arr., Roy
Eldridge - trumpet & vocal, Anita ODay - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d, mvoc, fvoc.
Commentary: Let Me Off Uptown is a real swinger. It has a very modern sound in
both its time feel (rhythm section) and its phrasing and articulation (horn section).
Unlike the Harry James Orchestra, which featured Frank Sinatra, the Gene Krupa band
used its vocalists much more like featured soloists. The real stars of this band were the
Goodman alumnus Gene Krupa on drums and the fantastic Roy Eldridge, a trumpet
player who was way ahead of his time, so much so that he was Dizzy Gillespies main
influence.
After the two and half bar intro, the form of the tune is revealed as AABA, with
each section lasting 8 bars. The saxophone section takes the melody on the A sections
with the brass playing wahs as backgrounds. The sound of a plunger has been a sound
largely unexplored until this point, so this tune is notable for that. The bridge is turned
over to the brass, who play the melody with saxophone backgrounds, a classic arranging
trick. During the bridge, a few things are notable. First, the forte-piano crescendos in
the brass are executed smoothly and add a nice touch. Also, Krupa moves to an opening
and closing hi hat a la Papa Jo Jones, giving this section a very modern feel.
After the band plays the entire form through once, Anita ODay comes in with the
vocal Hey Joe. Soon it is revealed that she is talking to Roy Eldridge, the virtuosic
trumpet star of the band. They have a conversational interlude (with saxophone
backgrounds) that introduces the lyrical theme of the tune, the idea of going uptown to
have a good time. This 10 bar section transitions the tune into another full chorus, but
this time ODay sings the lyrics. The saxes play background behind ODay for the A
section, with the brass interrupting during the last two bars. The backgrounds on the
bridge are split between the trumpets and saxes in alternation. The last two bars of the
bridge are a break for ODay to finish the lyric. Finally, she sings the last A section with
similar saxophone backgrounds, but this time with no brass interruption.
The 10 bar interlude section returns with Roy addressing Anita and telling her he
wants to blow; so he does. First, a section 6 bars with obviously predetermined
trumpet breaks is heard. Here, the rest of the trumpet section and Krupa answer
Eldridge. These fireworks make the crowd go crazy, and before this section the listener
is completely unaware that this tune is being performed live. Eldridges solo is over the
A sections of the tune, the first 8 bars of which are accompanied by the saxophones.
During the solo, Krupa plays time on the hi hats, which propels the feel of the tune. The
second A section (8 bars) adds the rest of the horn section on backgrounds and Krupa
adds a heavy backbeat making the tune really swing! This section is only 6 bars and is
cut short by the 6 bar coda which caps off the tune with a few more trumpet breaks
culminating in an ensemble fermata. Krupa adds a snare drum/cymbal stinger as the
horns cut off, but he allows the cymbal to ring, a much more modern approach.
Below is a form diagram:

61

Intro (pickup + 2 bars) [Ens.] ||: A (8) [Saxes w/ brass wahs] :|| B (8) [Brass w/
sax accomp.] A (8) [Saxes w/ brass wahs] Vocal Interlude (10) [Vocal
conversation w/ sax bgs.] ||: A (8) [Female vox. w/ sax bgs.] :|| B (8) [Female
vox. w/ ens. bgs..] A (8) [Female vox. w/ sax bgs.] Vocal Interlude (10) [Vocal
conversation w/ sax bgs.] Trumpet Breaks (6) [Trumpet solo w/ trumpet/drum
answer] A (8) [Trumpet solo w/ sax bgs.], A (6) [Trumpet solo w/ ens. bgs.] Coda
(8) [Trumpet solo w/ ens. answer]
Notes:

After Youve Gone June, 1941.

Personnel: Turner Layton - comp., Joe Eldridge - arr., Roy Eldridge - trumpet, Sam
Musiker - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This arrangement of After Youve Gone is extremely different than the
Paul Whiteman version of 12 years earlier. Most obvious is the much faster tempo of the
Krupa bands arrangement. Although most pieces played by Swing bands were
danceable there were a few tunes in each bands repertoire that were uptempo
flagwavers. This tune is obviously one of them.
From the start the tune is a bit shtick, with Roy Eldridge quoting Yankee
Doodle and Stars and Stripes Forever as the players in the band shout at him because
he is accidentally playing the wrong thing. After the shtick is through, the trumpet
section builds a dominant seventh chord over 16 bars of hi hat time and bass ostinato.
Eldridge then plays a four bar break which transitions into the top of the form.
The melody is played by solo trumpet, presumably Eldridge over whole note
chords orchestrated through the entire ensemble. The twelfth through sixteenth bars of
the melody is a break for Eldridge to show his abilities, and he does not disappoint. After
hearing him play the breaks during the intro and also during the melody it becomes clear
why he was such a major influence on Dizzy Gillespie. Eldridge was a virtuosic player
during his time. His two chorus solo soars up into the stratosphere and his breaks are
effortlessly executed. It becomes clear that this tune is clearly a feature for Roy Eldridge
once you hear his lengthy solo, combined with the fact that he is the only person who
plays any melodic statement in the entire tune. He even takes a cadenza at the end of the
tune and blows over some static harmonies much in the way Bunny Berigan did. At the
end of the final fermata, Krupa hits the required cymbal crash, but again he allows it to
ring, a slightly more modern version.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Drums only] + (32) [Trumpet s & Rhythm] + (4) [Trumpet break] A (12)
[Trumpet melody w/ ens. bgs.] + (4) [Trumpet break] A (24) [Simile] A (16)
[Clarinet solo w/ trpt. bgs.] , A (20) [Simile] + (2) [Drum break] + (2) [Trumpet break]
A (12) [Trumpet solo w/ bgs.] + (4) [Trumpet break], A (20) [Trumpet solo w/ bgs.] +

62

(4) [Trumpet break] A (16) [Trumpet solo w/ bgs.], A (20) [Simile] + (2) [Piano
break] + (2) [Trumpet break] Coda (2) [Piano break] + Trumpet Cadenza + 4
Fermatas [Ens.]
After examining the form, it is clear that this piece is not really highly arranged.
It sets the melody in the same fashion as the Paul Whiteman arrangement. In the
Whiteman arrangement, the A section is 8 bars long and the A section is 12 bars long,
for a total of 20 bars. In the Krupa band arrangement, these sections (16 and 24 bars,
respectively) are doubled in length because of the tempo.
Notes:

Rockin Chair July, 1941.

Personnel: Hoagy Carmichael - comp., Benny Carter - arr., Roy Eldridge - trumpet,
Sam Musiker - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The intro to this tune features Roy Eldridge on trumpet blowing over
whole note harmonies voiced through the ensemble. The harmonies change every two
measures lasting a total of 8 measures before the top of the tune is reached. Eldridges
playing over these static harmonies is wonderful. His swing is unmatched and his
harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary is superb.
Following the introduction, Eldridge blows a solo over the entire form of the tune
(AABA 32 bars). Beneath Eldridges solo are saxophone backgrounds that are fairly
standard and plain. However, what Krupa does beneath the A sections trumpet solo is
notable. You can hear Krupa on brushes implying double time under Eldridges solo,
presumably because Eldridge is implying it himself; he plays many runs of sixteenth
notes. The groove in the rest of the rhythm section (guitar and drums) remains largely
undeterred. The entire band enters during the last couple bars of this solo chorus to set
up a return to the bridge. This is a clever arranging trick that Benny Carter employs
here; rather than returning to the top of the form and playing both A sections before
going to the bridge, he cuts to the chase and goes straight to the bridge. This is also
done, although slightly differently, in Harry James Friar Rock when the second A
section of the 32-bar AABA form is skipped in order to jump straight to the bridge.
During the bridge, Eldridge is blowing over accompaniment scored throughout
the entire band. Eldridge reaches up into the higher register of the horn to cut above the
ensemble and the rest is magnificent. Krupas playing here is also notable; he switches to
sticks and keeps time on the snare drum, playing a drum-roll based groove that is
reminiscent of what a snare drummer in a New Orleans brass band might play. This
style of drumming continues through the last A section. Krupa even catches the figures
played by the rest of the band in the sixth bar of the last A section. This section is cut
short to allow Roy Eldridge play a cadenza along with piano accompaniment and clarinet
responses that play his licks back to me. The tune ends with Eldridge playing a rising
scale up into the high register of his horn, sustaining a high note until the rest of the

63

band joins him for the final fermata. Again, Krupa plays the obligatory cymbal note, and
like the other tunes the cymbal is allowed to ring.
Most interesting in this tune is the simple fact that the melody is never actually
presented. Eldridge hints at it during the solo chorus that directly follows the
introduction and the band plays a snippet of it right at the end of the tune before
Eldridges cadenza, but other than that the melody is largely absent from the
arrangement, which is to bad because Rockin Chair is one of Bloomington native
Hoagy Carmichaels best tunes. Another interesting feature of the tune is that the 16
bars that make up the first half of the tune are really not A and A because the second 8
bars doesnt begin the same way as the first 8 bars.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Trumpet solo over full band harmonies] A1 and 2 (8+8) [Trumpet
solo w/ sax bgs.] B (8) [Simile] A3 (8) [Simile] B (8) [Trumpet w/ full ens.]
A4 (6) [Trumpet w/ full ens.] Coda [Trumpet cadenza w/ clarinet & piano] Fermata
Notes:

64

Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra was in a sense a third generation band because Tommy
had already been a member of two other history making big bands. First, he was a
member of the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra and then him and his brother Jimmy led a
big band together before splitting up. Fortunately for Tommy, he had more success than
his brother when they split. Interestingly, after Frank Sinatra gained fame with the
Harry James Orchestra he wound up in the Tommy Dorsey band with help from the
Mafia, where he gained even more fame and helped make the Tommy Dorsey band even
more popular.
Song of India January, 1937.
Personnel: Rimsky-Korsakov - comp., Dorsey, Bone, & Mastren - arr., Tommy
Dorsey - trombone. Bunny Berigan - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 3as (1w/cl), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: The influence of the Jimmy Lunceford band on the sound and
arrangements of Tommy Dorsey is undeniable, particularly in the areas of dynamic
contrast, orchestrational contrast, and the use of special effects (tom-tom and mutes).
The tune begins with one of these effects, a tom-tom over which a clarinet and
saxophone play a unison 12 bar melodic statement with interruptions from the full band
every 4 bars. The entire ensemble enters with four bar statement to end the introduction
and set up the top of the form.
The form on this piece is perhaps the most interesting element of the tune. It is
basically a head chart doesnt follow the harmonic structure of the melody after the
melody is presented, but instead is left free to move from section to section rather than
following a strict form. After the intro, a solo muted trombone (or maybe trumpet)
presents the melody for 16 bars w/ staccato saxophone backgrounds, followed by a
saxophone soli which is basically a variation of the main theme. The change in
articulation between the trombone solo melody (legato) and the first 8 bars of the
saxophone soli (staccato) is a nice touch, although the staccato of the saxophone soli
does seem slightly square, particularly because the rhythm section is playing an um-pahish two feel. In the second 8 bars of the soli, the saxes shift to legato articulation and the
brass enter and play background figures.
Next, the chart takes a slight left turn as the saxophone soli continues but with
new harmonies; 2 harmonic pedal points that have not been heard in this tune
previously. Finally, the shout chorus arrives, using the entire ensemble over what
sounds like a 24 bar long harmonic variation on the harmonies beneath the main
melody. In fact, while the brass play the shout chorus, there are a few quotes in the
saxophone part of the melody, transposed to fit the harmonies. During the shout chorus
the rhythm section shifts to a 4 feel that is setup nicely by the drummer. This change
really propels the tune forward. This feel continues through the trumpet solo that
follows the shout chorus; a 24 bar solo with saxophone backgrounds over the same
harmonies as the shout chorus. Here the drummer interacts with the soloist slightly,
playing a few crashes and splashes in the spaces.
The head then returns
(complete with 2-feel in the rhythm section), the first 8 bars being played exactly as in
the inhead. The second 8 bars utilize the countermelody of the introduction behind the

65

main melody, unifying the entire arrangement. This final section is interrupted after six
measures by a 4 bar coda that crescendos and ends the tune.
The feel in the rhythm section on this tune is part archaic, part modern. The
drummer plays time on the hi hat for the entire tune (with the exception of the tom-tom
intro), creating a more modern feel, although the stride piano doubling the bass line
during the 2 feel makes it sound slightly um-pahish because of the right hand comping
on beats two and four. Overall the tune grooves nicely.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Solo tom-tom] + (12) [Clar. & Sax over tom-tom w/ band interup.] +
(4) [Full ens.] Head (16) [Trombone w/ sax bgs.] Sax soli (8) + (8) [Brass bgs.] +
(8) [Pedal point 1 w/ brass accomp.] + (8) [Pedal point 2 w/ brass accomp.] Shout
Chorus (24) [Full ens.] Trumpet Solo (24) [Sax bgs.] Head (8) [Trombone w/ sax
bgs.] + (6) [Trombone w/ sax/clar. countermelody] Coda (4) [Full ens.]
This song is notably the first piece we have that is an arrangement of a tune
written by a renowned classical composer.
Notes:

Well, Git It! March, 1942.

Personnel: Sy Oliver - comp. & arr., Ziggy Elman & Chuck Peterson - trumpets,
Tommy Dorsey - trombone, Buddy Rich - drums, Don Lodice - tenor sax, Milt Raskin piano, Heinie Beau - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as (1w/cl), 3ts (1w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: What is most interesting about this arrangement of Well, Git It! is
that the tune really has no formal form; rather it is a juxtaposition of different forms
including 8 bar forms, 16 bar forms, pedal points, and 12 bar blues. The beginning of the
tune presents solo trumpet, wailing in the high register w/ a bugle-like melody for 4 bars
before the band comes in with the A section, an 8 bar riff-dominated melody. This
formula is then repeated, 4 more bars of trumpet solo followed by a repeat of the A
section. Next, a 4 bar trombone break with sax and drum accompaniment transitions
the tune into an 8 bar trombone and saxophone soli over what sounds like the harmonies
to the A section. This turns into a 16 bar trombone solo with saxophone and trombone
backgrounds over new harmonies, labeled B in the form diagram below. Following this
solo is a 4 bar section featuring the brass that transitions into a clarinet solo. This solo is
over a new 16 bar form, labeled C in the diagram. The backgrounds under the clarinet
solo are played by the saxes and trumpets. This 16 bar form is then repeated in order to
feature a sax solo with trombone backgrounds. The C section is repeated for a third
time, featuring the pianist with only rhythm section accompaniment for 8 bars and then
light sax backgrounds for the second 8 bars. Now the piece really takes a left, utilizing
the entire ensemble over pedal points that modulate upward into a new form. The new
form, which features Ziggy Elman & Chuck Peterson trading solo licks in a battle of
trumpet fireworks is a 12 bar blues. This section is repeated twice, the second time

66

segueing into an 8 bar coda that features the trumpet in a unison duet with a growing
ensemble accompaniment.
A few other features of this tune are notable. First, this is the first appearance of
the fantastic Buddy Rich on drums. He really kicks the band in this tune, and plays
pretty loud. Buddy plays time on the drums for the A sections, cracking the backbeat.
Following the A sections, he shifts to time on the hi-hats, a much smoother feel. Buddy
also lets loose with some chop-busting, Buddy Rich signature snare drum sixteenth notes
during the 4 bar transition that is between the trombone solo and the clarinet solo.
Buddy also catches the polyrhythmic figure played by the trombone soloist during the
9th-12th bars of his solo. During the piano, it sounds like hes playing time on both a
closed hi hat cymbal and on the hi-hat stand, something drummers would continue to do
throughout the Swing era. Buddy also plays a few splashes and crashes in the rests, the
first of which comes in the repeat of the A section on beat four of the first measure. The
second notable feature of the tune is the battle between the trumpet players. This is
notable because it was a popular arranging trick used during the Swing era in order to
feature two soloists and heighten the tension of the piece; and it certainly works in this
piece.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Trumpet solo w/ drum backbeat] A (8) [Full ens.] (4) [Trumpet solo]
(8) [Full ens.] (4) [Trombone break w/ accomp.] A (8) [Trombone/Sax soli] B
(8) [Bone solo w/ sax bgs.] + (8) [Add bone bgs] Transition (4) [Brass & drums w/
clarinet lead-in] C (16) [Clarinet solo w/ trpt. & sax bgs.] C (16) [Sax solo w/ bone
bgs.] C (8) [Piano solo] + (8) [Add sax bgs.] Modulation [Full ens.] (8) D (12)
[Trumpet trading w/ ens. bgs.] D (10) [Trumpet trading w/ ens. bgs.] + (2) [Trumpet
break] Coda (8) [Trumpet duet w/ ens. accomp.]
Notes:

On The Sunny Side of the Street November, 1944.

Personnel: McHugh & Fields - comp., Sy Oliver - arr. & vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts, bari, strings, p, g, b, d mvoc, 3fvoc.
Commentary: This tune is notable first for its expanded setup. Not only is Sy Oliver
using what has now become a standard setup of 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, a 5 man sax
group (2 altos with clarinet doubles, 2 tenors, & 1 bari), and 4 man rhythm section, but
he also employs a string group and 3 female vocalists.
This is perhaps the best Sy Oliver arrangement on this entire compendium. The
entire arrangement is simply the form of the tune played twice. Oliver moves the
melody around to different sections of the band. The 8 bar intro is slightly imaginative.
After the 8 bar intro dominated by the string section, the trumpets take the first two A
sections, swinging the melody with precise articulation. The feel during this section is a
2-feel, but is extremely modern. There is absolutely no um-pah in either the piano or
drums, and the tune swings with a smooth relaxation. The bridge is orchestration in the

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trombone section over string and saxophone background figures while the rhythm
section switches to a 4 feel. The saxophone section plays the last two bars of the bridge
and takes the last A section as a soli. Oliver then moves directly to the bridge, utilizing a
popular arranging trick that truncates the form, something seen in arrangements prior to
this time. Here there is a brief 8 bar trumpet solo, the only improvisation in the entire
tune, with ensemble backgrounds. This segues in an 8 bar shout chorus over the A
section of the tune, culminating in an ensemble rhythm that sets up a break for the
vocalists to enter.
The trio of female vocalists sings the entire form of the tune with various
background orchestrations, including strings, brass, and strings with saxes. The last A
section uses the 2 bar extension native to the tune. Here the entire ensemble re-enters
and plays a tag, ending in a fermata.
What is strikingly absent from this tune is improvisation. The only improvisation
in the tune is the brief 8 bar trumpet solo during the instrumental portion of the tune.
Although a full chorus of solo would have been a nice addition to the tune, it isnt really
necessary, as the point of the tune was to set the melody in different orchestrations and
to feature the trio of vocalists.
Perhaps most notable in this tune is the unbelievably modern feel of the rhythm
section. This tune could be transported directly to the 21st century and not be out of
place in any way. The bass player and drummer are locked in the entire time, and the
guitar player plays in the style of Freddie Green. If one listens closely, one can even hear
the bass player play a few solo licks over the intro of the tune. The two feel is relaxed and
smooth, as is the four feel. The bass player plays no repeated notes and even embellishes
the 2 feel during the melody and during the trumpet solo. The drummer plays time on
the hi-hat and cymbals for the entire tune, sets up the tops of each section with simple,
but effective, fills, and even catches most of the rhythmic hits in the horn parts, most
notably the and of 1 on the last bar of the second A section of the instrumental portion of
the tune.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Bass solo? w/ strings + ens. accomp.] A (8) [Trumpets w/ sax bgs.], A (8)
[Simile] B (8) [Trombones w/ sax & string bgs.] A (8) [Saxes] B (8) [Trumpet
solo w/ ens. accomp.] A (8) [Full Ens.] A (8) [Vox. w/ string bgs.], A (8) [Simile]
B (8) [Vox. w/ brass bgs.] A (10) [Vox. w/ string & sax bgs.] Femata
Notes:

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Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

Begin the Beguine July, 1938.
Personnel: Cole Porter - comp., Artie Shaw & Jerry Gray - arr., Shaw - clarinet,
Tony Pastor - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 1cl, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This tune was Artie Shaws BIG hit. It is actually a fairly plain and
standard tune that has almost no improvisation in it; a facet of many tunes toward the
end of the Swing era. As big band music became more and more popular, and eventually
became pop music, long solos were replaced either by shorter solos, or simply were
eliminated. This made the music extremely formulaic and was one of the reasons many
of the players in big bands became disheartened with the music, leading to the rise of
more and more smaller groups, which helped pave the way for Bebop in the post-WW II
years.
The arrangement of this tune is simply the melody moved around to different
sections of the band. After the short 4 bar intro that sets up the key and tempo of the
tune, Artie Shaw plays the melody with riff-like backgrounds in the rest of the band. The
saxes then take the second A section as a soli. What is particularly notable about this
section is that the drummer switches to playing time on the ride cymbal rather than the
hi-hat. This is chronologically one of the first times this is heard on this compilation.
The drummer then switches back to the hi-hat as the rest of the band enters with the
bridge. The bridge features the entire ensemble playing many unison lines so as to not
obscure the melody to much. Here, the drummer crashes in spaces and catches some of
the brass hits; he even sets up the 1 bar break with a triplet crescendo fill before the A
section returns. The final A section is a tenor saxophone solo with rhythmic riff
backgrounds in the horns. The drummer also plays a crash on a swish cymbal (china
with rivets) on beat four of every other measure. As stated previously, the emphasis of
beat 4 would become more and more important in the Bebop and post-Bop years. Also,
this is the first appearance of a swish cymbal, a color that many later big band
drummers, most importantly Mel Lewis, would use. For the next two A sections, a full
band shout is presented, with the brass playing in unison and the saxes playing a
countermelody beneath them. The second A section is interrupted halfway through by a
four bar trombone soli which transitions into a 16 bar coda which is simply a tag of the
last phrase of the melody, passed around between voices in the ensemble (solo clarinet
full ens. saxes solo clarinet) before the entire band comes back in and plays the
last few bars of the coda.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Trpts. & saxes] A (16) [Clarinet w/ band bgs.], A (16) [Saxes w/ brass bgs.]
B (16) [Full Ens.] A (16) [Sax w/ band bgs.] A (12) [Full ens. shout] + (4)
[Clarinet solo], A (8) [Full ens. shout] + (4) [Trombone soli] Coda (16)
Notes:

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Count Basie & His Orchestra

One OClock Jump July, 1937.
Personnel: Count Basie - comp. & piano, Head arrangement, Herschel Evans &
Lester Young - tenor saxes, George Hunt - trombone, Buck Clayton - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as (1w/bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Almost the entire arrangement of One OClock Jump is just a series of
solos, one right after the other, over a 12 bar blues form in Db. Actually, Basies 8 bar
intro and two choruses of piano solo are in F, but he modulates right at the end of his
solo to setup Db, the key of the rest of the tune. There are 5 more solos, each one chorus
long in the following configuration:
Sax (trumpet backgrounds)
Trombone (sax backgrounds)
Sax (trumpet backgrounds)
Trumpet (sax backgrounds)
Piano solo (no backgrounds)
All of the backgrounds behind the soloists are riffs.
One of the most notable features of this tune is the way Basie plays piano. He
does not play in a stride-like fashion, like many pianists of this time, because he realizes
there is no need to double what the bass player is doing. Instead he plays very
minimalistically, and his piano solos use a larger proportion of space than actual sound.
This unbelievably simple style even dictates the arrangement. The entire tune is an 8 bar
intro followed by 7 choruses of solos with nothing but riff backgrounds, followed by 3
more choruses of riffs scored throughout the ensemble. These three choruses grow in
intensity, and are what most people think of when the name One OClock Jump is
mentioned. Each section of the band is given a different riff to play. The trumpets and
trombones play the exact same riff for all 3 choruses, while the sax section changes each
chorus.
A few other important features of this tune are, first that the drummer plays time
on the cymbals (hi-hat and ride) for the entire tune. He also feathers the bass drum on
all four beats (rather than slamming away on it like Gene Krupa) of each measure along
with the bass player who walks four to the bar. The rhythm guitarist (possibly Freddie
Green), chunking four quarter notes in every bar in a very percussive style. The
drummer even comps on his snare drum during the trumpet solo. The drummer also
helps intensify the 3 riff choruses at the end by adding a backbeat on the snare drum on
the second chorus, and on the third chorus, catches the beat 4 trombone riff on his snare
drum.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Piano solo] Piano solo (12) [in F w/ rhythm accomp.] + (12) [Simile,
modulates to Db] Sax solo (12) [w/ trumpet bgs.] Trombone solo (12) [w/ sax bgs.]
Sax solo (12) [w/ trumpet bgs.] Trumpet solo (12) [w/ sax bgs.] Piano solo (12)
[w/ rhythm accomp.] Riff Chorus 1 (12) [3 riffs in saxes, trpts., bones] Riff Chrous 2

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(12) [Saxes change riffs, trpts./bones continue riffs] Riff Chorus 3 (12) [Saxes change
again, brass continues]
Notes:

I Cant Get Started November, 1937.

Personnel: Vernon Duke - comp., Buck Clayton - arr., Billie Holiday - vocal.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb (1w/g), 1as, 2ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d, fvoc.
Commentary: Obviously important because it is the first appearance of Billie Holiday
on this compendium, I Cant Get Started is notable for one other reason. The drummer
on this tune clearly sets up the band during the 16 bars (two A sections) of shout chorus
in the middle of the tune. He even uses his toms to play these setups, although he
doesnt catch the setups on his cymbals and bass drum the way later drummers would.
The format of the tune is fairly standard. After the 8 bar intro, Billie Holiday
sings the 32 bar melody with sax backgrounds beneath all 32 bars, adding the brass only
during the 8 bar bridge. Following her vocal, a full ensemble shout chorus is presented
over the first two A sections of the repeat of the form. During these 16 bars is where the
drummer plays his setups. Billie re-enters for the bridge, which is presented as a repeat
of the previous bridge. The last A section is similar to the first time through, except that
the rest of the ensemble is added at the last two bars, playing a tag that draws the tune to
a conclusion.
Another facet of this tune that was used in arrangements of the Swing era is
utilizing an instrumental soloist to comment on the singers vocals. This occurs during
both bridges where a sax solo can be heard playing beneath Holidays vocals. Finally, it
must be noted that Billie must be young on this recording; she obviously hasnt led the
hard life she would later lead, and her vocal sound reflects that.
The form is as follows:
Intro (8) [Ens.] A (8) [Vox. w/ sax bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Vox. w/ sax solo &
brass bgs.] A (8) [Vox. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Full ens. shout], A (8) [Simile] B (8)
[Vox. w/ sax solo & brass bgs.] A (6) [Vox. w/ sax bgs.] + (2) [Vox. w/ ens. tag]
Notes:

They Cant Take That Away From Me June, 1937.

Personnel: George & Ira Gershwin - comp., Buck Clayton - arr. & trumpet, Billie
Holiday - vocal.

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Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.

Commentary: They Cant Take That Away From Me is another Billie Holiday
feature, and it follows the same form as I Cant Get Started. The tune begins with a 4
bar intro that sets up the top of the form where Billie begins singing the melody. The
first 4 bars of each A section utilize a countermelody in the band parts that breaks every
other bar to allow the vocalist to sing the next line. What is interesting about the way
this countermelody is orchestrated is that the bass player plays it along with the rest of
the ensemble while the guitarist and drummer keep a 4-feel going on beneath it.
Interestingly, the drummer does not break with the rest of the ensemble, but instead
keeps playing brush time beneath Billies vocals. The second 4 bars of each A section is
just a swingin 4 feel with no breaks. After the two A sections (16 bars), the bridge
arrives, but instead of continuing the smooth 4-feel of the last 4 bars of the A section, the
arrangement switches to a 2-feel, although the guitarist continues to play 4 quarter note
chunks in each bar. Here, the saxes play backgrounds. The last A section returns and
is arranged the same way as the first A section, except a 4 bar tag is added, with Billie
repeating the last line of the melody.
After Billies vocals, the band kicks into a shout chorus that lasts for two A
sections and juxtaposes 4 bars of ensemble figures with 4 bars of trumpet solo. This
shout chorus is nothing more than an embellishment of the melody (written in the brass)
with a countermelody in the saxophones. Billie returns for the B section, which is played
the same way as the previous bridge except that the rhythm section is playing a 4 feel.
Finally, the last A section juxtaposes Billies vocals with the same horn parts from the
shout chorus (although they are played softer), a nice way of bringing all the melodic
motives in the tune together. This trick was also heard during the final melodic
statement of Tommy Dorseys Song of India where the melody from the introduction
serves as a countermelody to Dorseys trombone solo melody. A six bar tag is added in
which the entire ensemble plays backbeats for two measures followed by a rising motive
that culminates in a fermata to end the tune.
What is notable about Billies vocals on this tune is that she really lays the
melody back. She sculpts each line and takes her time delivering every word. This really
adds to the swing of the tune.
Notes:

Doggin Around June, 1938.

Personnel: Herschel Evans & Edgar Battle - comp. & arr., Basie - piano, Earle
Warren - alto sax, Harry Sweets Edison - trumpet, Herschel Evans & Lester Young tenor saxes.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 2as (1w/bari), 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Doggin Around is a tune similar in structure to One OClock Jump.
The only difference is that the melody of this piece is presented up front. Either way,
both tunes are really vehicles for the soloists in the band. The melody to this tune is a
simple call and response riff-like statement between the saxes and brass. Here the brass

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play do-wah, in much the same way as Duke Ellingtons It Dont Mean A Thing (If It
Aint Got That Swing). The bridge is just a sax solo over staccato brass background
figures. Again, like many other Basie tunes, this tune is simple and understated, but
unbelievably effective.
This tune features Count Basie playing two solos, the first is the 8 bar piano intro,
and later in the tune he takes an entire 32 bar chorus with rhythm section
accompaniment. This is perhaps the most Basie has played thus far on this
compendium. Basies solo is very compositional in nature. His solo is basically a bunch
of motives that are smashed together; he plays one motive or riff for a few bars and then
moves onto the next one. His solo is slightly busier than his previous ones, and the most
striking moment in the solo is when he plays a few minor seconds in a rhythmic pattern
during the last A section of his solo. The other important instrument that is featured in
this tune is the bari sax. This is the first tune on this compendium that features this
instrument, although the solo is only half a chorus long, splitting the chorus with a
trumpet solo. Following the piano solo is a Lester Young tenor sax solo that really
showcases the fact that he was way ahead of his time. I think I even hear a few bebop
licks in there The backgrounds behind Youngs solo are riffs that really heighten the
suspense of the tune. This segues into an 8 bar drum solo that kicks the band into a final
8 bar shout chorus. This shout chorus is again riff-like in nature, just like a majority of
Basies tunes. The tailgate trombone slide that leads into this shout chorus is
particularly amusing.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Solo piano] A (8) [Call & response b/t saxes & brass], A (8) [Simile] B (8)
[Sax solo w/ brass bgs.] A (8) [Same as other As] AABA (32) [Sax solo w/ brass bgs.
on As] AA (16) [Trumpet solo w/ sax bgs.] BA (16) [Bari sax solo] AABA (32)
[Piano solo] AABA (32) [Tenor solo w/ riff bgs. on As.] Drum solo (8) A (8) [Ens.
shout]
Notes:

Taxi War Dance March, 1939.

Personnel: Basie & Young - comp. Buck Clayton - arr., Basie - piano, Lester Young tenor sax, Dickie Wells - trombone, Walter Page - bass, Papa Jo Jones - drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Taxi War Dance is another tune in the style of One OClock Jump
and Doggin Around. There is absolutely no recognizable melody in this tune. It is
basically an AABA that is used to feature the soloists in the band, most importantly the
tenor man Lester Young who basically plays 3 choruses of solo on this tune. After the 8
bar intro, which features solo piano for the first 4 bars followed by 4 bars of ensemble
riffs, Young blows a full 32 bar AABA chorus with absolutely only rhythm section
accompaniment. What is interesting about the changes to the A section is that they
sound like the first 8 bars of a 12 bar blues and the listener expects to hear 4 more bars
on the end of each 8 bar section. After Lesters solo the band plays a 2 bar transition that

73

recalls introduction which segues into a 32 bar trombone solo that also has no
background figures. The third solo chorus features Lester Young again in four bar
alternation with the band, who play riffs for the first 4 bars of the A sections. Basie takes
the bridge of this solo chorus. The fourth chorus is simply a repeat of the third chorus.
The tune then segues into a coda where 4 soloists each take a 2 bar unaccompanied solo
in the following order: Piano, Tenor, Bass, & Drums. This is followed by a 2 bar
ensemble tag that ends the tune.
Two other important facets of this tune are the fact that it features two of the
most influential players of the Swing era (other than Lester Young); the inventive and
wonderful drummer Papa Jo Jones and one of the most modern bassists of the Swing
era, Walter Page, who would only be eclipsed by the young Jimmy Blanton in Duke
Ellingtons band.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) + (4) AABA (32) [Tenor sax solo] Transition (2) AABA (32) [Trombone
solo] ||: A (4) [Ens. riffs] + (4) [Tenor solo], A (4) [Ens. riffs] + (4) [Tenor solo] B
(8) [Piano solo] A (4) [Ens. riffs] + (4) [Tenor solo] :|| Coda (2) [Piano] + (2)
[Tenor] + (2) [Bass] + (2) [Drums] + (2) [Ens. tag]
Notes:

Sent For You Yesterday and Here You Come Today February, 1938.
Personnel: Basie, Durham, & Rushing - comp., Earl Warren - alto sax, Count Basie
- piano, Herschel Evans - tenor sax, Harry Sweets Edison - trumpet, Jimmy Rushing vocal.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 2as (1w/bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: This chart is a good old fashioned big band swinging blues chart in the
Old Testament Basie band tradition. Following the 8 bar intro which features 4 bars of
solo piano followed by 4 bars of a saxophone motive, the melody of this tune, a simple
riff, is presented in unison by the horns with an alto sax soloing in the space between
each riff, a very common technique employed by many bands. Next, Basie takes 1 chorus
of piano solo with background figures played by the ensemble every couple bars. A tenor
sax solo follows with riffs played by the brass as background. The last four bars of the
intro then return to transition the tune into Jimmy Rushings vocals.
Rushing sings the words to the tune, using the same riff melody the ensemble
presented in the first chorus of the tune. The vocals to this tune are in the Delta blues
tradition, using the AAB scheme where the first two lines are identical and the third line
is the payoff line. During both choruses, Rushing is accompanied by a trumpet soloist
responding to his bluesy vocals. The second chorus of Rushings vocals are accompanied
by two separate riffs, one in the brass and one in the saxes, that repeat for the entire
chorus. A four bar trumpet break is next, segueing into a full chorus of trumpet solo.
What is odd here is that usually when a soloist takes a four bar break at the top of the
solo chorus the band re-enters on the IV chord (bar 5) of the form, in order to preserve

74

the 12-bar harmonic structure of the tune. In this tune, however, that is not the case;
with the 4 bar break functioning as an anomaly within the form. When the band reenters they start at the top of the form and play one full chorus of the blues beneath the
trumpet soloist. Beneath this solo are riff backgrounds in the saxophone section.
Next, the shout chorus of the tune hits, and in true Basie fashion the arrangement
uses the Kansas City Steamroller effect that is also heard in One OClock Jump: 2
choruses (in the case of this tune; 3 choruses in One OClock Jump) of riffs that grow in
dynamic level and intensity. For the first chorus, the drummer keeps solid time on his hi
hat with a slight backbeat on the snare drum. At the end of the first 12 bars of shout
chorus the drummer starts filling and kicking the band on his cymbals and snare drum,
which he continues to do throughout the repeat of the shout chorus. The band responds
to his intensity, playing each riff louder and stronger until the end of this chorus. Here,
the tune shifts into a coda which is the last 4 bars of the introduction repeated twice; first
as is, and the second time with Basie playing a snippet of the melody.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Piano] + (4) [Add saxes] Melody (12) [Ens. unison w/ alto solo] Piano
solo (12) [Ens. bgs.] Tenor sax solo (12) [Brass riff bgs.] Transition (4) [Same as last
4 bars of intro] Vox. (12) [w/ trumpet solo] Vox. (12) [Ens. riffs] Trumpet break
(4) Trumpet solo (12) [Sax riff bgs.] ||: Shout Chorus (12) [Brass/sax call and
response riffs] :|| Coda (4) [Same as last 4 bars of intro] + (4) [Add piano solo]
Notes:

Jumpin at the Woodside August, 1938.

Personnel: Count Basie - comp. & piano, Eddie Durham - arr., Earl Warren - alto
sax, Buck Clayton - trumpet, Lester Young - tenor sax, Herschel Evans - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, 2as (1w/bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Jumpin at the Woodside was one of the anthems of the Old
Testament Basie band. Again, the melody of this tune is basically a series of riffs
stacked on top of each other, one riff in the sax section and another in the brass. This
formula even extends to the backgrounds behind the soloists. The form of the tune is an
AABA, 32-bar form with Rhythm Changes as the harmony.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Piano] + (2) [Add guitar] + (2) [Add drums] + (2) [Add bass] ||: A (8)
[Brass riff + sax riff] :|| B (8) [Alto solo w/ brass bgs.] A (8) [Same as A] ||: A (8)
[Piano solo over same riffs in brass & saxes] :|| B (8) [Piano only] A (6) [Brass riff +
sax riff no piano] + (2) [Trumpet break] ||: A (8) [Trumpet solo over new bone &
sax riffs] :|| B (8) [Trumpet solo w/ legato bgs.] A (6) [Same as 1st trpt. solo A] + (2)
[Tenor break] ||: A (8) [Tenor solo w/ new brass & sax riffs] :|| B (8) [Tenor w/ no
bgs.] A (8) [Same as 1st tenor solo A] A (8) [Clarinet vs. trpt.] ||: A (8) [Clarinet

75

solo over new brass & sax riffs] :|| repeats 5 time (first 3 get louder, last 2 get
softer)
Notable first in this tune is the pyramid effect employed during the introduction.
Instead of the entire rhythm section starting together, Basie plays the first two bars of
the intro, then guitar is added for two bars, followed by drums for two bars, and finally
two bars with the bass added.
The first 32 bars of the tune are simply a set of two riffs, one in the brass and one
in the saxophones, played together over the A sections. The bridge is an alto sax solo w/
staccato brass backgrounds. The second chorus is a piano solo with the same riffs in the
brass and saxes, except the bridge omits the brass backgrounds that were behind the alto
solo. The end of this chorus is cut 2 bars short, where a trumpet solo break enters,
followed by a full chorus of trumpet solo. Beneath this solo the backgrounds change to a
different sax riff accompanied by a new riff in the trombones during the A sections. The
bridge features whole note backgrounds held for two bars each. Again, the last 2 bars of
this form are a break for a new soloist, Lester Young on tenor sax. Young takes a full
chorus of solo and again the backgrounds change to yet another new set of riffs beneath
the A sections. The bridge has no backgrounds.
After the tenor sax solo, the form of the tune breaks. The last fifty seconds of the
tune are simply six, 8-bar A sections. The first A section features a clarinet soloist and
trumpet soloist calling and responding to one another. Finally, the trumpet soloist is
omitted, leaving only the clarinet player to solo over a final new set of brass and sax riffs.
The Kansas City Steamroller effect is employed again, repeating this final 8-bar section
five times. The first two repeats grow louder and more intense, climaxing on the third
repeat at a forte dynamic level with splashes, crashes, and fills in the drums. The final
two repeats grow softer to end the tune.
Notes:

If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) March, 1939.

Personnel: James P. Johnson & Henry Creamer - comp., Buck Clayton - arr. &
trumpet, Count Basie - piano, Helen Humes - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 1as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, fvoc.
Commentary: This tune is a fairly simple ballad, that is very danceable. The tune is
only four choruses long. Each chorus is 18 bars long (8+10). The first chorus is a piano
solo with only rhythm section accompaniment. The second chorus is trumpet solo with
rhythm section accompaniment and legato pads played by the saxes in the
backgrounds. Helen Humes then enters on vocals. Her first vocal chorus is underscored
by sax backgrounds as Basie tickles the ivories, soloing tastefully behind her. Her second
chorus of vocal chorus is more of a call and response shout chorus between Helen and
the ensemble. The ensemble takes the first two bars of this chorus, followed by 4 bars of
vocals, and then two more bars of the band. Humes sings 4 more bars and is then joined
by the band on the coda which ends the tune.

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What is most notable about this tune is that one can hear that the voicings of
chords throughout the band are getting larger; utilizing 4-note and 5-note voicings that
will eventually be expanded even further in the post-WW II, New Testament Basie
band.
Below is a form diagram:
3 note piano pickup Chorus 1 (8 +10) [Piano solo] Chorus 2 (8 +10) [Trumpet solo
w/ sax pads] Chorus 3 (8 +10) [Vox. w/ sax bgs. & piano solo] Chorus 4 (8 + 6)
[Vox. w/ ensemble shout] Coda (6) [Vox. w/ ensemble shout]
Notes:

I Want A Little Girl August, 1940.

Personnel: Mencher & Moll - comp., Jimmy Mundy - arr., Buck Clayton - trumpet,
Count Basie - piano, Jimmy Rushing - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: Notable first about this tune is that Jimmy Mundy, the arranger who
wrote groundbreaking arrangements for the Earl Hines Orchestra, arranged this piece.
I Want A Little Girl is another vocal ballad arranged in a similar fashion as If
I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight). Count Basie plays the 4-bar intro. Following
the intro is a brief 8 bar trumpet solo by Buck Clayton that references the melody. The
top of the tune arrives when Jimmy Rushing enters with the vocals, accompanied by sax
backgrounds and some commentary solo from the guitarist, which can only be heard
faintly in the background during the first A section. The bridge omits all backgrounds
and the last A is the same as the first. Following Rushings vocals are two more A
sections (16 bars total) of shout chorus, that alternate 4 bars of horn melody with 4 bars
of piano solo. The drummer kicks this shout chorus nicely, setting up the beginning of
each of these sections. The second time around the piano solo is replaced by Rushing,
who re-enters with the last line of the text and is joined by the rest of the band to wrap
up the tune.
Intro (4) [Piano] A (8) [Trumpet solo] ||: A (8) [Vox w/ sax bgs. & guitar] :|| B
(8) [Vox. w/ no bgs.] A (8) [Same as 1st A] A (4) [Ens. shout] + (4) [Piano solo], A
(4) [Ens. shout] + (4) [Vox. w/ ens.]
Notes:

Volcano November, 1939.

Personnel: Count Basie - comp., arr., & piano, Harry Sweets Edison - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/bari), 2ts (w/cl), p, g, b, d.

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Commentary: Volcano is important because it is the first tune on this compendium

that employs a latin feeling. For this tune, Basie uses the blues as his harmonic
template. The intro uses the same pyramid effect as Jumpin At The Woodside,
starting first with Basie, playing a syncopated mambo-esque bass line, then adding
drums, and finally bass. The drum groove to the tune is played with a cross stick on the
rim of the snare and is similar to a cha-cha or calypso pattern. The bass player simply
doubles the bass line played by Basie in his left hand.
The first chorus of the tune is a piano solo. What is interesting about the feel of
this solo is that Basie isnt playing his eighth notes straight, as is usual for a latin
tune, but he is not swinging them either. The feel of this solo is almost in between swung
and straight. This same rhythmic interpretation of the eighth note permeates all the
other parts for the rest of the tune. The second chorus of the tune is also a piano solo but
with riff backgrounds in the saxophones added. The third and fourth choruses are a
trumpet solo with the same background riffs that were behind the piano solo.
What happens next is perhaps the most important part of the tune. Without
warning the drummer shifts to playing swing time on his hi-hat while the bassist begins
to walk and the guitarist, who has layed out until this point, begins chunking quarter
notes. This signifies a shift from latin to swing, something that hasnt been heard at all
until this point. This stylistic shift also foreshadows the types of tunes Dizzy Gillespie
would pioneer during the bebop era (ex. A Night in Tunisia) Here, trombones join the
saxes on their riff and the trumpets enter playing a separate riff. This section is repeated
twice, growing in dynamic level and intensity. Following this section of riffs another
important event happens; the bass player shifts back to playing the syncopated latin
bass line, but the drummer remains playing swing time on his hi hat. The bones and
saxes remain playing the same riff during this change, but what is most interesting is
what happens to the trumpet riff. In the previous two chorus the riff began on beat one
of the measure, but here the riff moves to the offbeat, beginning on beat two of the
measure.
Following the third chorus of riffs, the drummer shifts back to the cha-cha
pattern and Harry Sweets Edison takes a 2 chorus trumpet solo, which Basie responds
to. All the while the saxophones continue the same riff theyve been playing the entire
tune. Finally, the rest of the ensemble enters for two more riff-based choruses of Swing
that utilize the Kansas City Steamroller effect. The saxophones switch to a syncopated
riff to which the trombones respond, while the trumpets play growling swells. The
second and final chorus of riffs gets extremely chaotic. The trumpets begin playing dowah syncopated figures, while the trombones play heavily syncopated off-beat patterns.
The tune ends with a rising chromatic scale (ironically played as straight eighth notes) in
the entire ensemble followed by a cha-cha-cha ending in the piano.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Piano] + (2) [Add drums] + (4) [Add bass] Solo Chorus 1 - Latin (12)
[Piano solo] Solo Chorus 2 Latin (12) [Piano solo w/ sax riff bg.] ||: Solo Chorus 3
& 4 - Latin (12) [Trumpet solo w/ sax riff bg.] :|| ||: Riff Chorus 1 & 2 - Swing (12) [3
separate riffs in horns] :|| Riff Chorus 3 - Swing (12) [3 separate riffs in horns] ||:
Solo Chorus 5 & 6 (12) [Trumpet solo w/ piano] :|| Riff Chorus 4 (12) [3 separate riffs

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in horns] Riff Chorus 5 (10) [3 new riffs in horns] Coda (2) [Chromatic scale w/
cha-cha ending]
Notes:

9:20 Special April, 1941.

Personnel: Earl Warren - comp., Buster Harding - arr., Count Basie- piano, Tab
Smith - alto sax, Harry Sweets Edison - trumpet, Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/ss), 3ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: 9:20 Special is much more compositional in nature than most of the
1930s Basie tunes, that relied on riffs and repetitive sections to build a tune. Although it
was simple and understated, it was incredibly effective. But as the band added new
players and arrangers, and as the Swing era wore on, the Basie Bands music evolved as
well.
Right off the bat, the introduction to the tune is different than most of Basies
other tunes, which usually utilize 8 bar introductions. This introduction is 10 bars in a 2
+ 4 + 4 form. The first two bars are just brass with the drummer playing time. These
serve as a lead in to the next 8 bars of the intro, the first four of which feature the saxes
with drum accompaniment, and the second four which feature the piano with drum
accompaniment.
Notably, there is actually a real melody to this tune, rather than just a series of
riffs. The melody is played as a soli by the muted trumpet section with saxophone
backgrounds. The bridge is scored as a soli for the saxophone section and the final A is
the same as the first. Next, the arrangement employs an 8 bar pedal point with the saxes
playing over the trombones to transition to the solo form, which is the same AABA, 32bar form as the melody.
What is most interesting about this tune is how the 32-bar, AABA form is broken
up amongst soloists and sections of the ensemble. The melody is broken up this way,
with the trumpets playing the As and the saxes taking the bridge. This also occurs during
the solo sections. Basie plays the first solo over the A sections of the form, with
accompaniment from the ensemble. A saxophone solo with ensemble backgrounds is
over the bridge. The first two As of the next solo form are played by a trumpet, but
instead of composing new music for the saxes to play as backgrounds or using riffs, the
saxes play a variation of the melody beneath the solo. This is highly compositional in
nature and shows a desire to unify the tune. The bridge to this solo form is most
interesting; it is broken up between 2 bars of trumpet soli, 2 bars of trumpet solo, and
then 4 bars of piano solo. The final A is a return of the melody, again played by the
entire trumpet section with sax backgrounds.
Next, the same pedal point transition section returns, with the saxes playing over
trombone pedals for 4 bars, rather than 8. A 2 bar drum solo transitions the tune into
the next solo form. This solo form is also much more compositional in nature than many
of Basies earlier tunes. The first two A sections of this form are 4 bars of an ensemble
shout section, followed by 4 bars of sax solo by Coleman Hawkins. The bridge is also a

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sax solo with sax backgrounds, which are cut short at measure 7 for a 2 bar sax break.
The trumpets return for the last A section, playing the melody as before, but this time
they are accompanied by Coleman Hawkins blowing a solo over them. This section is
also cut short at measure 7 by a 2 bar sax break that ends the tune with an ensemble
fermata.
What is interesting about the drummer on this tune is that he plays time through
sections where the bass player isnt play. These include the entire intro, where he is
keeping time for the other instruments. This sounds a little awkward and would
probably sound better if he didnt play.
Obviously this tune is also important because Coleman Hawkins, one of the most
important Swing saxophonists who would influence many of the great bebop players, is
in the Basie band.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Brass w/ drums] + (4) [Saxes w/drums] + (4) [Piano w/ drums &
bones] A (8) [Trumpet melody w/ sax bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Saxes] A (8)
[Trumpets w/ sax bgs.] Transition (8) [Saxes over bone pedal] A (8) [Piano solo w/
ens. accomp.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Sax w/ ens. bgs.] A (8) [Piano solo w/ ens.
accomp.] A (8) [Trumpet solo w/ sax countermelody], A (8) [Simile] B (2)
[Trumpet soli] + (2) [Trumpet solo] + (4) [Piano solo] A (8) [Trumpet melody w/ sax
bg.] Transition (4) [Saxes over bone pedal] + (2) [Drum solo] ||: A (4) [Ens. shout]
+ (4) [Sax solo] :|| B (6) [Sax solo w/ sax bgs.] + (2) [Sax break] A (6) [Trumpet
melody w/ sax solo] Coda (2) [Sax break w/ ens. fermata]
Notes:

Rambo February, 1946.

Personnel: J.J. Johnson - comp., arr., & trombone, Illinois Jacquet - tenor sax,
Count Basie - piano, Harry Sweets Edison - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Rambo was recorded at an interesting time during the Basie band
history because the Old Testament band was just about to break up. This tune is
absolutely the most modern sounding tune of this band on this compendium. It is also
important because it is the first tune on the compendium that falls out of the date range
that most scholars consider the Swing era (1935-45).
The intro on this tune is all-inclusive, utilizing the entire ensemble and quickly
shifting from section to section. The melody is played by the trombone section with
offbeat, staccato trumpet accompaniment. The drummer is clearly playing time on his
ride cymbal while the bassist walks four quarter notes, with no repeated notes, to every
bar. This is an important development because it signifies a switch from the hi-hat to the
ride as being the primary source for time keeping. This switch really lightens the feel of
any tune. The hi-hat is now relegated to playing on two and four, or in the case of this

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tune, is used during introductions, transitions, and to create a textural shift. All three A
sections are orchestrated the same way, with the trumpets and saxes taking the bridge.
Here the drummer not only sets up every single figure in the horn parts, but also catches
them on his cymbals and bass drum! This not only shows a modern approach to playing
the drums, but also that the drums are being integrated into the ensemble rather than
just being a timekeeping instrument. The last A section of the tune is interrupted at the
7th bar where the trumpets enter over a pedal point in the rest of the ensemble for 2 bars.
The pedal point is cut off by a 2 bar piano break, making the final A section 10 bars.
What is ironic about the 2 bar piano break is that one assumes a piano solo is to
follow. Rather the listener gets a riveting saxophone soli complete with ensemble
accompaniment. This soli is really the first modern sax soli on this compendium; it
utilizes some bebop harmony and swings with a real sophistication. This is not a
surprise considering the great bebop trombonist J.J. Johnson arranged this tune and the
year is 1946; Bebop has already hit. The saxes then retreat to the background while J.J.
Johnson blows over the bridge and the last A of the form, playing some real bebop licks!
Interestingly, the drummer plays time on his hi-hat for J.J.s solo, something bebop
drummers would not have done, even in 1946.
Next we get a tenor solo from Illinois Jacquet with background figures in the
brass and ride cymbal time in the drums. Jacquet solos over the entire form. He gets
assistance from the brass, which play staccato background figures beneath the As, and
the saxophone section, who join in to play a different set of backgrounds at the bridge.
Following the tenor solo we hear the brass section play a 6 bar melody over a pedal point
in the rhythm section and the saxes followed by another 2 bar piano break, which does in
fact segue into a piano solo for 8 bars of changes that are neither the A section or B
section, but rather a 2 bar vamp, repeated 4 times. The comping of Freddie Green is
really audible here and it feels fantastic. This transitions into the shout chorus which
lasts for the first 2 A sections of the new form.
The shout chorus of this tune is completely modern in its conception, and utilizes
no riffs but instead is through-composed. The three sections of horns (trumpets, bones,
saxes) are used to play separate lines that compliment one another in a contrapuntal
fashion. This is a sign that J.J. was thinking horizontally rather than vertically. The
harmony here is more complex than any previous Basie arrangement. This A section
repeats twice; the B is a trumpet solo by Harry Sweets Edison with ensemble
backgrounds. Finally, the trombone melody with trumpet accompaniment returns for
the final A section, transitioning after 6 bars into an 8 measure coda which utilizes a
pedal point; finally culminating in an ensemble fermata. This fermata is held long
enough for the drummer to fill in a modern way, adding a stinger a in the bass drum as
the horns cut off, the most modern approach to the end of a tune heard this far.
What is notable about this piece are the many sophisticated concepts it includes:
1) A modern feel in the rhythm section
2) Bebop harmony
3) Bebop soloists
4) Pedal points
5) Drum setups
6) Through-composed background figures (no riffs)
7) Modern fermata ending with drum fills

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8) Drummer shifting from hats to ride to create different textures.

Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Ens.] A (8) [Bone melody w/ trpt. accomp.], A (8) [Simile] B (8)
[Trpts. & Saxes] A (6) [Bone melody w/ trpt. accomp.] + (2) [Trpts. over ens. pedal] +
(2) [Piano break] A (8) [Sax soli w/ trpt. accomp.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Trombone
solo w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Trombone solo w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Sax solo w/ brass bgs.],
A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Sax solo w/ ens. bgs.] A (8) [Sax solo w/ brass bgs.]
Transition (6) [Ens. Pedal Point] + (2) [Piano break] Vamp (8) [Piano Solo] A (8)
[Ens. Shout], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Trumpet solo w/ ens. bgs.] A (6) [Bone melody
w/ trpt. accomp.] Coda (6) [Trumpets over low brass/sax pedal point] + (2) [Ens. Tag
/ Fermata]
Notes:

Everyday May, 1955.

Personnel: Peter Chatman - comp., Ernie Wilkins - arr., Count Basie - piano, Joe
Williams - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: Everyday is the first example on this compendium from the New
Testament Count Basie band; and while it is not light years away from what the Old
Testament band was doing on Rambo in 1946, it certainly shows a refinement,
sophistication and modernization of the Old Testament bands sound.
Basie plays a solo piano intro of this tune that harkens back to a much earlier
sound, that of boogie-woogie. This intro does not, in the slightest, setup the listener
for what happens next. The band comes wailing in with a four bar intro of their own
with the trumpets playing a melody and the saxophones playing a descending chromatic
counterline. Following the intro the band takes two choruses of their own before Joe
Williams enters with the vocals. What is most significant about this tune is that although
this is a new and improved Basie band, they have not lost their roots. Not only is the
form of this tune a 12 bar blues, but the entire first chorus is a riff based shout chorus
with the melody in the saxes and brass interjections that wouldnt have sounded out of
place on an Old Testament Basie tune, although this version is played with a very
sophisticated laid-back swing. The second chorus is a through-composed chorus of
shout. Both these choruses build on what was heard in Rambo: the harmonies and
voicings of chords are becoming more and more dense; utilizing bebop harmony and 5
and 6 note chord voicings.
Many of the background figures behind the eight choruses of vocals are also riff
based. This is the first tune where a vocalist takes more than a few choruses; Joe
Williams is really allowed to shine on this tune. What is notable is that the ensemble
shout chorus is at the beginning of the tune and does not return. Instead the tune builds
with terraced dynamics because of the arranged background figures. The first chorus
utilizes both a sax solo and muted trumpet backgrounds behind Joe Williams, allowing

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the tune to cool off from the wailing shout choruses that preceeded the vocals. What is
also notable about the first and second choruses is that the drummer almost completely
drops out, allowing Freddie Green on guitar and the bass player to really set the time
feel. The second chorus of vocals is the lowest point of the tune, with only a sax soloist
accompanying Williams. The third adds sax and brass riffs as background figures and
the drummer comes back in with time on his ride cymbal time. He also catches the
figures in the brass on his snare drum from this point of the tune until the end. The
fourth chorus intensifies as the backgrounds are played louder. On the fifth vocal chorus
Williams ups the ante, singing the Nobody loves me line in the upper regions of his
range. The background figures respond to this intensity; the trumpets venture in the
upper range of their instrument and together with the trombones play some really bluesy
riffs with plungers. The single sfz notes in the brass really jump out during the fifth
through eighth choruses, particularly because the drummer catches them as rimshots on
his snare drum. The seventh chorus adds the saxophones, and together with the brass
they riff their way all the way until the end of the tune where a 4 bar ensemble coda
extends the eighth and final vocal chorus to 14 bars.
This tune is completely modern and swings so hard that the listener never wants
it to end! It is one of the best feeling tunes Ive ever heard.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Piano] + (4) [Ens.] Chorus 1 (12) [Ens.] Chorus 2 (12) [Ens.]
Transition Vamp (8) [Brass] Vocal Chorus 1 (12) [Sax solo & brass bgs.] Vocal
Chorus 2 (12) [Sax solo] Vocal Chorus 3 (12) [Sax & brass riff bgs.] Vocal Chorus 4
(12) [Sax riffs w/ brass bgs.] Vocal Chorus 5 (12) [Brass bgs.] Vocal Chorus 6 (12)
[Brass bgs.] Vocal Chorus 7 (12) [Sax & Brass riff bgs.] Vocal Chorus 8 (10) [Simile]
Coda (4) [Ens.]
Notes:

Shiny Stockings September, 1956.

Personnel: Frank Foster - comp. & arr., Count Basie - piano, Thad Jones - trumpet,
Sonny Payne - drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: As with many Basie tunes, this one starts with the man himself, playing
a 9 bar piano intro that sets up the groove of the tune perfectly. It must be mentioned
that the Basie band was about the groove, possibly more than any other band of their
era. This is entirely evident when one listens to how tight the rhythm section always
sounds: the comping of Freedie Green matches perfectly with the pulse in the bass and
the time on the drums. And then there is Basie, who just lays his minimalistic piano fills
in the cracks as he does on this tune.
Shiny Stockings is a complete and total break from the riff-based sound of the
Old Testament band. The melody to the tune, played by the trumpet section is

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through-composed. The tune uses pedal points to facilitate the transition between the
melody and the solo section. Thad Jones, the trumpet soloist on this tune, is playing
nothing but bebop, a first on this compendium. Accordingly, the tune uses bebop
harmony as well. Even the backgrounds behind the trumpet solo are through-composed
and do not rely on riffs. Basies piano solo is true to form, minimalistic and not bebop.
The highlight of this tune is the four A sections of ensemble soli/shout chorus following
Basies 16 bar solo. The first 16 bars of this shout chorus start at a whisper and
dramatically crescendo and then quickly die down again for another dramatic crescendo
that culminates in a two bar drum solo that kicks the band into the final 16 bars of shout
chorus. The drummer really kicks the band here, filling up all the holes and spaces with
drum fills that heighten the excitement. This is the first truly modern sounding
drummer on this compendium. He uses the entire drumset to play his setup and fills.
Rather than being just a time keeping device, the drums are used as part of the ensemble
and the rhythm section, and in the post-WW II Basie band almost function as more of a
member of the horn section because the keeping of the time seems to be delegated
mainly to guitar and bass. My ear tells me that the drummer on this tune is Sonny
Payne, one of Basies greatest drummers.
The tune ends with an 8 bar tag, that comes way down from the previous 4
choruses of shout. Interestingly, the arrangement uses a false Ellington ending in
measures 3 and 4 of the tag before repeating the 4 bar tag one more time to end the tune.
This tune also has the longest ending fermata of any tune on this comependium.
Also notable is that this tune was recorded live and the sound quality is fairly
good.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (9) [Piano] A (16) [Muted brass], A (14) [Muted brass] + (2) [Drum solo]
Pedal Transition (6) [Saxes over bones] + (2) [Trumpet break] A (16) [Trumpet solo
over sax bgs.], A (16) [Trumpet solo w/ ens. accomp. & sax bgs.] A (16) [Piano solo]
A (16) [Ens. soli w/ piano fills], A (14) [Simile] + (2) [Drum solo] A (14) [Ens. Shout
Chorus] + (2) [Drum solo], A (16) [Ens. Shout Chorus] Tag (8)
Notes:

Lil Darlin May, 1957.

Personnel: Neal Hefti - comp. & arr., Count Basie - piano, Wendell Culley trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Little Darlin is from one of the most important and influential Basie
albums in the history of the band; The Complete Atomic Basie, which was released in
1957. Most notable about this tune is the way the melody is set. It is the first tune where
the melody is played as a full ensemble soli, in unison, voiced vertically as chords with
the main melodic line on top. This is similar to the way many pianists had been playing
melodies all along, but now arrangers like Neil Hefti are beginning to adopt this to the
horn section of a big band. The sonorities set in the horn parts are completely bebop,

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and it sounds as though these horn players were not used to playing these types of
harmonies, as the pitch on some notes in questionable. Either way, chords are voiced
with minor seconds, augmented fifths, etc. between players, sounds that had not
previously been used when voicing chords across an ensemble. The voicings are also
very dense, using 5, 6, and 7 note chords.
An important facet of this tune is the articulation and phrasing. Every note is
played in a very deliberate fashion and is unified across the ensemble. For example, the
first two measures of the melody are articulated in the following way: L S S S S L L L (S
= short; L = long). This pattern is maintained whenever this same melodic motive
returns. There is also a very deliberate crescendo intro the 13th measure of the melody,
with a conscious effort made by the entire band not to breathe between measures 12 and
13, but rather to connect these two phrases in a way that is very pleasant to the ear.
The rhythm section feel on this tune is laid back and very understated which
allows the listener to focus on the harmonies of the arrangement. The time is really
maintained by the guitar and bass rather than the drums, whose brush stirring adds a
nice color to the tune, but is not exactly in the groove. This is also a tune where
everybody is responsible for the time feel, because if one horn player jumps the gun on
any of the short, quarter notes in the melody, the entire groove would be undermined.
The tempo of this tune is notable because it is a ballad that is much slower than
the tempos bands played during the Swing era. The tempo here is obviously a cue taken
from the bebop era, when players slowed tunes down to lethargic tempos in order to play
highly complex and dense solos.
Notably, tunes are getting longer. Now that the LP has become the main medium
of recording, there isnt the strain of fitting tunes into a 3 or 3:30 minute time limit. This
particular tune almost reaches the 5:00 minute mark, a length unheard of for tunes in
the Swing era.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Piano] ||: Melody (16) [Ens. soli] :|| Trumpet solo (16) [Sax bgs.]
Melody (16) [Ens. soli] Tag (8) [Ens. soli] Ritard./Fermata.
Notes:
Splanky May, 1957.
Personnel: Neal Hefti - comp. & arr., Count Basie - piano, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Splanky is a Db blues that is basically a head chart with a unison riff
melody in the brass that during the second chorus gets harmonized by the saxes who
respond to the brass. Following the two choruses of the head, Lockjaw blows two
choruses of the blues before the shout chorus tears everyones head off. The shout
chorus to this tune is a tutti shout chorus, much like the way the melody of Lil Darlin

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is a tutti melody. All the horn parts are homorhythmic, although the harmonies in the
shout chorus are complex. Hefti uses bebop harmonies over the simple chord structure
of the blues to enhance the shout chorus. Each chord has 5 or 6 notes in them.
The band sounds much more polished on this recording; the same polish went
into the articulation, phrasing, and dynamics on Lil Darlin. There is a deliberate
sense of playing in this tune. An example is the phrasing employed by all the horns
during the 5th and 6th bars of the shout chorus where beats 1 and 3 are deliberately softer
than beats 2 and 4, which are accented. The entire shout chorus also lays back, and the
rhythm section walks the fine line between staying on top of the time and laying back
with the band. The feel in the rhythm section is very sophisticated. Although the
chunking of Freddie Green still permeates the time feel, the bass lines are much
smoother and Sonny Payne really kicks the band during the shout chorus. Sonny Payne
almost never leaves the ride cymbal (except for the 4 bar transition back to the melody),
which adds a modern feel to the rhythm section. He also catches every single figure that
he is setting up, a very modern approach, similar to the way he played on Shiny
Stockings. There are also harmonics present in the bass line of Eddie Jones, something
that hasnt been heard up to this point. The bass is also amplified by miking the f hole or
else it would never be heard over the band.
One of the most dynamically satisfying parts of the tune occurs at the end of the
second shout chorus where the rug is pulled out from the band. At the 11th bar the band
suddenly stops playing and only the swingin, but quite, rhythm section is left to groove
for 4 bars before the melody re-enters. These sudden changes of dynamics were
something the Old Testament band rarely did; but here, the New Testament band
executes it flawlessly and it is extremely effective.
Finally, and of much importance, this is the first tune where the now clich but
classic Basie ending is employed; with its 3 staccato chords that lead to a full ensemble
fermata on beat four. Basie would use this type of ending on many other tunes and
composers and arrangers alike would pick up it as a jazz clich that has stood the test of
time.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (6) [Piano] Melody Chorus 1 (12) [Brass] Melody Chorus 2 (12) [Add saxes]
||: Sax solo (12) :|| Shout Chorus 1 (12) [Full Ens.], Shout Chorus 2 (10) [Full Ens.] +
(4) [Rhythm Sec. only] Melody (10) [Brass + saxes] + (2) [Drum build-up] Shout
Chorus 3 (10) + (2) [Basie ending]
Notes:

The Kid From Red Bank May, 1957.

Personnel: Neal Hefti- comp. & arr., Count Basie- piano.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.

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Commentary: This tune is also a 12-bar blues, but seems to add a few passing
harmonies into the simple I-IV-I-V-IV-I progression, much like bebop players had
already done.
The goal of the tune seems to be the juxtaposition of ensemble licks and shout
choruses with piano solos by Basie. It works marvelously because the ensemble sections
are so riveting and aggressive, but are executed smoothly. When this is juxtaposed with
Basies extremely minimalist piano playing it works marvelously. Basies piano soloing
on this tune is notable for a couple reasons. First, he hardly ever comps himself! Basie is
all right hand and his left hand is basically inactive. Secondly, parts of his solo harken
back to boogie-woogie playing and he even plays stride for a quick moment during the 7 th
and 8th choruses of the tune. This coupled with the modern swing of his rhythm section
creates for a wonderful feel and sound.
The structure of Neil Heftis arrangement is also masterfully conceived. The form
is simple: One chorus of ensemble figures (repeated twice) followed by 2 choruses of
piano solo. In effect, the ensemble and piano are alternating two choruses. What is most
interesting is that Basie respects this structure masterfully. Instead of playing a solo that
is completely cohesive across the entire tune, Basie basically plays 3 different solos.
Each time the ensemble interrupts him, Basie brings his previous ideas to a close and
moves onto something new. This is made most evident during the 7th and 8th choruses of
the tune, where Basie moves into playing stride. Also notable is the way Basie blurs the
bar line between choruses 11 and 12, effectively utilizing a motive to play over the
downbeat of chorus 12.
For the ensemble parts of the tune, Hefti takes 3 motives and uses each one as the
basis for the ensemble figures that are played during the tune. The first motive, labeled
Ens. A in the form diagram is repeated for choruses 1 and 2 of the tune. It also returns
in slight variation at the end of the tune for choruses 13 and 14, bringing a sense of
cohesion to the end of the tune. The second motive is labeled Ens. B and is used for the
5th and 6th choruses of the tune. The Ens. C. motive is used for the 9th and 10th choruses
of the tune.
The rhythm section feel of this tune is mostly modern. The drummer plays time
exclusively on the hi-hat for the entire tune, but changes from open hi-hat to closed hihat when the music moves from ensemble sound to piano solo and vice versa. The
drummer also catches all ensemble figures, most notable, every single rhythm played
during the Ens. B and Ens. C motives, respectively. The bass playing is also modern,
utilizing a walking 4 to compliment the four-to-the-bar chunking in the guitar.
Finally, an 8 bar coda is added, with the ensemble playing the first four bars,
followed by 3 bars of a piano pyramid, culminating with a fermata played by the entire
ensemble in the 8th bar.
Below is a form diagram:
||: Chorus 1/2 (8) [Ens. A]+ (4) [Piano solo] :|| ||: Chorus 3/4 (12) [Piano solo] :||
||: Chorus 5/6 (12) [Ens. B] :|| ||: Chorus 7/8 (12) [Piano solo] :|| ||: Chorus 9/10
(4) [Ens. C] + (8) [Piano solo] :|| ||: Chorus 11/12 (12) [Piano solo] :|| ||: Chorus
13/14 (12) [Ens. A] :|| Coda (4) [Ens.] + (3) [Piano pyramid] + (1) [Ens. fermata]

87

Notes:

Blues in Hoss Flat April, 1959.

Personnel: Frank Foster - comp. & arr., Joe Newman - trumpet, Henry Coker trombone.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Another blues.But this time, a shuffle!
Motivically, the name of the game in this tune is call and response. the
trombones play the melody during the first chorus, with countermelody from the
saxophones while the trumpets respond to the trombones every motive. The second
chorus presents the melody played by Joe Newman on solo trumpet with countermelody
from the trombones while the saxophones play the responses. Meanwhile the rhythm
section shuffles their way to victory. The third chorus of the tune is a saxophone soli,
with responses from Joe Newman on solo trumpet.
The last three choruses are the most exciting portion of the tune. Following
Henry Cokers trombone solo that includes sax backgrounds and trumpet responses,
the band jumps down to a whisper and plays two choruses of soli that grow and grow
dynamically until the tune explodes into a shout chorus, the same technique utilized in
Shiny Stockings. Again, this shows a sense of dynamic control that the New
Testament band exhibits much more than the Old Testament band. The soli on this
tunee is scored in a similar fashion to Lil Darlin and Splanky, with a homorhythmic
texture in the horns that utilizes bebop harmony and expanded chord voicings. Towards
the end of the second chorus of soli thee dynamics in the band parts are executed very
deliberately and expertly. The crescendo really starts at the very beginning of the second
chorus of soli, where the listener can hear that the ensemble is slightly louder than the
previous chorus. In the 7 th and 8th bar of the second chorus the brass really begin leading
the charge, which culminates in two bars of triplet drum fill, smashing the way right into
the shout chorus. The shout chorus to the tune is arranged in a similar fashion, with
Basie filling in the spaces between horn motives. Neither the soli nor the shout are riffbased.
Rhythmically, this tune is more advanced than many of the previous Basie tunes.
The horn arrangements of Basies later tunes are now requiring a more refined and
advanced rhythmic sense. An example of this is the figure that occurs in the 9th and 10th
bars of the two chorus soli. Here, some of the members of the ensemble play on the beat,
while others play on the offbeat. This requires an exact sense of timing, swing, and
articulation that must be unified across the ensemble.
The end of this tune is arranged nicely and executed wonderfully. The last 4 bars
of the tune are tagged twice, but instead of repeating them as is, Frank Foster removes
the trumpets from the equation which brings the dynamic of the tune down. The first
four bars of the tag are played by the saxophones over trombone quarter notes, but for
the second four bars of the tag, Foster reverses the parts. The listener almost doesnt
even notice because it is executed so smoothly. After the tag, the tune vamps for 8 more

88

bars and Joe Newman solos over a riff in the sax section (the only riff in the entire tune).
Finally the band plays a long crescendoing fermata, allowing Joe to add some plungerassisted blues licks in a highly stylized vocal fashion.
The feel in the rhythm section of this tune is dominated by the shuffle feel in the
drums. Without the dotted sixteenth groove in the ride cymbal and the backbeat on the
snare drum and hi hat this tune would not be categorized as a shuffle. The bass and
guitar both play in a four-to-the-bar style. The drummer sets up the shout chorus nicely
and interacts with the soloists, playing snare and bass drum accents in the spaces. He
also drops down to a whisper beneath the ensemble soli.
After examining the arrangements of the New Testament Basie band it becomes
clear that the post-WW II Basie charts must have been well rehearsed before they were
recorded or played live and were not as easily thrown together as the riff-based tunes of
the Old Testament band. Accordingly, the post-WW II Basie band used actual
arrangements; composer/arrangers like Neil Hefti wrote the music out rather. This is a
direct contradiction to the tradition of the pre-WW II Basie band, which memorized the
tunes and taught the book by rote to new members of the band.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Saxes/Bones w/ rhythm] Chorus 1(12) [Bones/Saxes melody w/ trpt
response] Chorus 2 (12) [Solo trpt./bone melody w/ sax response] Chorus 3 (12)
[Sax soli w/ trumpet response] Chorus 4 (12) [Trombone solo w/ sax bgs. & brass
response] Chorus 5 (12) [Ens. soli], Chorus 6 (12) [Ens. soli] Chorus 7 (12) [Ens.
Shout] Tag (4) [Saxes w/ bone quarters] + (4) [Bones w/ sax quarters] Coda (8)
[Solo trumpet over sax riff bgs.] + Fermata [Trumpet over ens.]
Notes:

Basie June, 1957.

Personnel: Ernie Wilkins - comp. & arr., Count Basie - piano, Thad Jones trumpet, Budd Johnson - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Basie is a standard rhythm changes, 32-bar, AABA form. This is
significant because it shows the influence of bebop on the New Testament Basie band
(although 1938s Jumpin at the Woodside is also based on rhythm changes).
One of the most interesting moments of the tune is when it breaks the AABA, 32bar form. This occurs at the end of the saxophone solo when the tune goes back into the
8 bar pedal point transition after 1 full chorus of solo. Here, the listener expects to hear
2 As and then the bridge. Instead, the arrangement tacks on one more A of saxophone
solo before going back to the top of the form for a soft ensemble soli. Therefore, what the
listener gets is three A sections following the transition before the return of the bridge,
rather than the two that are expected.

89

Again, the ensemble soli that begins soft is wonderfully executed with a deliberate
subito piano at the beginning of the soli. This tune is different than the previous tunes
that used this technique. Instead of building over the entire chorus via dynamic
intensity, the ensemble soli shifts to a saxophone soli at the bridge. The saxes continue
through the last A section. At the top of a new form, an ensemble shout chorus hits and
man, does the band swing. The drummer kicks the band all the way through this chorus
and the tune rolls on like thunder. The shout chorus is arranged in two layers; the brass
in unison on top with the saxophones playing blues inflected shakes, groans, trills, and
riffs beneath them. After these 32 bars of shout the tune shifts into a coda, which is
basically one bar breaks for the saxophones, climaxing in a full band fermata.
Below is a form diagram:
||: A (8) [Piano only] :|| B (8) [Rhythm section] A (8) [Rhythm] ||: A (8) [Sax
melody w/ brass response] :|| B (8) [Trpt. solo w/ ens. bgs.] A (8) [Same as A]
Pedal transition (8) [Full Ens.] A (8) [Ens. shout], A (8) [Rhythm] B (8) [Muted
Brass] A (8) [Rhythm] ||: A (8) [Sax solo] :|| B (8) [Sax solo over brass] A (8)
[Sax solo] Pedal transition (8) [Sax solo over ens.] A (8) [Sax solo] A (8) [Ens.
soft], A (8) [Ens. cresc.] B (8) [Sax soli] A (8) [Sax soli] ||: A (8) [Ens. shout] :||
B (8) [Simile] A (8) [Simile] Coda (8) [Sax soli breaks] Fermata.
Notes:

90

Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra

There is nothing to say about Duke Ellington and His Orchestra that the music doesnt
say for itself except, perhaps, that Duke and His Orchestra are the greatest large
ensemble to have ever played this music we call Jazz.
East St. Louis Toddle-Oo December, 1927.
Personnel: Ellington & Miley - comp., Ellington - arr., Bubber Miley - trumpet,
Harry Carney - baritone sax, Joe Tricky Sam Nanton - trombone, Rudy Jackson clarinet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1tb, 1as (w/ss & bari), 1as (w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, bj, t, d.
Commentary: All of Ellingtons pieces are unique in and of themselves, and even his
earlier pieces, such as East St. Louis Toddle-O have that Ellington sound to them.
His motives are always striking and memorable, and his orchestration and compositional
techniques are unmatched.
In this piece, the melody is played by Bubber Miley on solo, muted trumpet in a
vocal style that is very stylized in the African-American vocal tradition. Certainly,
Ellington composed the main melody, but Miley was left to embellish it, which he does
expertly. Beneath Miley, the rising, broken thirds motive in the saxes is particularly
foreboding, almost adding a spooky vibe to the tune. This section repeats twice, before
going to the bridge where Miley plays over rhythm section and tuba, instead of bass.
Here, the tune shifts into a major tonality, an interesting and abrupt contrast from the
spooky, minor A sections. The last A section is similar to the first A.
What is most interesting about this tune is the overall form. It is basically a
ragtime form with an AABA form inside of it. After the intro the first 32 bars, as
analyzed above, use an AABA form. Following this AABA form is a solo section played by
the trombone (labeled B) that breaks the AABA form and creates a ragtime form that is
free to shift at any given point. The B section is similar to the bridge. The section is
repeated twice and adds 2 bar extension to the second repeat. This same section is also
used again later in the tune for a brass soli, although this time a 4 bar extension is added
to the second repeat, and is labeled as B in the form diagram. The B section (with the
2-bar extension) returns for a second time during the clarinet solo near the end of the
tune. The A section of the tune also returns for a clarinet solo preceding the brass soli.
Finally, the A section returns at the end of the tune, where Bubber Miley recaps the
melody over the same sax motive as in the beginning of the tune.
One final interesting feature of this tune is the banjo comping behind the clarinet
solo. Although the banjo player is comping on beats 2 and 4 for the entire tune, he shifts
to playing quarter notes beneath the clarinet player; emitting a Freddie Green vibe,
although this tune is obviously pre-Freddie. This really changes the time feel during this
section and gives the tune much more of a 4 feel as opposed to the 2 feel of the rest of the
tune.
Below is a form diagram:

91

Intro (8) [Spooky thirds in saxes] ||: A (8) [Solo trpt. over simile saxes] :|| B (8)
[Solo trpt.] A (8) [Simile to A] B (8) [Trombone solo] + (10) [Continue bone] ||:
A (8) [Clarinet solo over saxes] :|| B (8) [Brass soli]+ (12) [Continue soli] B (8) +
(10) [Clarinet over brass & saxes] A (8) [Solo trpt. over saxes]
Notes:

Black & Tan Fantasy December, 1927.

Instrumentation: 2t, 1tb, 1as (w/ss & bari), 1as (w/cl & bari), 1ts (w/cl), p, bj, t, d.
Commentary: Black and Tan Fantasy is essential a blues that is dressed up almost
like a funeral march during the melody. The end of the tune even uses the clich funeral
march tag. The first 12-bars of the tune are the melody, played by trumpet with
trombone harmonization and clarinet pads in the background. Interestingly, the
melody is not repeated as with most jazz tunes.
What is most significant about this piece is that the melody is heard only once,
rather than twice. Instead, Ellingtons arrangement goes straight into a sax solo that
essentially presents a second theme. What is extremely interesting about this solo is that
it breaks the blues form setup by the melody, as it is distinctly two 8-bar sections that are
not the blues. Also, there is a distinct tonality shift here, from the minor sound of the
melody to a more major sounding tonality. Following the sax solo, the tune returns to
the blues form and goes straight into more solos. This is significant because the
abundance of solo sections effectively de-emphasizes the importance of the
compositional portion (melody) of the tune and instead favors the soloists. This is a rare
occurrence in jazz in the pre-Swing era. The soloists, in order, are: trumpet (2
choruses), piano, trumpet (2 choruses).
The solos are notable for the following reasons. The trumpet solo is played in a
very stylized fashion that is distinctly the blues. First, it is a muted trumpet, although
not a harmon mute, but muted nonetheless, a sound that is synonymous with the blues.
Secondly, it is played in an African-American vocal style used in much of Ellingtons
music. The piano solo is significant because Ellington adds harmonies to the 12-bar
blues, using passing chords to make the harmonies more colorful rather than the bare IIV-I-V-IV-I progression the tune has been using.
The tuba playing in this tune is also notable. First, the use of repeated notes that
function as pedal points during the melody is a feature that would be missed if it were
not present, although it is slightly archaic. For the balance of the tune, the tuba player
plays many repeated notes, and instead of walking a bass line, will sit on one note, or
play a simple 1-5-1 pattern, until the harmonies change. The final element of note in the
tuba part is the sforzando notes in the second chorus of trumpet solo. It is unclear
whether they are written into the part or the tuba player was simply interacting with the
trumpet soloist. A similar gesture occurs during the second trumpet solo, but this time
the banjo player joins in, suggesting that this was in the written part.
Below is a form diagram:

92

Melody (12) [Trpt./Bone over Ens.] ||: Sax solo (8) :|| ||: Trpt. solo (12) :|| Piano
solo (12) [Piano only] Trpt. solo (12) Continue solo (8) + (2) [Add ens.]+ (4) [Ens.
Funeral March Tag]
Notes:

Echoes of Harlem February, 1936.

Personnel: Duke Ellington - comp. & arr., Cootie Williams - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, 2b, d.
Commentary: This tune is one of the first on the compendium to use an ostinato bass
line with the melody set above it. The first two bars of the tune serve as an introduction
to set up the bass line, with the bass player joining Duke Ellington on the ostinato line
while the guitar player comps lightly in the background.
After listening to this tune multiple times, it becomes clear that the form is
essentially a ragtime form, which is left to shift into different sections rather than
following a strict pattern. The first 32 bars of the tune (2 bars of intro + 30 bars of
melody) are essentially one giant pedal point that utilizes different textures and ostinati
to create variety. For the first 16 bars of the melody, Cootie Williams plays his solo
trumpet melody over an ostinato played by the piano and bass. Then the ostinato
dissolves into a walking bass line for 4 measures, but still maintains the pedal point set
up by the ostinato. Here the saxes are also added. The bass and piano then shift into a
second ostinato that lasts for 10 more bars and also maintains the pedal point. The rest
of the ensemble is added on backgrounds here. Finally, the tune breaks away from the
pedal, shifting into a 16 bar section that is repeated twice. The first time this section is
presented as a sax soli. On the repeat, Cootie Williams takes a trumpet solo, assisted by
the rest of the ensemble playing background figures. Following the trumpet solo, the
first ostinato returns for 4 measures, setting up a return of the solo trumpet theme. The
listener only gets two bars of this theme before the ostinato stops and Cootie Williams is
left to play a short cadenza that is capped off by the ensemble re-entering with three
chords to end the tune.
Echoes of Harlem is similar to Black and Tan Fantasy in that Ellington is
using the members of his band to create the musical excitement. He allows his
musicians to improvise, and although the melody to this tune is preconceived, Cootie
Williams is free to alter it and play with it as he sees fit during the presentation of the
melody. Cootie is given only one solo chorus here, although Black and Tan Fantasy has
5 solo choruses (4 trumpet choruses and 1 piano chorus); an unprecendented number for
a pre-Swing era tune.
Intro (1) [Piano only] + (1) [Add bass] Melody (16) [Trpt. solo melody w/ ostinato 1 in
bass/piano] Continue trpt. (4) [Add saxes bgs.] Continue trpt. (10) [Ostinato 2 in
bass/piano w/ ens. bgs.] ||: Solo Section (16) [1st x = sax soli; 2nd x = trpt. solo w/ ens.
bgs.]:|| Transition (4) [Ostinato 1] Melody (2) [Trpt. solo melody w/ ostinato 1 in
bass/piano] + Trpt. Cadenza + 3 chords [Ens.]

93

Notes:

Yearning for Love July, 1936.

Personnel: Duke Ellington - comp. & arr., Lawrence Brown trombone
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, p, g, 2b, d.
Commentary: Yearning for Love is the first Ellington piece on this compendium that
contains a formal form and sticks with it for the entire tune. The form of this piece is a
32-bar AABA form.
This piece seems incredibly short. It lasts less than 3 minutes long, but what is
most astounding is that the tune is only 1 and a half choruses long. Following the 4 bar
introduction, Lawrence Brown takes the melody on solo trombone with saxophone
backgrounds. This texture continues for 32 bars, through the entire AABA form. Brown
then takes a short 12 bar solo over a chord progression similar to the A section. He is
assisted here by the brass who play background figures. What is interesting about these
figures is that they are played straight and with staccato articulation, creating a moment
of rhythmic tension that is quite pleasant. The A section then returns for a recapitulation
of the melody for only 4 bars before the time breaks down. Here, Brown plays the last
few gestures of the melody. The ensemble responds to each gesture. Brown then takes a
short cadenza and the ensemble plays a tag that culminates with, you guessed it, the
obligatory splash cymbalits back!
The rhythm section in this tune is really led by the guitar player who is chunking
on all four beats of each bar for the entire tune while the bass plays a 2-feel. The
drummer is completely inaudible for the whole tune, with the exception of the splash
cymbal at the end.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Ens.] A (8) [Solo bone over sax bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Simile] A
(8) [Simile] A (12) [Bone solo w/ brass & sax bgs.] A (4) [Simile] Coda (4)
[Rubato Bone solo w/ cued ens. chords] + Bone cadenza + Tag [Ens.]
Notes:

New East St. Louis Toddle-O March, 1937.

Personnel: Ellington & Miley - comp., Ellington - arr., Cootie Williams - trumpet,
Barney Bigard - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as (1w/cl & ts), 1ts (w/cl), 1bari (w/cl), p, g, 2b,
d, chimes.

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Commentary: New East St. Louis Toddle-O is basically a revision of the East St.
Louis Toddle-Oo of 1927. This version is much slower and is more modern sounding in
its conception.
Many of the same motives from the original are still prevalent in this new version,
most importantly the spooky thirds motive in the saxophone section that begins both
tunes. In this newer version, the saxes are accompanied by chimes, a special effect
unique to Ellingtons music. Another one of these effects is used beneath the melody,
when the drummer plays time on woodblocks. This texture continues until the trombone
soli midway through the tune. Ellingtons use of special effects such as chimes and
woodblocks stems from the time his orchestra spent in residence at the Cotton Club in
New York City. Between 1928 and 1931, Ellingtons orchestra was in residence there and
functioned as a pit orchestra that accompanied the many stage acts and floor shows that
were presented. Accordingly, Duke wrote and arranged music that used special effects in
order to depict what was happening on stage or on the floor. Chimes and woodblocks
were just two of these effects.
Cootie Williams reprises the role of Bubber Miley on solo trumpet presenting the
melody above the rising third spooky motive in the saxophones. Ellington also adds a
trombone part to the tune, orchestrating them in response to Williams bluesy melody.
The form of this version is similar to the original. Since this version is slower,
Ellington shortens the number of bars in the tune. The intro and first two A sections of
the tune are entirely preserved. The B section of this version is different than the
original, setting the melody as a sax and trumpet soli rather than a trumpet solo. The B
section is also different. Here it is arranged as a trombone soli (rather than solo) for 16
bars (rather than 18), which is enhanced by the addition of solo clarinet during the last 8
bars of the soli. The clarinet solo then continues over full ensemble backgrounds (rather
than just sax backgrounds in the original) in what is basically a quasi-shout chorus. For
the trombone soli, the drummer shifts to playing time with brushes on the snare, a
welcome change from the woodblocks that accompanied the melody. The woodblocks
return for the end of the tune, which is similar to the original, with the solo trumpet
melody returning over the ensemble.
Finally, notable is the change in the spelling of the title from Toodle-Oo to
Toodle-O. There must have been a reason.
Below is a form diagram of New East St. Louis Toodle-O:
Intro (8) [Spooky thirds in saxes w/ chimes] ||: A (8) [Solo trpt. over simile saxes w/
bone responses] :|| B (8) [Sax/Trumpet soli] A (8) [Simile to A] B (8)
[Trombone soli] + (8) [Continue bone w/ clarinet solo] A (8) [Clarinet solo over ens.]
A (6) [Solo trpt. over sax countermelody & brass bgs.] Coda (2)
Compare to the form diagram of East St. Louis Toodle-Oo below:
Intro (8) [Spooky thirds in saxes] ||: A (8) [Solo trpt. over simile saxes] :|| B (8)
[Solo trpt.] A (8) [Simile to A] B (8) [Trombone solo] + (10) [Continue bone] ||:
A (8) [Clarinet solo over saxes] :|| B (8) [Brass soli]+ (12) [Continue soli] B (8) +
(10) [Clarinet over brass & saxes] A (8) [Solo trpt. over saxes]

95

Notes:

Diminuendo / Crescendo in Blue September, 1937.

Personnel: Ellington - comp., arr. & piano solo.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 3as (1w/cl & ss, 1w/cl & bari, 1w/bari), 1cl, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue is probably the first concept
record and piece written in the jazz idiom. For this piece, the overarching form is a
decrescendo from the loud dynamic of the beginning of the tune that eventually reaches
a low point before crescendoing back up at the end of the piece. Since this piece was
originally recorded on a 78 rpm single, each half of the piece was on a different side. The
idea was that the listener would listen to the Diminuendo half (side 1) of the record
first and then flip the record over and listen to the Cresecendo half (side 2).
Duke achieves the desired diminuendo/crescendo effect by using orchestration
and texture to his advantage. The form (within the form) of this piece is a 12-bar blues,
although Ellington does step away from this form momentarily throughout the piece.
Duke also uses what sounds like an 8 bar blues and a chorus of minor blues in this half of
the tune.
For the first two choruses blues choruses of the tune Duke utilizes all the
instruments in the band in a very full texture that quickly shifts from one section of the
band to another in a highly contrapuntal and overlapping texture. Everyone is playing at
once during these choruses. The tune then shifts into a B section that also utilizes the
full ensemble with the same overlapping texture. A new section of music arrives, labeled
C in the diagram. Here, Duke begins to shift the texture to a call and response texture
rather than the cacophonous overlapping texture that has dominated the tune.
Following the C section, what sounds like an 8 bar blues arrives. Here the saxes and
brass finally separate into two sections. They continue this call and response for another
12 bar chorus before shifting into what sounds like a chorus of minor blues. Following
the minor blues is a 12 bar chorus of sax soli. Notice how Duke is not only lowering the
dynamic level of the band, but also removing instruments so as to create an
orchestration diminuendo. Following the sax soli is a solo trumpet chorus with sax
backgrounds. Next, a 12 bar trombone soli with assistance from the baritone saxophone.
Lastly, only the piano and bass are left for one chorus of the blues that decrescendos and
adds a 4 bar tag to close this section of the piece.
Below is a form diagram of the Diminuendo portion of the piece:
Chorus 1 (12) [Full Ens. ff] Chorus 2 (12) [Full Ens. f] B (6) [Full Ens.] C (14)
[Saxes & Brass call/response] 8 bar blues (8) [Saxes & brass separate] Chorus 3
(12) [Sax/brass call & response] Minor blues chorus (12) [Simile] Chorus 4 (12)
[Sax soli] Chorus 5 (12) [Trpt. solo w/ sax response] Chorus 6 (12) [Trombone soli
w/ bari] Chorus 7 (12) [Bass & Piano only] Tag (4) [Bass/piano only]

96

For the Crescendo portion of the piece, Duke essentially reverses his technique.
The form for this half of the piece is a 12-bar blues, although Ellington adds a 2 bar
extension to the first 2 choruses. From the third chorus on (until the coda), the tune
holds the 12-bar blues form. What is most interesting about this half of the piece is that
it is more riff based than the previous portion of the tune. Duke starts with the clarinets
playing a riff based blues melody with an AAB phrase structure for the first chorus. The
trombones play backgrounds. This melody is only slightly varied for the second chorus.
The third chorus sets the trombones in a soli with clarinet background, reversing the
roles of the two sections. Next, a trumpet soli appears with a clarinet soloing in the
background. Another soli, only this time the clarinets with trombone backgrounds
follows the trumpet soli. This clarinet soli continues for a total of 3 choruses. Not only
does Duke use terraced dynamics over these three choruses, he also keeps extending the
range of the clarinet soli, going up and up into the higher register of the instrument. In
the eighth chorus, the brass take over, playing a 12 bar soli that really heightens the
dynamic and tension of the piece. Here the drummer adds a backbeat, driving the piece
into yet another clarinet solo, this time with brass riff backgrounds. Finally, the shout
chorus hits and lasts for 3 choruses. Here, Duke uses riffs, screeching trumpets, and
high register clarinets to heighten the drama and dynamic level of the piece. Finally, the
tune segues into a 12 bar coda that contains some dissonant chords and culminates with
a now clich rhythmic pattern.
Below is a form diagram of the Crescendo portion of the piece:
Chorus 1 (10) [Clarinets w/ bone bgs.] + (2) [Trumpet break] + (2) [Ens.] Chorus 2
(10) [Clarinets w/ brass bgs.] + (2) [Trpt. break] + (2) [Ens.] Chorus 3 (12) [Bone soli
w/ clar. bgs.] Chorus 4 (12) [Trpt. soli w/ clar. solo] Chorus 5 (12) [Clarinet soli w/
bone bgs.] Chorus 6 (12) [Clar. soli w/ brass bgs.] Chorus 7 (12) [Clar. soli w/ brass
bgs.] Chorus 8 (12) [Brass soli] Chorus 9 (12) [Clar. soli w/ brass bgs.] Chorus 10
(12) [Ens. shout] Chorus 11 (12) [Continue shout - louder] Chorus 12 (10) [More
shout louder] Coda (12)
One cannot discuss this piece without mentioning the legendary 27 chorus solo
played by Paul Gonsalves on this tune at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival that incited a
wave of mass hysteria in the audience.
Notes:

A Gypsy Without a Song June, 1938.

Personnel: Ellington, Tizol, & Singer - comp., Duke Ellington - arr., Juan Tizolvalve trombone, Cootie Williams - trumpet, Lawrence Brown - trombone, Johnny
Hodges - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 1cl, 3as (all w/misc. doubles), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This tune is basically a mid-tempo ballad that could be danced to,
although Im not sure that was the purpose. Either way, the tempo of the tune lends
itself well to dancing and the overall feel of the tune is fairly laid back. The form of the
tune is an AABA, 32-bar form. The melody of the tune is moved around between the

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saxes on the first and third A to a solo trombone on the second A. The most interesting
part of the tune is the last 2 bars of the A sections (during the melody), where the rhythm
section and saxes join forces to play a sort of funky offbeat, straight eighth rhythmic
pattern. It doesnt seem out of place and it is a welcome addition to the tune.
The rhythm section groove of the tune is much more sophisticated than previous
tunes. The feel of the tune moves back and forth between a 2 feel and a 4 feel. The bass
player plays a pattern that includes some rhythmic skips and plays only a few repeated
notes. The guitar chunks four beats to the bar while the drummer plays with brushes
on the snare drum, although he is not stirring, but rather playing more percussively as
though he were playing on the hi-hat.
The soloists on this piece include the wonderful Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellingtons
right hand alto sax playing man who would stick with the Ellington orchestra for
decades. Hodges is extremely expressive on this tune, bending and shaping each note
with expressiveness unmatched by other lead alto players. Cootie Williams plays a
trumpet solo and the smooth sound of Juan Tizols valve trombone graces the melody of
this tune.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Rubato Piano] A (6) [Saxes] + (2) [Funky saxes/rhythm w/ trpt. solo] A
(6) [Solo bone w/ sax bgs.] + (2) [Funky saxes/rhythm w/ trpt. solo] B (8) [Saxes w/
trpt. solo] A (6) [Saxes] + (2) [Funky saxes/rhythm] A (8) [Sax solo w/ brass
bgs.], A (6) [Sax solo] + (2) [Trpt. break] B (6) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.] + (2) [Trpt.
breal] A (6) [Solo bone w/ sax bgs.] Coda (2) [Saxes]
Notes:

Ko-Ko March, 1940.

Personnel: Ellington - comp., arr. & piano solo, Juan Tizol - valve trombone, Joe
Tricky Sam Nanton - trombone, Jimmy Blanton - bass.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Although the Ellington orchestra had already been removed from the
Cotton Club for a decade, the African influence is still prevalent in their music, and
Ko-Ko is an excellent example. The drone of the bari sax and the tom-tom groove
during the intro are particularly of note. The clarinet trio used in this tune also incites
visions of Africa, and was a texture Ellington enjoyed using. Another tune that employs
the clarinet trio is The Mooche.
The form of Ko-Ko is basically a 12-bar blues. During the 8 bar introduction,
which is a pedal point, Harry Carney plays a riff drone on his bari sax to which three
trombones respond in parallel thirds. When the top of the 12 bar blues form hits, Juan
Tizol plays the riff theme on the valve trombone. The saxophone section responds to
him as Ellington plays some single accents on the piano. The second and third chorus

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introduces another riff theme, played by Tricky Sam Nanton on the trombone with a
plunger. The brass play staccato background figures. The saxophones then play a
variation of the original riff theme while the brass play backgrounds and Ellington adds
some colorful harmonies and scales on the piano. Next, the riff theme is moved to the
trumpets and the saxophones/clarinets respond. What follows is the most significant
portion of the tune, an entire chorus of bass solo breaks played by Jimmy Blanton.
Blanton is credited as being the first modern bass player in the history of jazz.
Following the bass solo, the band kicks into a shout chorus. Here the brass keep
repeating the same chord on the and of 4 of every other measure, holding the sonority
for 2 measures each time, while the saxes play a riff beneath them. The introduction
returns for 8 bars, followed by a rising 4 bar coda that crescendos and ends the tune.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Bari & bones] Chorus 1 (12) [Valve Bone w/sax response] Chorus 2 (12)
[Bone w/ brass bgs.] Chorus 3 (12) [Simile] Chorus 4 (12) [Sax riff w/ brass bgs. &
piano color] Chorus 5 (12) [Tpts. w/ clar./sax bgs.] Chorus 6 (2) [Ens] + (2) [Bass
solo] + (2) [Ens.] + (2) [Bass solo] + (2) [Ens.] + (2) [Bass solo] Chorus 7 (12) [Shout]
Intro (8) [Bari & bones] Coda (4)
Notes:

Concerto for Cootie March, 1940.

Personnel: Ellington - comp. & arr., Cootie Williams - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of the most important facets of Duke Ellingtons writing is the fact
that he wrote music for the members of his band rather than for the instruments.
Because the same guys were in the band for so long, Duke got to know each and everyone
of their individual playing styles and began tailoring parts and sometimes, in the case of
this piece, entire tunes to certain players. This particular piece was written for Dukes
long time trumpet player, Cootie Williams.
This tune presents one of Dukes most memorable melodies played by solo
trumpet in a call and response fashion with the ensemble. The first two times the
melody is presented in 10 bar sections, although later the same melody is presented in an
8 bar section, omitting the two bar ensemble extension that is added the first two times.
The horn parts are phrased with a lightness yet unheard in the Ellington band.
Unfortunately, the drummer adds a heaviness to the melody because wont stop playing
time during the first four bars of the melody, even though the bass player is laying out.
His incessant 4-on-the-floor is an extreme distraction during the melody sections.
When the bass player joins him, however, for the second half of the melody sections, the
time feel is excellent.
Cootie Williams playing on this tune is fantastic. He plays the tune with
character, using special effects, like shakes, different mutes, and a plunger to color the
melody. For the first bar of the tune, Cootie uses a mute, but for the first full melodic

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statement, adds plunger, which he removes on the second melodic statement. He also
changes his mute between the first melodic statement (which sounds like straight or cup
mute) and the second melodic statement (which sounds like harmon). The solo section
that follows the melody is just as interesting, with Cootie removing his mutes and
blowing in a very stylized African-American vocal style, growling his way back into the
melody, which is again played in a mute. During the second solo section, Cootie plays
without a mute and presents what seems to be another Ellington composed motive.
The rhythm section feel of the tune, save the drummers incessant time keeping
during the melody is much more advanced and sophisticated, with the bass player
walking 4 notes to the bar, few repeated notes. The feel is particularly groovy during the
trumpet solos, where the drummer and the bassist add an accent to beats two and four
that really makes the tune swing. The bass player also plays a few fills, most notably the
one going into the final A section of the tune.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (1) [Solo trpt. - harmon] + (5) [Ens.] + (1) [Trpt. pickup straight/cup,plunger]
A (4) [Trpt./Ens. call & response] + (5) [Simile, bass in] + (1) [Trpt. pickup - harmon], A
(4) [Trpt./Ens. call & response] + (4) [Simile] + (2) [Ens.] A (7) [Trpt. solo
open,plunger w/ ens.] + (1) [Trpt. - harmon pickup] A (4) [Trpt./Ens. call & response]
+ (4) [Simile, bass in] Transition (4) [Ens.] ||: B (8) [Trumpet solo - open w/
bone/sax bgs.] :|| + (1) [Ens.] + (1) [Trpt. pickup - harmon] A (4) [Trpt./Ens. call &
response w/ rhythm] + (1) [Trpt. & drums] + (1) [Ens. pickup] Coda (10) [Ens. w/trpt.
solo]
Notes:

Cottontail May, 1940.

Personnel: Ellington - comp., arr. & piano solo, Cootie Williams - trumpet, Ben
Webster - tenor sax, Harry Carney - baritone sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Cottontail is a great example of how Ellington liked to break rules.
The tune is a no holds barred contrafact on I Got Rhythm. This is an important
feature of this tune, because the changes to I Got Rhythm became the basis for
countless tunes in the bebop era and beyond.
Although many of Ellingtons tunes contain introductions, this one notably
doesnt. This is a key feature of the tune because the tune jump-starts with absolutely no
warning and the band and listener are off to the races. In the beginning of the tune all is
well. The A section repeats as expected and the bridge is also as expected, but the final A
surprises the listener because it presents a different theme and is truncated to 4 bars
rather than 8. Ben Webster then takes a solo over the 32-bar rhythm changes form.
What happens next is also quite a surprise. Ellington substitutes a rising pedal point
section for the first A section (8 measures) of the next chorus. The second A is as
expected before hitting the bridge where the brass add backgrounds. The final A is also
as expected.

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Next, Ellington treats us to a brass soli over the first two A sections of the form.
Harry Carney takes the bridge, and Ellington himself plays an 8 bar stride solo over the
last A. A saxophone soli enters for the entire next chorus. This is perhaps the swinginest
and most advanced saxophone yet on this compendium, incorporating riffs, motivic
cells, almost licks that border on bebop; all played with exact articulation and solid
phrasing. Following is a shout chorus, the first two As of which separate the brass and
saxes into two layers; the brass riffing while the saxes play countermelody. The bridge
then shifts to a homorhythmic, unison texture in the horns. The final A restates the
melody and adds a stinger on beat 4 of the last measure to close the tune.
Perhaps, what is most notable about this tune is Ben Websters solo. It is a solo
of intense craft. Gunther Schuller write that the solo finds a remarkable balance
between a whole world of musical ideas: swinging eight-note phrases interspersed with
long and expressive held notes, some of these embellished with passionate vibratos and
shakes, tonal colorations ranging from soft hues to hot and raspy timbres, all a rich
mixture of the predictable and unpredictable.
Most importantly, this tune is a blowing tune; one of the few Ellington tunes that
could be at home in the bebop era on the bandstand with the likes of Dizzy and Bird.
This is obviously due to the fact that Rhythm Changes are used as the harmonic basis. It
is also notable that this tune emphasizes ninths and flatted fifths, two notes that would
be important in the bebop vocabulary. Either way, this tune re-affirms the fact that
Ellington is using improvisation as a key element of composition. Because Ellington
knew the playing of each of his band members inside and out, it can certainly be argued
that by giving a solo to a certain player in a certain tune he is essentially composing that
portion of the tune because he has an idea of how each soloist will play. Without a
doubt, this tune would not be the same without Websters solo.
Below is a form diagram:
||: A (8) [Ens.] :|| B (8) [Trpt. w/ saxes] A (4) AABA (32) [Sax solo w/ bgs. on
bridge] A (8) [Pedal], A (8) B (8) [Brass bgs.] A (8) AA (16) [Brass soli] B
(8) [Sax solo] A (8) [Piano solo] AABA (32) [Sax soli] AAB (24) [Ens. shout] A
(8) [Ens.]
Notes:

In A Mellotone September, 1940.

Personnel: Ellington - comp., arr. & piano solo, Cootie Williams - trumpet, Johnny
Hodges - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Most notable from the start of this tune is the bass playing of Jimmy
Blanton who solos over the 8 bar introduction. Not only does it swing like mad, but his
lines are very modern, especially for 1940. His playing is smooth and legato and sounds
and feels fantastic.

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Duke orchestrates the melody in the saxophone section and trombone section,
with the bones responding to the saxes every line with their countermelody. Both the
call (saxes) and response (bones) are singable, highly melodic and memorable lines. The
rhythm section really swings during the melody; both Blanton and the drummer are
playing steady, heavy quarter notes. Blantons lines are entirely modern, and each note
has a length and weight to it that most bassists did not have in 1940. Blanton even plays
the descending melodic line played by the trombones in measures 15 and 16 of the first A
section. The drummer is also a rather advanced brush player for 1940. His stirring is
smooth and his accents are all right on the money.
Following the melody, Cootie Williams takes a masterful one chorus solo, not
only quoting the melody but also the background motives that the saxes are playing
behind him. This solo really ties all the motives (both backgrounds, melodies, and
rhythms) of the tune together in a way that is uniquely Cootie Williams. The saxophone
backgrounds behind Cootie are much more of a sax soli than backgrounds; they could
easily stand alone in a separate chorus without the trumpet soli because they are so
melodic and interesting to, particularly all the sixteenth note, non-swung motives that
characterize the last half of the 32 bar chorus. Following the trumpet solo, the entire
ensemble returns playing a straight, staccato pickup measure into the top of the form,
where a 4 bar ensemble soli sets up a Johnny Hodges alto solo. Hodges blows for 10 bars
with simple brass backgrounds. The last 2 bars of this 16 bar section are a solo break for
Hodges, which he executes masterfully. Ellington sets the break up wonderfully, with a
two bar ensemble crescendo right into an abrupt cutoff. The last half chorus of the tune
present Hodges blowing over sax backgrounds for 8 bars and then over the entire
ensemble playing the melody for the final 8 bars. Hodges solo is important because he
plays a mixture of single time and double time licks that are bebopish in their
conception. He swings like mad! Jimmy Blanton even responds to Hodges double time,
implying a double time feel in his walking bass lines this an absolute first and is
notable particularly because the year is 1940, 5 years before bebop even hits.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Bass solo over piano] A (16) [Saxes/Bones], A (14) [Simile] + (2) [Rhythm
sec.] AA (32) [Trpt. solo over sax soli] A (4) [Ens. soli] + (10) [Alto solo w/ brass
bgs.] + (2) [Alto break], A (8) [Alto solo over sax bgs] + (8) [Alto over ens. bgs.]
Notes:

Blue Serge February, 1941.

Personnel: Mercer Ellington - comp. & arr., Duke Ellington - piano, Ray Nance trumpet, Barney Bigard - clarinet, Ben Webster - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), 1bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This piece is significant simply because of the it was writen and
arranged by Mercer Ellington, Dukes son.

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Blue Serge is one of the darkest sounding tunes of the Ellington set of tunes on
this compendium, owing its sound to the rich harmonies composed by Mercer, but also
to the way the harmonies are voiced throughout the band. Mercer uses the entire
ensemble at once, mostly in a vertical fashion to play melodies, but also to lay dense
harmonic beds beneath soloists. The introduction of this tune, played by two alto saxes
and a clarinet is just a preview of the interesting and rich harmonies that dominate this
piece. Here, the winds are voiced in a vertical relationship, shifting and changing
together. The brass harmonies behind the melody paint a gorgeous landscape over
which Ben Websters expressive melody is laid. Following this solo, the entire ensemble
picks up the melody in a homorhythmic, unison style voicing for 10 bars. This is perhaps
the highlight of the tune, and together with the outhead show Mercers masterful
arranging style. The saxes then lay a bed of harmonies beneath Ray Nance over a repeat
of the chord changes beneath the melody. Mercer then adds another trumpet soloist,
playing harmonized melody with Nance for the second A section.
What is most interesting about this tune is what happens following the trumpet
duet. Here, Mercer abandons the form and the switches into a piano solo over a different
set of chord changes. Obviously, Dukes son shows the same penchant for abandoning
the rules as Duke does, and in this tune it works out gorgeously. Dukes piano solo is just
as colorful as the rest of the tune. He crafts a simple yet soothing melody over the
descending changes. Next, we hear a four bar transition, setting up a repeat similar
section to the B section (labeled B). Mercer then leads the tune back to the original
changes as the ensemble re-enters with the melody in a soli fashion.
Below is a form diagram
Intro (4) [Clar./Saxes] + (2) [Ens.] A (8) [Solo sax over brass], A (10) [Ens.] A (8)
[Solo trpt. over saxes], A (6) [Trpt. duet over saxes] + (2) [Piano solo] B (8) [Piano
solo] Transition (4) [Sax solo over bones] B? (8) [Simile] A (8) [Ens. solo]
Notes:

Just A-Sittin and A-Rockin June, 1941.

Personnel: Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Ellington - piano,
Jimmy Blanton - bass, Ben Webster - tenor sax, Ray Nance - trumpet, Joe Tricky Sam
Nanton - trombone, Barney Bigard - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 1cl, 3as (all w/misc. doubles), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Again, this tune is significant because of the arrival of a new addition to
the band, the man who would become Dukes partner in arranging and composing for
the orchestra, the incredible Billy Strayhorn.
Just A-Sittin and A-Rockin is an apt title for this tune, because that is exactly
what the tune does. Its a simple piece in conception, but full of interesting musical
morsels. The tune is unbelievably understated; the band seems to never get above a
mezzo piano, but yet the tune is so effective.

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Ellington and Strayhorn create a masterful arrangement center around a simple

form and the simple idea of call and response. Following the introduction, which
includes both a 2 bar piano solo by Duke and a 2 bar bass solo by Jimmy Blanton, Ben
Webster plays the melody with responses from the rest of the ensemble. These
responses are highly melodic, much like the responses in In a Mellotone, and rather
than simply being subordinate to the melody, they carry equal weight. They are also
voiced in vertical harmonies. Websters playing is soulful, and his smoky tone caressing
the melody. This formula continues for the second A section. Ray Nance (trumpet)
takes the bridge over sax backgrounds. The first 4 bars of the bridge are interesting
because they are a pedal point with the root being droned on by the bari player. The
second 4 bars move the harmony, leading back into a repeat of the A section. Here,
rather than repeat the formula of the first two A sections, Strayhorn and Ellington use
the ensemble to play the melody and Ben Webster as the responding instrument, in
effect switching the parts, a highly effective technique. Overall the form of the tune is a
32-bar AABA form.
The entire next form allows Webster to elaborate on the melody, again being
accompanied by the ensemble. The arrangement adds trombone to the drone on the
bridge, playing legato quarter notes that really swing in a way I didnt know quarter
notes could swing. Following this second chorus, Tricky Sam Nanton plays his version
of the melody with sax backgrounds. The second A uses the ensemble to play the melody
again, with the responses played by Tricky Sam. The bridge presents a clarinet solo
over sax backgrounds. The clarinet solo continues for the last A section, reprising the
melody. This transitions into a coda that, like the intro includes piano and bass solo with
a final motive played by the entire ensemble.
Interestingly, there is very little improvisation in this piece. All of the solos are
simply an elaboration on the melody. Each soloist remains faithful to the melody while
adding his own personal touch. This is a unique way of arranging a tune not seen until
now; allowing soloists to present the melody, alternating melodic statements with the
ensemble, but varying the melody just enough to keep the tune from becoming static.
This is especially notable in this tune, because the dynamic level really does not change
at all. The band swings with an understated intensity at a very soft dynamic level, owing
this, in part, to the smooth bass playing of Jimmy Blanton, who embellishes the changes
with skip notes and chromatically connected bass lines. Accompanying Blanton is a
drummer who lays down a nice pocket and doesnt get in the way of the ensemble..
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Piano solo] + (2) [Bass solo] A (8) [Solo sax w/ ens. responses], A (8)
[Simile] B (4) [Solo trpt. over pedal/saxes] + (4) [Solo trpt. over saxes] A (8) [Ens.
w/ sax responses] A (8) [Sax w/ ensemble responses], A (8) [Simile] B (4) [Sax w/
bone/bari pedal] + (4) [Sax w/ bone/bari bgs.] A (8) [Sax w/ ens. responses] A (8)
[Bone solo w/ sax bgs.], A (8) [Ens. call w/ solo bone responses] B (8) [Clarinet solo
over sax bgs.] A (8) [Clarinet over ens. bgs.] Coda (2) [Piano solo] + (1) [Bass
break] + (1) [Ens.]
Notes:

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Perdido January, 1942.

Personnel: Juan Tizol - comp., Duke Ellington - arr., Harry Carney - baritone sax,
Ray Nance - trumpet, Rex Stewart - cornet, Ben Webster - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1c, 2tb, 1vtb, 1cl, 3as (all w/misc. doubles), 1ts, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of my favorite Ellington tunes, this is the first tune of the Ellington
tunes on this compendium that someone with the last name Ellington did not have any
stake in writing, although Duke did arrange this particular version.
This version is slightly slower than the Perdido arrangement from the 1960s.
Here, we finally get to hear the wonderful sound of Harry Carneys bari sax, an
instrument left largely unfeatured until now. Carney takes the first 2 A sections with
brass backgrounds before passing the melody to Ray Nance on trumpet, who plays the
bridge over sax backgrounds. The last A section is played by Carney with a little help
from Ben Webster, who harmonizes his melody, while the same brass backgrounds from
the first A are played.
Rex Stewart is the first soloist, blowing a cornet solo that sounds very Louis
Armstrong-ish. Webster takes over during the bridge and continues through the last A
with trombone backgrounds. The third chorus of the tune is the shout chorus. The saxes
take the melody as a soli, with brass shout backgrounds. The drummer kicks into a
backbeat here with heavy time on the ride. Rex Stewart takes the bridge over sax
backgrounds while the drummer goes back to his hi-hat. The last A kicks up, with more
sax melody, more drum kicks and backbeats, and more brass backgrounds, accompanied
by a soloing trumpet in the background.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (?) [Solo piano] A (8) [Bari w/ brass bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Trpt. w/ sax
bgs.] A (8) [Sax duet w/ brass bgs.] A (8) [Cornet w/ sax bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B
(8) [Sax solo] A (8) [Sax solo w/ bone bgs.] Shout Chorus A (8) [Sax melody w/
brass shout], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Cornet w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Sax melody w/ brass
shout & trpt. solo]
Notes:

Happy Go Lucky Local November, 1946.

Personnel: Duke Ellington - comp., arr., & piano, Russell Procope - alto sax, Cat
Anderson & Ray Nance - trumpets, Harry Carney - baritone sax, Oscar Pettiford - bass,
Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), bari (w/cl & bcl), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This is one of the most colorful pieces of the Ellington collection.
Obviously meant to emit the sounds of a train, Ellington uses special effects and ostinati

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to his advantage. The entire underpinning of the tune is a single chord with a minor
third walking pattern in the bass that alternates between scale degree 1 and 6. Ellington
adds a piano accompaniment to this, and the drummer plays a simple stirring pattern on
brushes. Later the tune shifts into a 12 bar blues.
All of the parts to this tune are centered around train sounds. Ellington sets up
the tune with a barrage of dissonant chords during the intro that signals the all aboard.
Duke is accompanied by Jimmy Blantons extremely dexterous bass playing. The
ensemble then enters with the brass playing two different ostinati; a quarter, descending
riff and a wa-wa riff. Russell Procope the enters, playing the melody over these
ostinati. Procope shapes and bends each note, obviously with the sound of a train in the
back of his head, guiding his intonation and coloring of the melody. Procope wails like a
train whistle while the rest of the ensemble grooves beneath him. After 20 measures the
brass take over and dissonant sounds abound. Here the crunch of the clustered notes
voiced in the trumpets really emits the sound of a train whistle. The clarinet sonorities
sound as though a train is coming around the bend and is also extremely colorful. The
trombones then set up a grooving ostinato behind Procope and Cat Anderson, who do
their best to sound like trains. Cat is particularly effective, and emits a wail that sounds
as though a train with its horn blaring has just passed my living room window. His
masterful control of dynamics, crescendos and decrescendos is impressive.
The piano and bass trading section comes as a surprise after all the cacophony of
the beginning of the tune, but also offers a nice change of pace. Blanton is at his best
here, complimenting Duke with breaks that are highly tasteful and modern. The entire
ensemble then kicks back in and plays the most incredible sounding train whistle effect a
big band has ever played!
Next is a Russell Procope alto solo over some very interesting and color piano
playing by Duke, but it is basically a 12 bar blues. What follows is the melody that was
stolen and turned in the tune Night Train, although Duke obviously composed it first.
The melody in the saxes swings with a vengeance and the biting staccatos of the brass are
very aggressive. The repeat is played by the brass above the banchee-like wailing of the
saxes. The first 4 bars of the next chorus are an ensemble break that introduces an 8 bar
clarinet solo to finish out this chorus. Following the clarinet solo, is another chorus of
the blues that goes back and forth between 2 bar piano, solos in a similar style to the
intro, and full ensemble, 2-bar cacophonous sections that include 3 layers; a rising and
falling scalar motive in the saxes, an off-beat staccato figure in the trumpets and
trombones, and a screeching solo trumpet player. The coda of the tune alternates 1 bar
ensemble figures with 1 bar bass solos that decrescendo via terraced dynamics.
This is also one of the longer Ellington pieces thus far, clocking in at just under 6
minutes.
Notes:

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On A Turquoise Cloud December, 1947.

Personnel: Lawrence Brown & Duke Ellington - comp. Ellington - arr. & piano, Kay
Davis - vocal, Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, Tyree Glenn & Brown - trombones, Ray Nance
- violin, Harry Carney - baritone sax.
Instrumentation: 2tb, 1as, 2ts (1w/cl), bari (w/bcl), p, 2b, d, vn, fvoc.
Commentary: What is perhaps most interesting about this piece is that the
arrangement calls for the vocalist (Kay Davis) to use her voice as a wind instrument.
Rather than singing words, she sings the melody on an ah syllable. In effect, Ellington
uses her voices as a timbre rather than in the typical way a vocalist would be used,
singing the melody over the ensemble. The vocals in this tune sound much more
classical than jazz, almost as if Davis is singing an aria.
Following the 4 bar piano intro, Davis sings the melody of the tune for 8 bars,
accompanied by a woodwind section who harmonize her in rhythmic unison. A
trombonist (either Lawrence Brown or Tyree Glenn) is then featured, playing a second
melodic theme. Most interesting about this section is how the first 2 bars are left
hanging, with absolutely no one playing except the trombone and drums until the
saxophones enter with a descending, straight sixteenth note motive that reintroduces the
harmonies of the tune. Following the trombone solo, Kay Davis re-enters with her ariaish vocals, being harmonized by Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Following the clarinet
harmonization, the rest of the ensemble re-enters, playing the A melody beneath Davis
vocals. Towards the end of the tune we hear a violin playing pizzicato, quite an
interesting sound that has not been heard thus far. The listener is also treated to the
bass clarinet (played by Harry Carney), another instrument that was not used very often.
The drumming in this tune, although adequate, is a bit distracting, because the
drummer plays a very loud four on the floor for the entire tune. In a delicate ballad
such as this it really takes away from the flow of tune, chopping up every measure in
thumpy quarter notes.
The form of this tune is a bit interesting. To my ear it sounds like there are 2
harmonic sections; a 12 bar section and an 8 bar section. The 8 bar section is used two
times in a row, behind the first entrance of Davis vocals and the first 8 bars of the
trombone solo. Then the tune shifts into a slightly different 12 bar section over which
the trombone keeps soloing. A variation of the A section returns, in essence making the
form AABA, with a 12 bar bridge. Then, the bridge returns, circumventing the first 2 A
sections, with Davis on vocals. What is most interesting here is that although Davis is
singing a different melody the ensemble plays a variant of the A melody beneath her.
The tune ends with a tag of an unclear length, as it is rubato, but it is probably between 6
and 8 bars. Duke plays some interesting piano harmonies near the end, showing his
expanding experimental interest.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Solo piano] A (8) [Vox w/ woodwind accomp.], A (8) [Bone solo w/ sax
bgs.] B (12) [Simile] A (8) [Vox w/ clar.], B (12) [Vox w/ sax countermelody] + Tag
(6)

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Notes:

Passion Flower December, 1956.

Personnel: Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Duke Ellington - piano, Johnny Hodges alto sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Passion Flower has the longest introduction of any of the Duke
Ellington tunes, an almost 1:00 long rubato intro played by Ellington with only sparse
drum and bowed bass accompaniment. Here, Duke stretches out harmonically and
motivically, playing lush, rubato motives accompanied by expanding harmonies.
Johnny Hodges takes the melody at the top of the form. Hodges shapes each and
every note in the most dramatic fashion. At every twist and turn of the melody Hodges is
giving lift to some notes and weight to others while intentionally fluctuating the pitch,
bending, sliding, and stretching his intonation to express the melody in a dramatic
fashion. This is particularly evident during the second 8 bars (A), when Hodges takes
the melody up an octave. He uses the same techniques over the bridge, culminating in a
tremendous chromatic slide down into the A melody. This tune shows Hodges at his
absolute best! The backgrounds behind Hodges melody, although secondary, are
arranged in a vertical fashion. All the parts are completely homorhythmic, setting up a
bed of lush harmonies below Hodges. Many of the rhythms are also straight, rather than
swung, and use sixteenth notes and staccato articulations that are very precise and
dramatic. The last A of Hodges solo segues into a 4 bar extension, with Hodges soloing
over a sax ostinato.
The 8 bars following Hodges melody are the most important part of the tune.
Here, Strayhorn and Ellington orchestrate a shout chorus, although it isnt the typical big
band shout chorus. First of all, this tune is a ballad, which typically do not have shout
choruses. And if they do, many times the tune will shift into double time. That does not
happen here. Instead the tempo remains solid, with the drummer shifting to sticks to
kick the band. The rest of the ensemble enters, playing a quasi-classical/orchestral
sounding shout section, complete with straight rhythms (rather than swung) that are
highly dramatic. Here, big pedal tones in the trombones and bari sax, accompanied by
accents in the percussion, add a symphonic touch and invoke visions of an orchestral
brass section and timpanist. Meanwhile, Hodges continues to solo.
The A section returns, with Hodges reprising the melody which segues into the
same extension as before, only this time it is 8 bars long, ending in a fermata. Duke
hangs over the end, after the band has cut off, wrapping up the tune.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (rubato) [Solo piano w/ drum/bass accomp.] A (8) [Sax solo w/ ens. bgs.], A (8)
[Simile] B (8) [Sax solo w/ sax bgs.] A (6) [Sax solo w/ ens. bgs.] + Extension (4)
[Sax solo over sax ostinato] C - Shout (8) [Sax solo w/ ens.] A (6) [Sax solo over
ens. bgs] + Extension (8) Fermata Piano only

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Notes:

Such Sweet Thunder April, 1957.

Personnel: Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Ray Nance - trumpet,
John Sanders - valve trombone.
Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: The opening to Such Sweet Thunder is a bluesy 12-bar melody
arranged as a soli in the saxes, trombones, and bass. Beneath the soli, the drummer
swings hard, playing what is now a standard ride cymbal spang-a-lang pattern with a
rim click on beat 4 of every measure. Ellington comes in near the end of this motive,
with an open fifth in the high register of the piano, playing a triplet motive that grows
louder and then fades away. After the A melody, the trumpets and 1 trombone enter
playing a B melody with plungers above the A melody, which continues beneath it
accompanied by Ellington, who continues his open fifth triplet melody, and the
drummer, who swings on.
Following the A + B melody section, which is also 12 bars, the tune shifts into a
rather sparse sax soli and it is confirmed here that the form of the tune is a blues. The
bass player begins walking, and along with the drummer lays a swinging groove beneath
the saxes. Ray Nance then plays a trumpet solo with sax and trombone backgrounds that
in the last few bars of the chorus quote the A melody. A 4 bar mini-shout transition
segues into a trombone solo melody, played by Ray Nance.
This section of the tune presents a dichotomy. While Nance plays an extremely
smooth, legato melody that is in direct contrast to the more aggressive articulation style
of the rest of the tune, the saxophones play staccato background figures. Lastly, the tune
shifts back into the A + B section for a final recap of themes of the tune. The tune ends
abruptly, with the ensemble all cutting off on beat 1 of bar 12 of the melody. Ellington
then adds an open sonority to the end of the tune, but rather than play the root of the
tune he bases it on the flat 7, a rather interesting ending to the piece that certainly breaks
clich.
Below is a form diagram:
A (12) [Sax/bone/bass] A [Simile] + B [Trumpets/Bones w/plunger] (12) Sax soli
(12) Trumpet solo (12) [Bone/sax bgs.] Transition (4) Bone solo (12) [Sax bgs.]
A [Sax/bone/bass]+ B (12) [Trpts./Bone w/ plunger] Piano Fermata
Notes:

The Star-Crossed Lovers

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Commentary: The Star-Crossed Lovers is another Johnny Hodges feature that

shows the master alto player at his best. Judging by the title, the tune must be a
reference to Romeo and Juliet. I believe an alternate title to this tune is Pretty Girl.
This tune is one of the most beautiful tunes ever played by the Duke Ellington
Orchestra. Not only is the melody gorgeous, but the background harmonies and
countermelodies played by the band beneath Hodges are understated yet incredibly
expressive and orchestral. Hodges takes the melody, shaping each and every note with
his gorgeous tone and style. Beneath him, the saxes play half-note chords, some of
which are voiced in interesting clusters and other unique voicings. The smoothness with
which the background chords are played is simply breathtaking. The emote the sound of
a symphony orchestras string section. There are almost no audible breaks in the
backgrounds, with each chord sliding right into the next. This really enables the listener
to enjoy the beautiful voice leading employed by the arranger. The same smooth
approach is applied later in the tune, when the band plays the melody as a soli. This
section is particularly interesting because it sounds like a sax soli, because the saxes are
playing the melody in harmony. However, beneath the saxes, the brass are quietly added
for harmonic support and color, and if one really listens, one can here how vital this
subtle addition is to this section.
The backgrounds behind what is labeled as Melody B in the form diagram (bars
9-16 of the melody) are interesting. Instead of continuing the half-note, legato chords
that accompanied the entire A melody, the arranger instead uses 2 bar segments to
construct the backgrounds behind the B melody. First we hear a pseudo pedal point,
with the band oscillating between 2 different sonorities while the drummer plays the bell
of his cymbal on the ands of the beats. Bars 3 and 4 utilize legato chords in the
saxophones. At the end of bar 4, the trombones re-enter and crescendo into bar 5, where
a subito forte bell-like tone, led by the bari sax, is heard. This dies down into trombone
legato backgrounds that continue through bar 6 and into bars 7 and 8, where the
saxophones are added for support. The chords walk their way down in a series of
descending harmonies that include a few interesting dissonances, most striking of which
is the chord on beat 1 of the final measure of the B melody.
The dynamics written into the tune and the execution of these dynamics also add
to the dramatic sound of the piece. At the end of the first form a two bar extension is
added that functions as an ensemble lead-in into the ensemble soli section described
above. The orchestrational effect used by the arranger here utilizes the woodwinds
(saxes & clarinet) to play this transition, joined right at the end by a solo trumpet.
Quickly (over 2 beats), the piece crescendos in the top of the form, where the rest of the
brass enter, creating a breathtaking, swelling crescendo. Another moment of dynamic
interest occurs midway through the melody (at the top of the 13th bar to be exact) where
the ensemble suddenly plays a forte bell-like tone, lead by the bari saxophone.
Harmonically, this tune is much more advanced and intricate than many of the
other pieces examined thus far. The voice leading in the backgrounds to the melody is
particularly slick, especially beneath the B melody, with the dissonances between the
saxes and trombones that occur in the last few bars. Also notable, is the final chord that
Ellington allows to ring on piano. The dissonances in this chord are too far to count, and
the harmonic overtones created by the piano and gorgeous and leave the end of the tune
in a state of suspense. This outro is also notable because Duke begins it before the horns
have cut off their fermata, creating a smooth transition between full band and solo piano.

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Finally, the piece also employs a pedal point at the 9th and 10th bars of the melody (top of
the B melody) that is treated differently the two times it is heard. The first time, the horn
section plays two oscillating sonorities with the bass player changing his notes to
accompany them. The second time, it is actually orchestrated as a pedal point, with the
bass and bari sax playing a pedal tone beneath the same oscillating harmonies, now
voiced in the trombones. This second variation adds slightly more drama to the melody,
especially when the tension of the pedal point is released in the 3rd and 4th bars of the B
melody by a rising, glissando in the bari sax.
Finally, the tempo of this tune is also notable because it is so slow. This
represents a shift in musical purpose. Because of the tempo, the tune is too slow to
dance to, and thus was meant for listening. Although this became the case in the bebop
era, in is interesting to hear this slow of a tempo employed by the Ellington band which
was once one of the premier Harlem dance bands during the Swing era. Also because of
the tempo, the tune only repeats the form two times.
Below is a form diagram:
Rubato Intro (4?) [Solo piano] Melody A (8) [Solo sax over sax bgs.] + Melody B (8)
[Simile, add brass] + Melody A (4) [Simile] + (2) [Ens. lead in] Melody A (8) [Ens.
soli w/ sax lead] + Melody B (2) [Solo sax over ens. pedal] + (6) + Melody A (4) Coda
(2) [Woodwinds + Brass] + (4) [Solo piano, like intro]
Notes:

Perdido May, 1960.

Personnel: Juan Tizol - comp., Gerald Wilson - arr., Duke Ellington - piano, Britt
Woodman - trombone, Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, Paul Gonsalves - tenor sax, Willie
Cook & Ray Nance - trumpets, Harry Carney - baritone sax, Sam Woodyard - drums.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts (1w/cl), bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: A second and later version of this tune shows how the band has
developed and matured, but also how different arrangers can take a tune and make it
sound completely different.
There are so many interesting and wonderful parts of this piece that I have no
idea where to begin. Right from the start of this tune, the listener knows this is a
different Perdido than heard before. Rather than jump straight into the melody
following the intro chopstick-like 8-bar intro played by Duke Ellington and the rhythm
section, the tune goes straight into a soli played by saxes, clarinet, and trombone. This
solo is pure bebop, and never states the melody at all, but is simply a solo conveived in
the bebop style over the changes to the tune. It is also played in unsion by the three (or
maybe four) players, which is how most bebop melodies were played, particularly those
played by Bird and Dizzy. Most notable in this soli is the quote of the bebop standard
Ornithology in 5th and 6th bars of the bridge. Also notabe during this portion of the
piece is the angular bass drum comping of Sam Woodard, who perfectly places some
bass drum bombs a la Kenny Clarke in the spaces of the soli. Most notable is the Basie

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ending rhythm Woodyard plays just before the bridge of the second chorus of soli. The
feel in the rhythm section beneath the soli swings like mad. The first chorus is fairly
light, with Woodyard playing time on half open hi hats and comping with his bass drum
as mentioned. For the second chorus, however, Woodyard changes it up and goes to the
ride cymbal and adds a cross-stick on two and four. This really changes the character of
the tune, especially when combined with the addition of a muted trumpet on the soli
lines. Woodyard also catches a hit on beat 4 of the 4th bar of the second A section of this
chorus of soli, just before playing the Basie rhythm metioned above.
Following the two choruses of soli, the tune goes straight into a 9 bar shout
chorus that is quite interesting. Not only is this section of an odd length, but it does not
stick to the harmonies of the A section of tune, but it also is phrased in 3 bar increments,
alternating 2 bars of ensemble shout with 1 bar of drum solo. This happens twice, but
the third time we hear 3 bars of ensemble shout. This same shout chorus returns as the
very last melodic statement of the tune, just before Sam Woodyards open drum solo.
Another interesting part of the tune occurs after the shout chorus. The intro
returns for 8 bars, with Duke playing the same chopstick-like melody. This time
however, the trombones join the rhythm section in the last 2 bars of the intro, segueing
smoothing into the top of the form. Here, the melody of the original tune is finally
presented in the saxes, minus bari. The bari sax plays a staccato note in the spaces
created by the melody, and is echoed by rest of the brass. This is a unique effect and is
used effectively in this piece. The types of backgrounds and countermelodies that are
being used in the Ellington repertoire are becoming increasingly more important, and
sometimes are just as important as the melodic statements they are accompanying. Such
is the case in this tune, not only with this section but also during the ensuing bridge that
features a wonderful saxophone countermelody behind the brass, and again below the
chorus of trumpet trading between Willie Cook and Ray Nance. Interesting also about
the bridge is that it is played following only 8 bars of the A section. Gerald Wilson omits
the repeat of the A section in this arrangement, circumventing the expectation of the
listener. The saxes come back to reprise the melody in the final A section of this ABA
form. They are accompanied by the trombones, playing legato pedal notes in the spaces
left by the melody rather than the staccato notes they played during the first A section.
This creates quite a nice contrast.
Wilson then gives the listener another surprise. He cuts off the final A section
after 6 bars and goes straight into a 12 bar pedal point transition. Here he orchestrates a
crescendo, starting with just 3 or 4 people playing and slowly adding instruments until
the trumpets come in and push the crescendo over the edge, sending the tune off into a
clarinet solo.
Notable first about the solos in this piece is that there are a few more than usual.
Here, Jimmy Hamilton takes a full chorus of clarinet solo, accompanied by brass
backgrounds. Notable is the piano comping behind this solo. Duke sticks mainly to the
bottom third of the piano, playing a riff-like, open sonority pattern on the and of 3 and
the and of 4 in every other measure. Like the last A of the melody, the last A of
Hamiltons solo chorus is 6 bars and again segues into a similar pedal point transition (it
is extended to 13 bars) that moves into a chorus of trumpet trading between Willie Cook
and Ray Nance. Immediately, Sam Woodyard catches a lick played by one of the
trumpet players, mimicking him on the snare drum in a very modern way. Most
interesting about this chorus of trumpet trading is not the actual solo playing, but the

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background horn parts. There is a lot going on beneath this chorus. The saxes play
countermelody while the trombones play in the spaces created by the countermelody.
The backgrounds to this section could almost stand on their own as a soli. The piece
then segues into an 8 bar trombone and bari sax soli; an combination of instruments that
have not been heard playing a soli together on this compendium. In fact for this entire
tune, the bari sax is removed from the sax section and functions as more of a low brass
instrument. Such was the case also with The Star-Crossed Lovers where the bari plays
the pedal point along with the trombones below the B melody played by Johnny Hodges.
The second A section of this form is a sax soli with a surprising, loud, and high brass note
on the and of 4 of the 2nd measure; a great effect that really startles the listener.
Woodyard catches this note in his bass drum and crash cymbal, making it that much
more effective.
Next, Paul Gonsalves plays a solo over the bridge and last A of this form,
accompanied by swelling, train whistle-like whole in the brass. These are similar to the
effect used on Happy Go Lucky Local. Gonsalves continues to solo for of the next
chorus, taking the first 2 As accompanied by riff backgrounds in the ensemble; the first
appearance of riffs in an Ellington chart in quite a while. The last A is taken by the
rhythm section, who play a similar section to the intro to reintroduce the melody. The
outhead is really a second shout chorus that uses quotes and snippets from the melody.
Here, all the horns play the same rhythms harmonizing each other for the first two A
sections of this form. Harry Carney takes the bridge with trombone backgrounds.
Wilson still has more surprises up his sleeve. He extends the bridge two 10 bars with a 2
bar ensemble crescendo that kicks into the 9 bar shout chorus heard at the beginning of
the tune.
Suddenly, the entire ensemble cuts off after the shout chorus and only Sam
Woodyard is left to play an out of time, open drum solo, the first on this compendium.
Here, Woodyard bends the pitch of his toms by applying pressure to the head a la Art
Blakey. This open drum solo style would become more and more popular for arrangers
to write in at the ends of tunes, particularly for superstar drummers like Woodyard, Mel
Lewis, and of course Buddy Rich. Ellington then reprises his chopstick melody by
himself, followed by an earsplitting ensemble fermata, complete with giant drum fills,
ending in a stinger played by the entire band; a neat effect.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Rhythm] AABA (32) [Sax/clar./bone soli] Continue soli AABA (32) [Add
muted trpt.] Shout Chorus (2) [Ens.] + (1) [Drum solo] + (2) [Ens.]+ (1) [Drum solo]
+ (3) [Ens.] Intro (6) [Rhythm] + (2) [Add bones] A (8) [Sax/bone mel. w/
brass/bari bgs.] B (8) [Brass w/ sax countermelody] A (6) [Sax mel. w/ brass bgs.]
Pedal Transition (12) [Sax/bone cresc.] + (4) [Add trpts.] Clarinet solo AABA (30)
[Brass bgs.] Pedal Transition (6) [Sax/bone cresc.] + (6) [Add trpts.] + Extension (1)
Trumpet trading solo A (8) [Sax bgs.], A (8) [Add bone bgs.] B (8) [Sax bgs.] A
(8) [Sax bgs.] Trombone/Bari soli A (8) [Brass bgs.], Sax soli A (8) [Brass bgs.] Sax
solo B (8) [Brass bgs.] A (8) [Simile] Sax solo A (8) [Ens. riff bgs.], A (8) [Simile]
Sax solo B (8) [No bgs.] A (8) [Rhythm only, like intro] Ensemble soli melody A (8),
A (8) Bari solo B (8) [Bone bgs] + (2) [Ens. extension/crescendo] Shout Chorus (2)
[Ens.] + (1) [Drum solo] + (2) [Ens.]+ (1) [Drum solo] + (3) [Ens.] Open Drum Solo
Piano chopstick melody Ens. Fermata w/ stinger

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Notes:

Tourist Point Of View December, 1966.

Personnel: Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Paul Gonsalves - tenor
sax, Cat Anderson - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t (2w/flug), 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), bari, b, d.
Commentary: Perhaps some of the most interesting and unique music played by the
Ellington Orchestra was the music composed post-1960 by both Ellington and
Strayhorn. Right from the start of this tune the listener knows he/she is in for a wild
ride. Dissonant brass chords accompanied by a syncopated, latin bass line and drum
accompaniment begin the tune, followed by a melody that beings with an extremely long
note (4 measures of tied whole notes) played by the bari sax, accompanied by aggressive,
dissonant chords in the trombones. It is then passed to Paul Gonsalves on tenor, who
plays the main melody of the tune with his smoky sound, accompanied sonorously by a
duo of clarinets. All the while, the rhythm section keeps the groove beneath him. The
melody has a middle eastern flavor to it; owing its sound to the modal scale being used to
construct it. Perhaps the melody and rest of the tune is supposed to represent a tourist
(from the middle east perhaps) coming to a city like New York.
Gonsalves then begins to solo and is accompanied by clarinets playing 2 note
motives beats two and four of each measure and trombones playing whole notes in every
measure. This sets up a bed over which Gonsalves lays his tastefully sparse solo.
Gonsalves sticks close to the scale inherent in the melody and it works wonders. The
brass then come in behind him, escalating the energy of the tune, before it returns to the
bari sax motive and then a second tenor sax solo, this time with trombone and sax
double whole note backgrounds of interesting chords.
Cat Anderson then announces his arrival with screeching notes accompanied by
crunching, dissonant chords in the full ensemble at a forte dynamic. Sam Woodyard
smashes and crashes here, upping the tension of the tune.
The following section is more sax solo for Gonsalves, complete with train whistle
sounds in the brass and a bouncing bass line in the bones and bari sax. Later, a solo
trombone sounds like a car horn in the distance, clearly playing a note outside of the
main scale the tune is composed with. Gonsalves even steps out for a second, playing a
descending whole tone scale. Gonsalves is then left to solo over only bass and drums for
a while until the band comes back in with a few more clustered chords behind him.
The writing on this tune is very unique. Many of the sounds are supposed to
invoke the sounds of a city and Ellington and Strayhorn pull it off with train sounds and
horn sounds, with the tourist (melody) sandwiched right in between. These sounds are
accomplished by using more dissonant sounding sonorities than most other arrangers
dared to use. Minor seconds, major seconds, minor ninths and other tense intervals
abound. Ellington and Strayhorn also use clusters of notes to create harmonies and
background figures.

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The end of the tune is also significant because it is a board fade; the first time we
hear studio wizardry being used on this compendium.
Notes

Blood Count August, 1967.

Personnel: Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Johnny Hodges - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 4t (2w/flug), 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), bari, b, d.
Commentary: The last 2 Strayhorn tunes on this compendium (Blood Count and
U.M.M.G) are two of Billy Strayhorns final compositions and were both written as he
was dying of lung cancer.
Blood Count is another one of the classic tunes that features the incomparable
Johnny Hodges. On this tune, however, Hodges is accompanied by very interesting
textures. For most of the tune, the bass player is the only person keeping steady time.
The drummer is left to play colors on his cymbals and toms. The first few bars of the
melody feature Hodges with another sax player behind him playing countermelody; an
interesting texture considering many composers and arrangers tend to use two different
families of instruments to play melody/countermelody. Behind both sax players, the
trombones hold harmonized whole notes that are almost unnoticeable, but would be
missed if they were not present.
The most interesting facet of this piece is the harmonies. Each 8-bar A section is
split in half. The first half is a moving, completely functional and tonal progression that
uses a few dominant 7, flat 5 chords. The second 4 bars of each A section is a D pedal
(although the harmony shifts to a different chord here and there); the pedal remains the
same. The last 2 bars of the bridge are also interesting harmonically. Here Strayhorn
uses a rising progression of parallel dominant seventh chords (sometimes with a flat 9th.
This tension is released when the A section arrives. The coda of this piece also uses a
nice descending progression which begins on D, moves up to F and then back down
chromatically.
Blood Count is a very serene tune, particularly the ending, which is masterfully
executed. The first and third times the chromatically descending tag is repeated we hear
the trombones play backgrounds which sound non-dissonant. The second time we hear
trumpets (with harmon mutes) play backgrounds that too sound non-dissonant.
However, on the final fermata both these parts are stacked together and create a very
tense chord to end the tune on an uneasy, dissonant, and anxious sonority.
Hodges hardly improvises at all in this tune, although he is left completely free to
shift, bend, and phrase the melody the way he sees fit. It sounds like he is improvising
over the second bridge, when the entire ensemble plays a countermelody behind him.
Here, the band shifts into a slow swing that lays back and doesnt budge an inch. The
bridge is also interesting because it begins on what sounds like a 6 chord, a very major
and happy sounding sonority compared with the rest of the piece. The drummer kicks

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the arrival of the bridge with a crescendoing tom roll, a nice touch. The final A section of
the tune has some interesting pointilistic backgrounds in the trombones for a few bars.
Also notable on this tune is the use of bass clarinet, which is heard best during
the pedal point of the A sections. Finally, the drum part is notable because in this tune
the drums are used primarily for color and not as a time keeping instrument, except for
during the second bridge, where the drummer moves to sticks and starts swinging. The
bass carries the time for the entire tune.
Below is a form diagram:
A (4) [Solo sax melody w/ sax countermelody & bone bgs.] + (4) [Pedal w/ sax & bone
accomp.] A (4) [Solo sax mel. w/ ens. bgs.] + (4) [Simile pedal] B (8) [Solo sax mel.
w/ sax accomp.] A (4) [Solo sax mel. w/ sax & bone bgs.]+ (4) [Simile pedal] B (8)
[Sax solo over ens. countermelody] A (4) [Solo sax mel. w/ sax & bone bgs.] + (4)
[Simile pedal] Coda (4) + ||:3x Tag (3) [Solo sax mel. w/ 1x & 3x bones; 2x muted
trpts.]:|| Fermata [Solo sax w/ bone & trpt. whole notes & drum fills]
Notes:

U.M.M.G. August, 1967.

Personnel: Billy Strayhorn - comp. & arr., Clark Terry - flugelhorn, Jimmy
Hamilton - clarinet, Harry Carney - baritone sax.
Instrumentation: 4t (2w/flug), 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), bari, b, d.
Commentary: Upper Manhattan Medical Group or U.M.M.G. as it is known is a
short but fascinating tune that contains an interesting form. Strayhorn begins the tune
with a 16 bar intro that is 8 bars of piano solo plus 8 bars of flugelhorn solo. These 16
bars sound like the chord progression to the A section, but I cant quite tell if that is
exactly the case. Either way, the form of the actual tune, after the 16 bar intro is ABA.
The first A section presents the melody in the saxophone section as a soli with trombone
backgrounds and countermelody. Jimmy Hamilton plays the bridge on clarinet with
saxophone backgrounds. Hamilton also takes the final A section over sax backgrounds.
The interesting thing about the form of this tune is that the first A section is 16 bars, but
is not 8 bars repeated, but rather is through-composed. However, both the bridge and
the A section are 8 bars, still keeping the total length of the form as 32 bars, but in an
interesting variation.
Clark Terry plays a flugelhorn solo (over sax backgrounds) that is smoothly
executed and musically satisfying. The sax backgrounds are simply a figuration of the
harmonies of the tune. The top of the next form introduces one of the most interesting
parts of the pieces, a trombone & bari sax soli that reprises the melody for 8 bars and is
accompanied by brass backgrounds. What is interesting about these backgrounds are
that they split the trumpet section in two, with half of the trumpet section playing one
part and the other half playing echoes or responses, a nice effect. But what makes this
even more interesting is the fact that these backgrounds are mixed with half of the
trumpet section in the left channel and the other half in the right channel, a feature only

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available on stereo records. Again, recording technology is having an aesthetic effect on

the music, much like the board fade on Tourist Point of View.
Following the soli, Harry Carney continues to solo, quoting the melody over the
last few bars of the A section accompanied by saxophone and trombone backgrounds.
Clark Terry takes the bridge with bone and sax backgrounds and Harry Carney returns
for the A section. Next, the most complex portion of the piece is heard, a 16 bar
ensemble shout chorus over the first A section of the form. Here, Strayhorn composes a
shout chorus that uses the brass and saxes as two different layers. For the first 4 bars the
brass play figures and are kicked by the drummer while the saxes hold a whole note
below them. Next, Strayhorn quotes the melody for 4 bars, orchestrating in the saxes as
the brass continue to play off beat figures accompanied by the drummer who is kicking
and filling around them. The last 8 bars of the shout chorus put the horns in rhythmic
unison and the drummer kicks these figures as well. The shout chorus culminates in a
dissonant chord that segues into a 2 bar transition. Next, we hear a coda that quotes the
melody in the brass with saxophone accompaniment.
Harmonically this tune is much more advanced than many of the tunes discussed
previously. Almost every single measure in the piece contains at least two chords, and in
the case of some, even three chords. Only the first measure of both the A and A sections
contains one chord. This piece is therefore much more challenging to solo over and
because of the faster harmonic rhythm, the melody and backgrounds composed in this
piece move and shift rapidly.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Piano solo] + (8) [Flugel. solo] A (16) [Sax melody w/ bone bgs.] B (8)
[Clarinet melody w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Clarinet solo w/ sax bgs.] Flugelhorn solo A
(16) [Sax bgs.] B (8) [Simile, add bone] A (8) [Simile] A (8) [Bone/bari soli w/
brass bgs.] + (8) [Bari solo w/ sax bgs.] B (8) [Flugel. solo w/ bone/sax bgs.] A (8)
[Bari solo w/ sax/bone bgs.] A (14) [Ens. Shout chorus] + (2) Transition Coda (8)
[Ens.]
Notes:

TGTT 1968.
Personnel: Duke Ellington - comp, arr. & keyboards, Alice Babs - vocal.
Instrumentation: ep & fvoc.
Commentary: T.G.T.T. is an acronym that Ellington once said meant Too Good To
Title. This piece was played on his Sacred Concerts. Notable first is the fact that this
piece is written for only two players and really doesnt qualify as a big band piece, but
alas, its Ellington and is simply wonderful.
Most notable is the fact that it utilizes electric piano, rather than acoustic piano;
the first actual electrifying of an instrument on this compendium. (Incidentally, guitar

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and bass dont necessarily count because they were amplified by using microphones and
pickups, but were not replaced by electrified instruments like is heard on T.G.T.T.
There isnt much to say about this piece that it doesnt say for itself. Alice Babs
voice is used as a wind instrument in this piece. There are no words, and she simply
sings ahs and other syllables to express the melody. It is almost as if she is singing an
aria. Her voice, intonation, pitch and expression are simply breathtaking. Ellington
plays the subordinate role of a continuo player; accompanying Babs in a tradition style.
The piece is serene and seems to climax right before the 1:30 mark with an absolutely
gorgeous harmony that is held and embellished by Ellington. Ellingtons descending
chords near the end of the tune, as Babs holds her final note, are also a highlight.
Notes:

Heaven 1968.
Personnel: Duke Ellington - comp, arr. & keyboards, Alice Babs - vocal, Johnny
Hodges - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 4tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts (1w/cl), bari, p, b, 2d, fvoc.
Commentary: Babs is back on Heaven, another piece from the Sacred Concerts.
Here, she is accompanied by Ellington, again and as a welcome addition, Johnny Hodges
solos on alto.
This piece does have words and they are about, you guessed it, heaven. Below are
the lyrics:

A Melody

B Melody
A' Melody

Heaven, my dream
Heaven, divine.
Heaven, supreme
Heaven, combines
Lyric overlap
Every sweet and pretty thing.
Life would love to bring
Heavenly heaven
To be
Is just the ultimate degree to be.

What is interesting is how the melody and words line up. The A melody is sung
over the first two lines of lyrics (Heaven, my dream / Heaven, divine.. The last note of
this melody is dissonant with the chord below it; more specifically it is a half step flat of
where it should be, and it is absolutely gorgeous. The A melody is then repeated over
the second two lines (Heaven, supreme / Heave, combines,). What is interesting is
that although the A melody clearly gives way to a new melodic statement at the line
Every sweet and pretty thing, the lyrics are a continuation of the previous line that
ended the A melody, creating an overlap that doesnt usually occur in vocal tunes. After
the bridge, Babs sings the A melody.

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Next, the rhythm section enters and Hodges plays a gorgeous solo with
saxophones playing diads behind him, some of which are clusters. The trombones also
join in and play some backgrounds. Hodges takes a full AABA, 16 bar chorus.
What happens next comes completely out of the blue. All a sudden Ellington
begins playing a double time, groovy piano part and the rhythm section kicks in with a
latin groove, in the style of a rhumba. Alice Babs comes back in with the A melody and
same lyrics as before. Here she is accompanied by the horn section who play gorgeous
countermelody and background figures. This formula continues for the full AABA, 32
bar (32 bars of double time; 16 bars of regular time) form. The harmonies move at the
same speed, but the feel is double time. After 32 bars (of double time), or 16 bars of
regular time, the ensemble stops and the rubato, piano/voice texture returns. Babs and
Ellington play a coda, with Babs singing Heaven, my dream; Heaven, divine reaching
up into her upper register. The band kicks back in with the latin groove and a horn riff
that vamps into a fade.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2 Rubato) A (4 - Rubato) [Vox. w/ piano], A (4 Rubato) [Simile] B (4 Rubato) [Simile] A (4 - Rubato) [Simile] AABA (16) [Sax solo w/ bgs.] Transition
(1) [Piano in latin double time] + (3) [Add bass & drums] A (8) [Vox. w/ ens. bgs], A
(8) [Simile] B (8) [Simile] A (8) [Simile] Coda (4) [Vox. & piano] + Double Time
Latin Vamp (Fades)
Notes:

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Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra

Flying Home May, 1942.
Personnel: Lionel Hampton & Benny Goodman - comp., Hampton - arr. & vibes,
Illinois Jacquet - tenor sax, Ernie Royal - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 2ts, bari, vibes, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Like the Gene Krupa Orchestra and Harry James Orchestra, the Lionel
Hampton Orchestra was simply an extension of the Benny Goodman band. Like Krupa
and James, Hampton was a star in the Goodman band who got to popular to remain a
sideman and eventually got his own band.
Flying Home was always Hamptons signature piece, even when he was with the
Goodman band. This piece is most significant because it features both the vibe master
Hampton and the fabulous Illinois Jacquet on tenor sax.
The piece is composed primarily of riffs. Following the 4 bar intro played by
Hampton and the rhythm section, the saxes play the riff melody. The bridge to this tune
has no melody, and each time it is played is used as a solo section. The first time,
Hampton takes the bridge with only rhythm accompaniment. Hampton continues to
solo over the last A section, where he is joined by saxophone riff backgrounds. Illinois
Jacquet then takes over and plays a 32 bar, AABA solo that is accompanied by trombone
riff backgrounds on all three A sections. Jacquet himself then begins to riff during his
solo for the first 2 A sections of the next chorus, playing an offbeat motive on a single
note. He then solos freely over the bridge before reprising the same riff, with variation,
on the last A of this chorus. Hampton then takes a 2 bar break that segues into a shout
chorus. The shout chorus presents three riffs, one in the saxes, one in the trumpets, and
one in the trombones, stacked on top of each other for first 2 A sections. The bridge is a
simple call and response duet between Hampton and trumpeter Ernie Royal who begins
climbing the range ladder in response to Hampton. The three riff texture returns for the
final A of this chorus. Here, the piece skips the first two A sections of a new chorus and
goes straight to the bridge, a popular arranging trick to truncate tunes. Again, Hampton
and Royal respond to one another, climbing higher and higher to show off Royals
impressive range. The final A section of the tune is a shout chorus and uses three new
riff motives in the saxes, trombones, and trumpets all at once.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Vibes solo] A (8) [Sax riff melody], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Vibe solo] A
(8) [Vibe solo w/ sax riff bgs.] AABA (32) [Sax solo w/ bone riff bgs. on As] AABA
(32) [Continue sax solo w/ bone riff bgs.] Transition (2) [Vibes only w/ bass drum]
Shout Chorus AA (16) [3 Riffs] B (8) [Vibes/Trpt. duet] Shout A (8) [3 Riffs] B
(8) [Vibes/Trpt. duet] Shout A (8) [3 new riffs]
Notes:

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Boyd Raeburn & His Orchestra

Interlude (A Night In Tunisia) January, 1945.
Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie - comp., arr., & trumpet, Walter Robertson - trombone,
Joe Megro - tenor sax, Shelly Manne - drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Raeburns orchestra is significant because it is one of the first bebop big
bands ever to be assembled (along with Dizzys band and in part, the Billy Eckstine
Orchestra). Although other bands used bebop in their sound, notably the New
Testament Basie band and the Ellington Orchestra, and soloists had continually used it
since 1945; no bands were formed until 1945-46 that were focused on playing bebop
tunes by bebop musicians with a band full of bebop players straight from the New York
City clubs that dominated the small group jazz scene following World War II.
A Night In Tunisia or Interlude as it was originally entitled, is a great example
of this. Not only is the tune by a bop musician (Dizzy Gillespie), but it is also a bebop
tune (employing more complex bebop harmony & melody) and is being played by the
first generation of bebop musicians (Gillespie, Shelly Manne, etc.).
What is most interesting about this tune is that, although it is representative of an
entirely new generation of musicians and style of jazz, it still utilizes facets of older jazz
that even precede the Swing era. For example, the melody is fairly repetitive and almost
riff-like, although it changes slightly to accommodate the harmony. The harmony
beneath the A section of the melody is a vamp, alternating between two chords. Even the
interlude between the head and the solos is riff-like; again, changing only slightly to
accommodate the harmony.
What is revolutionary about this tune is that first, it shows the ever-increasing
usage of latin, or what many called the Spanish tinge in jazz. It also uses the typical
AABA, 32 bar form with all the A sections as latin and the bridge as swing. This
formula repeats on countless other tunes in the bebop era and beyond. This tune is
typical Dizzy Gillespie. Although he was Charlie Parkers right hand man (as Bird was
his), they had extremely different compositional styles. While Birds melodies were
basically the same as his improvisations, Dizzy had much more of a compositional mind;
developing and reusing his melodies throughout an entire piece. This is proven in the
fact that he even composed a bass line to this piece that has become synonymous with
this tune and this tune alone. When it is heard even today, people know exactly what
tune is going to be played.
There are really three layers of melody to this piece that are always present each
time A Night In Tunisia is played, even into the present day. First is the bass line,
which, rather than being improvised to pre-ordained chord changes, was composed by
Gillespie and is played by bass and bari sax. Next, is the saxophone vamp that
accompanies the third layer, the melody, played by solo trombone. The brass section
plays a few backgrounds behind the melody, but these are superficial and are not thought
of as part of the melody. The bridge is written as a saxophone soli with brass
accompaniment before the A section and Robertsons trombone return. Next the listener

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is treated to a riff-like interlude, with the melody in the saxes and chords voiced
throughout the brass. This sets up a solo break for Dizzy. What is notable about the
break in this piece is that it is only 2 bars when most other versions of the tune,
particularly those played by Gillespie and Parker in a small group setting, use a 4 bar
break.
Dizzy takes a solo (obviously Bebop) that even includes a quote of Thelonious
Monks tune Well You Neednt. Although the form of the solo is still AABA, 32 bars,
the latin-swing arrangement does not repeat. Instead the entire solo is swing. Behind
Dizzy, the saxes play backgrounds which are a variation of the bass melody of the tune,
exposing Dizzys penchant for threading melodies throughout a piece. Joe Megro solos
over the bridge and final A section on tenor with brass backgrounds (on the bridge only).
Following Megros solo is a very interesting 6 bar interlude that features 4
measures of the saxophones playing a rising motive over a staccato bass line played by
the bari sax. The great Shelly Manne then plays 2 bars of drum solo to transition the
tune back into the bridge, cutting off the first 2 A sections of the form; an arranging trick
weve seen countless times before. This bridge is arranged similarly to before. The saxes
play the melody, although this time it is slightly different than the inhead while the brass
play backgrounds typical of a shout chorus. The last A section is repeated similarly to the
inhead for 4 bars before the tune segues into a coda where the time breaks down. Here,
Robertson finishes the A melody and Dizzy takes a cadenza, accompanied by saxophone
chords on cue. The tune ends with a full ensemble fermata.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Bass melody] + (2) [Add bari] + (4) [Add drums & saxes] ||: A Latin (6)
[Bone melody over bass line & sax vamp w/ brass bgs.]+ Swing (2) [Ens.] :|| B Swing
(8) [Sax soli melody w/ brass accomp.] A Latin (6) [Bone melody over bass line &
sax vamp]+ Swing (2) [Ens.] Interlude Swing (12) [Sax mel. w/ brass hits] + (2)
[Trumpet break] AA (16) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.] BA (16) [Sax solo w/ brass bgs. on
B] Transition (4) [Saxes] + (2) [Drum solo] B (8) [Sax mel. w/ brass shout] A (4)
[Bone mel. over bass line & sax vamp w/ brass bgs.] Coda [Solo bone mel.] + Trumpet
Cadenza [Chords on cue] Ens. Fermata
Notes:

Boyd Meets Stravinsky May, 1946.

Personnel: Eddie Finckel & Boyd Raeburn - comp., Finckel - arr., Dodo Marmarosa
- piano, Lucky Thompson - tenor sax, Ray Linn - trumpet, Britt Woodman - trombone,
Jackie Mills - drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl), 3ts, 2bari (1w/ss), p, g, b, d.
Commentary: What is important about this tune is that it not only references Igor
Stravinsky, one of the classical canons most celebrated composers (especially by jazz
musicians), but it also includes a section of music that is Stravinskian in its conception.

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The form for most of Boyd Meets Stravinsky is a 12 bar blues, although the regular IIV-I-V-IV-I progression of the blues is embellished with passing chords.
Following an 8 bar intro that features the saxophone section playing some
blazing eighth note lines accompanied by staccato figures in the brass, Dodo Marmarosa
takes a piano solo for 2 choruses, which notably uses the whole tone scale, almost a
foreshadow of what is to come. Next, Lucky Thompson takes two choruses during which
he quotes the opening line of Charlie Parkers Bebop and is accompanied by trombone
backgrounds.
Next, Ray Linn blows two choruses of energetic trumpet solo,
accompanied by sax backgrounds and brass figures. Marmarosa takes another two
choruses of solo accompanied by bone backgrounds. Next is a 2 chorus trombone solo
by Britt Woodman that includes a four bar ensemble send-off at the beginning and
backgrounds from both the sax section and brass. What is notable about this piece is
that there are so many solos(!), many more than usual; plus each soloist takes two fll
choruses. There is also really no melody to this tune until the Stravinskian section
discussed below. The last two bars of Woodmans solo are cut off by a 6 bar drum solo
which transitions the tune into the most important and musically interesting sections of
the piece.
Following the drum solo the tune shifts into half time with a quarter note, two bar
repeating bass line that is similar, and may actually be a quote, of one of Stravinskys
bass lines (possibly from The Rakes Progress?). The saxophones play a sixteenth and
eighth note melody, the first composed melody in this entire piece, that is derived from
the scale (whole tone?) used in the bass line. The brass then enter with a fanfare above
both the bass line and saxophone countermelody. All of the rhythms in this section are
played straight and are not swung at all. What is also important about this section is that
it comes out of the blue and is sandwiched in between choruses of the blues in a collagelike manner, much the same way in which Stravinsky composed.
Following the Stravinskian section of music, the two transitions back to two
choruses of blues via a 4 bar (of double time) drum solo. These two choruses are an
ensemble soli with the horns playing bebop lines in unison. The second chouses goes
into a coda and ends with an ensemble fermata.
Notes:

Body & Soul June, 1946.

Personnel: Green, Sauer, Heyman, & Eyton - comp., George Handy - arr., Ginnie
Powell - vocal.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2fhn, 5 single reeds, 2double reeds, harp, p, g, b, d, fvoc.
Commentary: This piece is notable first for its setup; utilizing a full brass section
(trumpets and trombones), but adding 2 french horns, and using various doubles for the
saxophone section, including flute and possibly clarinet as well as sax. 2 double reed
instruments (oboe is one) are also added, as well as the beautiful sound of a harp, which
opens the piece.

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Body & Soul is one of the most well known ballads of all time and is a sure
crowd pleaser. This arrangement retains the form and harmonies of the original tune,
but adds some very interesting and weird touches in the form of backgrounds,
countermelodies, and instrumental sections. The instrumental introduction and coda of
the tune are the most fascinating sections of the piece.
This piece is notable for its instrumental parts. The introduction, which begins
with a beautiful harp glissando sounds more like a concert wind band than a jazz
ensemble. The woodwind section is playing flutes and double reeds and the drummer is
playing suspended cymbal rolls and figures on his toms that mimic the sound of timpani.
The brass play atonal interjections and countermelody to the beautiful woodwind melody
that is going on beneath. The first two measures of the vocal melody of the tune are a
very tense, but beautiful moment of the tune. Here the french horns hold a single note as
the woodwinds play a descending melody beneath the vocals. For a moment time is
completely suspended before the harmonies of the piece come in at the third bar. For
the first A section the entire ensemble is used in various combinations to play
countermelody and background figures. A brass countermelody for half the A section
transitions smoothly into a woodwind countermelody with a french horn over top. The
second A section includes some very weird diads played by the french horns, who
interrupt the vocal melody and sound almost like a car horn that is almost comical in
such a beautiful ballad. The woodwinds countermelody behind the vocalist. The bridge
uses muted trumpet behind the vocalist and a combination of trombones and woodwinds
to play backgrounds. The final A section maintains the muted trumpet while the harp
plays glissandi and the rest of the ensemble play backgrounds, culminating in some loud,
staccato figures in the trumpets, creating a break that segues into a coda. The coda is
similar to the introduction, but adds Ginnie Powell, who sings the first line of the melody
My heart is sad and lonely. The piece comes to rest on a satisfying major sonority to
end the piece.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Ens.] A (8) [Vox. over ens.], A (8) [Simile w/ horn interjects.] B (8) [Vox.
over ens.] A (6) [Vox. over ens.] + (1) [Solo vox] + (1) [Add sax] Coda (8) [Simile to
intro. w/ vox.]
Notes:

I Only Have Eyes For You February, 1946.

Personnel: Warren & Dubin - comp., George Handy - arr., David Allyn - vocal, Ollie
Wilson - trombone.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 6reeds, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: Another very popular ballad, this arrangement is slightly less avantgarde than Body & Soul. The instrumentation here is also back to the normal big
band setup, although it still sounds as though some members of the sax section doubles
on clarinets for part of the tune. Also notable about this tune is the fact that David Allyn,

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the singer, would absolutely have had to use a microphone. Because of the highly
dynamic and sometimes loud ensemble parts, particularly near the end of the piece, he
would not have been heard unless he was amplified.
The piece begins with an 8 bar ensemble introduction that passes the melody
around the ensemble, starting first in the saxes and working its way up the full brass
section, culminating in a sudden crescendo and forte dynamic in the seventh bar. Allyn
then enters in bar 9 with the lyrics and melody over a 2-beat feel in the rhythm section
and subtle countermelody in the woodwinds. Muted trumpets and trombones are added
near the end of the first A section and are used in alternation and simultaneously with
the woodwinds beneath the second A section. It seems as though this was a typical trait
of the tunes played by the Raeburn band: to use the entire ensemble behind soloists and
vocalists to play background figures and countermelodies. The bridge starts with just the
woodwinds behind Allyn, but quickly crescendos, adding the brass section by bar 4. The
bridge dies down again and segues into the final A section of lyrics which includes a
descending brass melody on the penultimate measure and a 4 bar extension that is in the
original tune. A solo trombone comes in with a melody on the final 2 bars of the A
section. Next, the bridge comes back, circumventing the first 2 A sections, an arranging
trick weve seen in many tunes. The first 4 bars of the bridge are carried by solo
trombone over woodwind backgrounds before Allyn comes in, singing the final 4 bars of
the bridge over the ensemble. He then sings the last A section again, accompanied by an
ensemble crescendo and explosion of marcato chords in bars 7-10. The coda is
highlighted by a woodwind figure that reprises the melody and a beautiful brass melody
over the final fermata.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (8) [Ens.] A (8) [Vox. over ens. bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Vox over ens.
crescendo, decrescendo] A (10) [Vox. over ens.] + (2) [Ens.] B (4) [Solo bone over
woodwinds] + (4) [Vox. over ens.] A (10) Coda (4) Fermata [Brass melody]
Notes:

Dalvatore Sally February, 1946.

Personnel: George Handy - comp. & arr., Ralph Lee - tenor sax, Dodo Marmarosa piano.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as (1w/cl & 1w/fl), 2ts, bari, bass sax, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Obviously the title is a reference to the Spanish master painter,
Salvador Dali but is dyslexically titled Dalvatore Sally instead.
This piece is the most progressive of all the Raeburn tunes on this compendium
and is also the most interesting. The tune is incredibly dense and highly Stravinskian,
and takes the style in the middle of Boyd Meets Stravinsky to a new level. First of all,
this piece is basically a collage of many different sections, similar to the way the master
composer typically wrote. Below is a description of each section:

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Atonal intro: minor seconds in trpts., flute countermelody, bass line

countermelody, swing time in drums, guitar countermelody
Bass line melody over horn chords & much slower swing time.
Tenor sax solo over ens. backgrounds (dissonant flute chords, trpt.
staccatos, piano countermelody, dissonant chords)
Breaks for muted trumpet melody w/ countermelody and hits in brass
and saxes.
Trombone/Sax soli over faster swing w/ woodwind countermelody
Piano solo w/ woodwind countermelody & trumpet interjections over
boom-chick in rhythm section.
Wind transition that crescendos.
Disjunct ensemble hits.
Trombone/Brass melody over piano/bass melody and slow swing
Sax solo melody over brass backgrounds and slow swing
Ensemble fermata with HUGE brass crescendo (abrupt cutoff).

This piece is extremely interesting and is constantly moving and shifting, always
changing shape, texture, tempo, orchestration and dynamic level. Dissonances abound,
but the tension is always released when the piece changes to a different section. There is
most likely no improvisation in this piece, and unlike A Night In Tunisia and Boyd
Meets Stravinsky, does not feature any soloists. Conversely, the piece is much more
about the composition; the shifting textures, orchestrations and contrasting sections. It
also employs bass sax, an instrument rarely seen in any format because there are so few
in the world.
One final note about the Raeburn band: Obviously the band employs outrageous
harmonies and sometimes far out and humorous sounds, but up until this point there
has been absolutely nothing on this compendium that has prepared the listener for this;
not even the revolutionary sounds of the Ellington band. Raeburns band was certainly
before its time and really led the way for the progressive jazz style of bands like Stan
Kenton. More people should check out the Raeburn band because many have absolutely
no idea who they were and how fascinating and revolutionary their music was.

Notes:

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Billy Eckstine & His Orchestra

Good Jelly Blues April, 1944.
Personnel: Billy Eckstine - comp. & vocal, Dizzy Gillespie - arr.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, mvoc.
Commentary: From the beginning of this tune the bebop influence of Dizzy Gillespie,
the arranger, is undeniable. The introduction to this tune is also the introduction Dizzy
would use when he recorded All The Things You Are in 1945. Consequently, this
introduction became famous and was used by Charlie Parker on his recordings of the
tune and then by countless others who have recorded it up to this day.
The tune, like is indicated in the title, is a 12 bar blues, with Eckstine singing the
lyrics which are in the AAB format. Behind him the saxes play background figures.
Notable are the last two bars of the first A section, where the trumpets and saxes play a
double time bebop melody. These double time bebop figures continue behind Eckstine
in the second chorus, and even include a snippet of what would become Groovin High.
Again, at the end of the second chorus the saxes play a double time melody accompanied
by some hits in the brass. The first 8 bars of the third chorus alternate 2 bars of single
time sax backgrounds and 2 bars of double time brass backgrounds, complete with a
double time feel in the drums (the bass player keeps in single time) and drum setups.
The fourth chorus uses only sax backgrounds first in regular time and then in double
time. The tune ends with an ensemble figure on beat four of the last bar of the chorus.
What is neat about this tune is that the listener hears snippets of the ideas and
melodies that would become Gillespies bebop anthems only a few years later. Notable,
there is no improvisation in this tune, although a short sax or trumpet solo would have
been a welcome addition.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro All the things (8) [Low brass/sax bass line w/ brass hits in reponse]
Chorus 1 (10) [Sax bgs] + (2) [Sax/brass dbl. x] Chorus 2 (10) [Dbl. x bgs. in saxes &
brass in alternation] + (2) [Sax/brass dbl. x] Chorus 3 (2) [Sax bgs.] + (2) [Dbl. x brass
bgs.]+ (2) [Sax bgs.] + (2) [Dbl. x brass bgs.] + (4) [Ens. bgs] Chorus 4 (2) [Sax bgs.] +
(2) [Dbl. x sax bgs.] + (2) [No bgs.] + (2) [Dbl. x sax bgs.] + (2) [No bgs.] + (2) [Ens.
blues tag]
Notes:

In A Sentimental Mood October, 1946.

Personnel: Ellington & Mills - comp., Gerald Valentine - arr., Billy Eckstine - vocal.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, mvoc, strings.

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Commentary: First of all, this piece is notable because it is a cover of an orchestra

that was still together and working in 1946. In A Sentimental Mood is a Duke
Ellington tune, played frequently by his band, which, in 1946 was obviously together.
Here, the tune is given a slightly different treatment.
Eckstine is featured here again, singing the melody. Following the 4 bar intro
which prominently features a string section, one of the first tunes on this compendium to
do so, Eckstine enters with the vocals on the fourth bar. He is accompanied by some
subtle trombone backgrounds in the first A section. The string section is also added
behind him, playing the beautiful descending melody from the introduction. Notable is
the guitar chunking that can be clearly heard behind Eckstine, defining the time much
more than the drums, which can barely be heard. The second A has only the trombones
accompanying Eckstine. This continues into the bridge where the strings and then saxes
are added. The last bar of the bridge breaks and Eckstine sings the pickups into the final
A section where he is again accompanied by the trombones. The tune then segues into a
coda where the brass crescendo and Eckstine reenters to sing the last line. The saxes
then play a staccato motive and the tune ends with a full ensemble fermata.
Notable in the harmonies for the tune is the way the first chord of bar 4 of the A
each A section is voiced with a close relationship between two trombones. It is fairly
dissonant and feels great when the tension is released into the ensuing harmony.
Notes:

Cool Breeze February, 1946.

Personnel: Eckstine, Dameron, & Gillespie - comp., Tadd Dameron - arr., Billy
Eckstine - valve trombone, Gene Ammons - tenor sax, Jimmy Golden - piano, Art Blakey
- drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 1vtb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This piece is notable first because it was co-written and arranged by one
of the more celebrated composers of the bebop era, Tadd Dameron. Arguably a better
composer than pianist, Dameron wrote many tunes that became standards of the bebop
repertoire including Cool Breeze and Good Bait. This piece is also notable because
Eckstine does not sing, although he does play valve trombone, and this piece is really a
feature for all the great soloists in the band, including Gene Ammons and Art Blakey.
This tune sounds like a 12-bar blues but with many chord substitutions in the
fashion many of the great bebop blueses. The soli melody in the saxes, however, is a riff
melody for the first chorus accompanied by rising and falling backgrounds in the brass.
The second chorus of soli is accompanied by brass interjections. The solos on the tune
are perhaps the most interesting part of the piece. One of the things that is neat about
this tune is that Billy Eckstine plays a solo on valve trombone. Apparently Dizzy
Gillespie would teach Eckstine licks that he would practice and then basically regurgitate
them for a solo. Eckstine almost quotes Groovin High in the first chorus, not
surprisingly. He is accompanied by the full ensemble, playing heavy backgrounds

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behind him. The entire ensemble then plays a soli that is full of complex harmony in the
chord voicings.
Gene Ammons solo is by far the most interesting part of the tune. For the first
chorus Ammons plays it cool, simply playing the blues over ensemble backgrounds.
However, in the second chorus Ammons kicks it up a notch and starts plays a slick
double time bebop lick right at the top of the second chorus before nonchalantly
returning to the blues. Following the shout chorus with a short 4 bar piano solo
sandwiched in the middle. The other highlight of the tune is the next chorus that
features a second section of shout that basically has the ensemble playing another shout
chorus while Art Blakey kicks them with some very stylized fills that would not be out of
place in a bebop tune.
Notes:

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Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra

Our Delight June, 1946.
Personnel: Tadd Dameron - comp. & arr., Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet, Ray Abrams tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: While the Billy Eckstine Orchestra used bebop in their arrangements,
Eckstine himself was not really a bebopper, but rather a holdover from another era. The
Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, which sprung from the Eckstine band, was a different story.
This band is completely bebop.
By 1946 Dizzy had formed his big band, heard here playing a bebop standard,
Our Delight by Tadd Dameron. The form of the tune is a 32 bar, AABA form. Although
this tune was usually played by a small group of musicians, it is arranged here for a full
big band. The twelve bar introduction is 4 bars repeated twice, which alternate 2 bars of
full ensemble figures with 2 bars of only saxes, followed by 4 more bars of the full
ensemble figures. Everyone in the entire band, including all the rhythm section players
play these figures. The drummer sets them up and catches them effortlessly. The
melody to the tune is played & harmonized by the saxophones for 6 bars and the full
ensemble plays the final 2 bars of the melody. The trombones take the first 4 bars of the
bridge and the full ensemble takes the second 4 bars. The last A section mimics the first.
Dizzy Gillespie then blows a fantastic solo 16 bar over saxophone backgrounds
during the first 2 As. The bridge and final A are a solo for Ray Abrams on tenor sax. The
top of the form comes back with the ensemble trading 4 bars of shout with 4 bars of
Dizzy soloing. Diz takes the bridge with full ensemble backgrounds. He trades again
with the full ensemble for the last A. A quick coda ends the tune. It is in this tune that
we really hear bebop coming to the fore in a big band setting. Both Gillespie and Abrams
blow bebop solos, but most importantly the arranged parts all contain the types of
harmonic and melodic devices employed by Gillespie and his bebop colleagues. This is a
revolutionary time for big band music, because the Swing era has just ended and given
way to the era of small groups. But some, like Gillespie, are determined to keep the big
band flame going while incorporating the style of jazz he helped define only years earlier.
Notes:

Things To Come June, 1947.

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie & Walter Gil Fuller - comp. & arr., Gillespie - trumpet,
Milt Jackson - vibes, John Brown - alto sax, Kenny Clarke - drums.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, vibes, p, b, d.
Commentary: Notable first about this piece is the personnel. Dizzy Gillespie and
Walter Gil Fuller are the composers, two of the first people to write bebop tunes for big

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band. Gil would later work with the Stan Kenton band. Three of the soloists however are
very influential bebop players: Dizzy (obviously), the greatest and first bebop vibe
player, Milt Jackson, and one of the most influential bebop drummers of all time, Kenny
Clarke. What is most interesting about the transformation of big band music is that
during the Swing era, players were known for their ensemble playing in a band, and the
small groups that were frequently formed to play between sets of the band, like the
Benny Goodman Sextet with Lionel Hampton and Krupa were just a novelty. Now,
however, in the bebop era, players were becoming known for their small group playing
and were asked to play in big bands, like Dizzys, simply as an extension of their small
group playing. Consequently, a player like Kenny Clarke would have approached this
music differently than someone like Sam Woodyard or Gene Krupa.
This tune begins with quite a flurry and never lets up. The tempo is blazing, and
is absolutely the fastest big band tune to this point on this compendium. The
introduction to the tune changes gears extremely fast. Below is a diagram of the intro:
Intro (2) [Ens. figure] + (2) [Sax break] + (1) [Ens. figure] + (1) [Drum fill] + (2) [Brass
figure] + (1) [Ens. chord] + (1) [Silent break] + (1) [Ens. figure] Head
Not only is the tempo of the piece challenging, but the rhythms are also more
complex than many other big band pieces, especially at this tempo. Take for example the
last measure of the intro: the ensemble plays a syncopated figure that at this blazing of a
tempo is difficult to pull off, but it is done with ease.
The melody to the tune is a blazing, flurry of notes in the saxes accompanied by
brass harmonization and hits. Both A sections are 8 bars long. The brass take the bridge
accompanied by sax backgrounds. What is notable about the melodies in this tune is
that they are mostly played in unison rather than harmonized, and when they are they
are only slightly harmonized before coming back to unison. This is a feature of the types
of melodies played by Gillespie and Charlie Parker and many other bebop players. The
final A is similar to the first.
Following the head is an interesting transition to the solo sections. It is 10 bars
long and features first the brass playing a rhythmically challenging 3 bar motive and then
the saxes playing a 2 bar repeated pattern for 6 measures followed by a one bar
drum/brass fill. Dizzy Gillespie then plays a 4 bar solo break, the longest solo break yet
on the compendium. His 32 bar, AABA solo is accompanied by saxophone backgrounds
that loosely quote the melody. Obviously the solo is all bebop. Following Dizzys solo,
Milt Jackson takes a chorus with only rhythm section accompaniment. His second
chorus of solo is accompanied by escalating brass backgrounds over the A sections, with
more subtle trombone backgrounds in the bridge. 6 bars of ensemble transition lead into
a 2 bar break for John Browns alto. Brown is accompanied by some very aggressive
brass backgrounds. Brown solos for a chorus but is cut short when the brass reenter
with the melody to the bridge. All of the horn players then reprise the A melody in
unison. Both the bridge melody and the last A melody are played entirely in unison with
no harmony, a feature of small group bebop music that has now crossed over into the big
band bebop charts.
The intro then returns as a coda to the tune. Following the intro is a quick figure
played by the entire ensemble, followed by a sax fermata over which the brass play a
three note motive. This fermata/three note motive repeats twice. The entire ensemble

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then hits a fermata, fall down off the fermata while decrescendoing, and then come right
back up and nail the last note, which comes complete with drum fills and screeching
trumpets.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Ens. figure] + (2) [Sax break] + (1) [Ens. figure] + (1) [Drum fill] + (2) [Brass
figure] + (1) [Ens. chord] + (1) [Silent break] + (1) [Ens. figure] A (8) [Saxes w/ brass
accomp.], A (8) [Simile] B (8) [Brass w. sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes w/ brass accomp.]
Transition (3) [Brass & drums] + (6) [2 bar sax motive 3x] + (1) [Drum fill] + (4) [Trpt.
break] AABA (32) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.] AABA (32) [Vibe solo] AABA (32)
[Vibe solo w/ brass bgs.] Transition (6) [Ens.] + (2) [Alto break] AA (16) [Alto solo
w/ brass bgs.] B (8) [Brass mel. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Sax mel. w/ brass accomp.]
Coda (10) [Repeat of intro] + (2) [Ens. figure] ||: Sax fermata w/ trpt. 3 note motive
:|| Crazy ens. fermata
Notes:

Manteca December, 1947.

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie & Chano Pozo - comp., Walter Gil Fuller - arr.,
Gillespie - trumpet, Pozo - conga, Big Nick Nicholas - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 2tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d, conga.
Commentary: The first version of two on this compendium, this tune is notable
because of the addition of Chano Pozo to not only the percussion section of the band, but
also as a composer who helped Dizzy write this tune. Pozo and trumpet player Mario
Bauza are both credited with introducing and expanding the latin vocabulary of Dizzy
Gillespie, a newfound skill that would lead to the composition of some of Dizzys finest
tunes like A Night In Tunisia, Manteca, & Cubano Be/Cubano Bop.
Like A Night In Tunisia, Manteca employs a composed bass line that is
unique to only this tune. Also like A Night In Tunisia, the bass line begins the tune,
accompanied by Pozo on congas. The intro to this tune is basically a pyramid that keeps
building. After the bass and congas begin the tune, the bari sax comes in followed by the
and trombone section and finally the trumpets. The combined effect of these parts
stacked on top of one another is a vamp that Dizzy Gillespie blows over for 8 bars. This
solo and vamp die down and allow the bass melody and congas to introduce the melody.
The melody itself is a combination of 2 vamps, the first played in the saxes, and the
second played in the brass as a response to the sax section. This continues for 6 bars
before both sections join each other and play the last 2 bars of the melody in unison.
Both A sections are structured this way.
When the bridge hits it sounds like it is supposed to be swung, because the horn
players begin playing with modern swing phrasing and articulation, although Pozo
continues to play the stock latin groove on his congas. Rather than being 8 bars, the
bridge is 16, with the first 8 played by the saxes with brass backgrounds, and the second
8 played by solo trumpet with sax backgrounds. The final A is similar to the first. Next a

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10 bar transition that is similar in structure to the intro culminates in a 4 bar fortissimo
ensemble figure that introduces a tenor sax solo. The solo last for both A sections and is
swung. The ensemble comes back in at the bridge with the melody orchestrated in the
brass with saxophone countermelody for 8 bars and then 8 bars of solo trumpet melody.
When the A section returns it is played as before. To end the tune, the introduction
comes back, but this time it is played backward and deconstructed. The horns start
playing the vamp over the rhythm section for 6 bars and then cut out, leaving only the
bass, drums, and congas to groove for 8 measures.
Notable about the tune is the juxtaposition of latin or straight sections of music
(the A sections) and swing sections (B section) like in countless other latin tunes such
as A Night In Tunisia. Also notable is the subordinate role the drummer plays to
Chano Pozo on congas, who is really the rhythmic driving force of the entire piece.
Finally, this is the only time since the Swing era where we hear the voices of members of
the band. Instead of singing back lines of music like in Cab Calloways band, they are
shouting the word Manteca at random whenever the vamp is going on, a feature of
music played in Cuba and other countries in Latin America.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Bass/conga vamp] + (2) [Add drums] + (4) [Add bari sax] + (2) [Add tenor
sax] + (2) [Add brass] + (8) [Trpt. solo over vamp) + (2) [Ens. triplet figure] + (4)
[Bass/drum/conga groove] ||: A (8) [Saxes & Brass] :|| B Swing? (8) [Saxes w/
brass bgs.] + (8) [Solo trpt. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes & Brass] Transition (2)
[Conga/bass groove] + (2) [Add bone] + (2) [Add saxes] + (4) [Ens. figure] A (8) [Sax
solo w/ brass bgs.] + (8) [Continue sax solo no bgs.] B (8) [Brass mel. w/ sax
countermel.] + (8) [Solo trpt. mel. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes & Brass] Outro (6)
[Vamp like intro w/ horns] + (8) [Bass/congas only]
Notes:

Two Bass Hit

Commentary: Two Bass Hit is also a piece with a famous introduction and coda that
are usually played whenever the piece is played, much like A Night In Tunisia. What is
notable about the intro here is that it functions as a bass solo, with the bass player filling
in the gaps between ensemble lines. The form of the tune is 32 bars, but has no bridge
and is simply two 16 bar sections in the form A, A. The ensemble plays the melody as a
soli in unison, much like a small group would play the melody, although here it is
harmonized for the second 8 bars of melody. The tune also has a coda played after the
melody that functions in this arrangement as a solo break section for the bass player,
although the most famous version would be played by Miles Davis and feature drum
solos during this coda.
A trumpet solo with no backgrounds for the first chorus follows the coda. At this
point in the tune it one could mistake this piece for a small group and not a big band if
one had not heard the head. The second chorus introduces some trombone backgrounds
that exploit the dissonances in the harmonies nicely. Following the trumpet solo is a full

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ensemble transition of an odd length, 7 bars. Here the ensemble trades measures with
the bass player for 4 bars and then plays a motive for 3 bars. The melody comes back,
orchestrated as before, unison in the entire ensemble.
What happens near thee end of the tune is very interesting. After 8 bars of
melody the tune segues into a coda that is also a bass solo. Here the ensemble plays
backgrounds that quote the melody of the tune for 4 bars. Then the saxes play 2 double
whole notes, both punctuated at the start by a brass articulation. Over this the bass
player solos. Then, for the first time on this compendium, the bass player plays a
completely unaccompanied cadenza during which he is answered by the drummer and
then a full ensemble fermata.
Below is a form diagram of the tune:
Intro (8) [Ens. melody w/ bass solo] A (16) [Ens. soli melody], A (8) [Simile] + (8)
[Brass soli mel.] Coda (4) [Bone mel.] + (8) [Bass breaks] AA (32) [Trpt. solo]
AA (32) [Continue trpt. solo w/ bone bgs.] Transition (7) [Ens. w/ bass solo] A (8)
[Ens. soli mel.] Coda (4) [Bass solo w/ ens. mel. accomp.] + (4) [Bass solo w/ ens.
whole notes] + Bass cadenza+ Ens. Fermata
Notes:

Cubano Be/Cubano Bop December, 1947.

Personnel: George Russell & Chano Pozo - comp., Russell - arr., Dizzy Gillespie trumpet, Pozo - conga & vocal, John Lewis - piano, Kenny Clarke - drums.
Instrumentation: 5t, 2tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d, conga.
Commentary: Cubano Be, the first half of this two part piece begins with a
fascinating introduction that sets up the groove. Chano Pozo begins grooving on his
congas and decrescendos to an almost subsonic level before coming back up to forte
when he is joined by Kenny Clarke, grooving on his toms. A solo trombone then enters,
stating a 4 note melody. Another trombonist then joins him, followed by the bari sax and
a trumpet player. This pyramid keeps building, adding more and more players, each with
a different motive. A vamp is built in the trombones and bari sax with the other motives
fitting together nicely over top. Somehow they all fit together. This culminates in Dizzys
entrance on a lead motive. The introduction lasts for one minute and twenty seconds.
The form of the tune is then introduced. Both A sections are 7 bars long, rather
than 8, but this is completely unnoticeable and does not sound awkward in the least.
Dizzy takes the lead for a few measures and then passes the melody off to the whole
ensemble. The saxophone section begin the 8 bar bridge, but quickly pass the baton
back to Dizzy who finishes the melody and leads the band back into the final A section
which is played similar to the first time. The form is a 29 bar AABA form.
Dizzy then blows a solo over the A sections, but this time they are 8 bars long
rather than 7, with saxophone backgrounds. At the bridge the entire band drops out
leaving only Dizzy and Chano Pozo playing together. Dizzy plays some blazing double

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time bebop licks and Pozos groove begins to disintegrate. Dizzy then plays a quick
motive that is echoed by Kenny Clarke to end this half of the piece.
What is notable about this portion of the piece is the way the melody is arranged.
Rather than being stuck in one section of the ensemble with the others playing
backgrounds, the melody moves around from solo trumpet, to the full ensemble, to just
saxes, to just trombones while the sections not playing the melody play quick
background figures.
Below is a form diagram of this half of the piece:
Intro (8) [Conga solo, decresc.] + (8) [Add drums] + (8) [2 bones] + (4) [Low brass/bari
vamp] + (8) [Add trumpets] + (4) [Add more trumpets] + (9) [Add Dizzy and begin
cresc.] A (7) [Dizzy and ens. mel], A (7) [Simile] B (8) [Sax & Diz mel.] A (7) [Diz
and ens. mel.] A (8) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.], A (8) [Simile] B [Trpt. solo w/ congas]
Cubano Bop, the second half of this piece begins with a chant solo by Chano
Pozo, who accompanies himself with rolls on his congas. He then begins chanting to the
ensemble who respond to him. Finally, he breaks into time, continuing to chant and is
joined by the ensemble who again respond to his chants. Pozo begins grooving hard and
along with the rest of the ensemble begins chanting Cubano be, Cubano bop. This dies
down and piano groove enters followed by drums and a trombone and bari sax vamp
over which the saxophones and trumpets motivic cells that almost sound improvised.
The motives played by the horn players are really fragments of rhythm and melody and a
full melody is never really presented, but the desired effect is reached. The fragments are
all combined one on top of the other and grow and grow into a cacophonous climax.
Dizzy then reprises the melody from the first half of the tune, and if you dont pay
attention you might miss it. Here, he is accompanied by the saxophones. The tune then
starts crescendoing, growing louder and louder, finally climaxing in a giant ensemble
fermata.
This piece is not a far cry from the music played by the Boyd Raeburn band. It is
like a latin Stravinsky piece; the parts are all highly disjunct and are put together in a
collage-like fashion. However, somehow it all works and the desired effect is reached.
Notes:

Manteca July, 1957.

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie & Chano Pozo - comp., Walter Gil Fuller - arr., Lee
Morgan - trumpet, Billy Mitchell - tenor sax, Wynton Kelly - piano.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: A second version of the tune heard before, it is not much different. This
version is faster and the horn players in the band sing the comical words Ill never go
back to Georgia to the melody of the vamp over the bass line. Instead of each horn
player coming in separately and building the vamp like in the 1947 version, they all come
in together. The vamp also is harmonized in this version and is not in the original. Dizzy

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solos over the vamp here as well, but his playing is much more mature and stylized. This
is, after all the post-bop era.
The melody to this version is played almost exactly as the first version, except the
bridge is taken by the saxes first, rather than the brass. The bridge is much softer than
the previous version. It also sounds as though a few more percussionists are added to
this version. The drummer kicks the heck out of the band during the head and in the
transitions and backgrounds of the tune. He really plays some advanced and very hip
fills.
Billy Mitchells sax solo is a bebop blaze! He plays just about every note possible.
Notable also about this version is the presence of the great Lee Morgan on trumpet. The
8 bars of saxophone glissando that follow the melody after the trumpet solo are really hip
as is the trombone soli that embellishes the vamp. Following the trombone soli is a long
piano solo as the vamp decresendos. What happens next is the most interesting portion
of the tune. All of a sudden and without warning the tune shifts into an entirely different
harmonic structure with a saxophone melody and a vocal break at the end of each 8 bar
section where people say the words who, you, me, in a comical fashion. The brass
then are added to the sax vamp for a shout chorus-like effect. Finally the tune
transitions back to the original vamp which grows and grows, culminating in a 2 bar
ensemble motive kicked by the drummer that is repeated twice and then a massive
ensemble fermata with some really quick bass drum fills and some screeching notes in
the trumpets. The crowd goes nuts!
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (2) [Bass vamp] + (6) [Band vox.] + (18) [Ens. vamp] Trpt. solo (Long) [Over
vamp] + (2) [Ens. triplet motive] + (4) [Vamp] A (8) [Saxes & Brass], A (8) [Simile]
B (8) [Saxes] + (8) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes & Brass] Vamp (8) + (4)
[Ens. figures] A (8) [Sax solo w/ ens. bgs], A (8) [Continue sax solo] B (8) [Ens.
soli] + (8) [Solo trpt. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes & Brass] Sax Glissando (8) Vamp
(Forever) [Trombone soli/embellishment of vamp] Vamp (Long) [Piano solo]
Vamp (?) [Trombone solo] ||: New Vamp (6) [Saxes & Rhythm] + (2) [Vocal break] :||
||: Same Vamp (6) [Add trpts.] + (2) [Vocal break 1x, Drum solo 2x] :|| Original
Vamp (18) Coda ||: (2) [Ens. figure] :|| + FERMATA!
Notes:

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Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Early Autumn December, 1948.
Personnel: Ralph Burns & Woody Herman - comp., Burns - arr., Herman - alto sax,
Terry Gibbs - vibes, Stan Getz - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 4tb, 2as, 3ts, bari, vibes, p, b, d.
Commentary: Early Autumn is a beautiful ballad in the style of the many
dance bands of the Swing era, although the year is 1948 and the Swing era is clearly over.
The tempo of the tune is not slow, but rather drifts along at a danceable pace. The
melody is played by the saxophones as a soli with harmony. The eighth notes and
sixteenth notes in the melody are played straight rather than swung. The melody is
basically double time over the feel of the rhythm section because of the many sixteenth
note rhythms and motives in the melody. The second time through the melody, the brass
play chords behind the saxophones. Woody Hermans alto playing over the bridge of the
tune recalls shades of Johnny Hodges expressive playing, although Herman is no where
near as adept at expressing the melody than Hodges. The final A is taken by Terry Gibbs
who plays an 8 bar vibes solo. What happens next in the tune is quite interesting. A 4
bar transition that doesnt fit the harmonic scheme of the tune appears, beginning with a
staccato rising motive in the brass that climaxes at the top of these 4 bars. The
saxophones then play a 4 bar motive accompanied by some dissonance in the brass. Stan
Getz then enters and solos over what sounds like the bridge. Burns uses the popular
arranging trick of skipping to the bridge after the last A of the form. The final A of the
tune brings the ensemble back, interrupting Getzs solo to recall the melody in the brass
and saxes, before Getz takes the last few bars of the tune, soloing over an ensemble
fermata that crescendos and then backs off to end the tune.
Although the arranged parts of the tune are written in straight eighths and
sixteenths, a few of the soloists, including Terry Gibbs and Stan Getz, add a slight swing
to their solos.
The feel in the rhythm section is very sophisticated and understated. The
drummer plays on brushes for the entire tune while the bass player simply walks 4
quarter notes to each measure, and embellishes his lines along the way.
Overall, the dynamic control of Hermans band is wonderful. Of particular note
are the brass backgrounds behind the second A section of the saxophone melody. Here,
the brass exercise control over their volume, maintaining great tone and smooth, legato
phrasing while playing softly. The sudden dynamic shifts in this arrangement are also
executed superbly. For example, at the end of the first bridge, the trumpets enter softly
and quickly climb up to a forte dynamic level, washing over the ensemble and surging
the energy of the piece as Terry Gibbs begins his vibes solo. This happens again at the
top of the tenor solo only 8 bars later.
Below is a form diagram:
2 beat pickup A (6) [Sax soli melody] + (2) [Add brass], A (8) [Simile, add brass bgs.]
B (8) [Alto solo mel. over brass/sax bgs.] A (8) [Vibes solo over sax bgs.]

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Transition (4) [Brass entrance + sax melody, sendoff] B (4) [Tenor solo over sax bgs.]
+ (4) [Continue tenor over ens. bgs.] A (4) [Ens. interruption] + (4) [Continue tenor
solo over ens. bgs] Ens. Fermata.
Notes:

Down Under July, 1942.

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie - comp. & arr., Woody Herman - clarinet, Hy White guitar, Mickey Folus & Pete Mondello - tenor saxes, Chuck Peterson - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, 3as (1w/cl), 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: On Down Under, Dizzy Gillespie treats us to another one of his tunes
and arrangements that is truly a composition in and of itself. Like his other tunes, such
as A Night In Tunisia, Two Bass Hit, & Manteca, this tune employs Dizzys use of an
introduction and coda. The tune begins with an 8 bar introduction with the melody in
the trumpets. The first 4 bars shift back and forth between 2 different harmonies in the
saxes behind the trumpet melody. The second 4 bars are a trumpet soli melody with only
hihat accompaniment.
When the A section hits, the melody, which is riff-like, is in the saxophones. The
melody presents a 2 bar motive, which repeats twice, before a second, but related motive,
finishes the 8 bar section. The brass play staccato, offbeat hits in the holes created by the
sax melody. The A section is repeated before going to the bridge. The bridge is one of
the most interesting sections of the piece. Here the tune shifts into a section of music
that wouldnt sound out of place in Benny Goodmans Sing, Sing, Sing. The drummer
moves to playing time on his floor tom, emitting a very jungle like sound, a sound that
was familiar and frequently used in Ellingtons music (ex. The Mooche). Here the
trumpets carry the melody over a countermelody played by the trombones. The
saxophones also join in, playing background melody behind the trumpets. The last A
section is similar to the first. Following the melody is an 8 bar coda that features the
trumpets, much like the intro, except this time they are accompanied by a pedal point in
the trombones and the drummer swinging away on his hihats.
The ensuing 8 bars of music are a bass and guitar soli and do not fit in the regular
form of the piece. Rather, the bass player and guitarist play a unison melody that is kind
of bebopish accompanied by the drummer who sets up their rhythms and plays in the
spaces. This is a very interesting addition to this piece and is one of the handful of guitar
solos on this compendium. Following this soli is a Woody Herman clarinet solo over the
32 bar, AABA form, with saxophone backgrounds.
The ensemble then enters and trades 4s with a tenor sax player over the first two
As. The bridge is an unaccompanied tenor sax solo, and the final A again trades 4s with
tenor. The next chorus of the tune is a shout chorus. The melody is placed in the
saxophones, but above them the brass play a shout riff in unison. Both sections are
joined by screeching, soloing clarinet on the second A section. Chuck Peterson takes the
bridge on trumpet with a hemiola background figure in the saxes. The final A is played
similar to the first A of this shout chorus with Peterson adding a few choice high notes

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over top of the ensemble. The tune ends with a quick tag/ensemble fermata over which
Peterson adds a quick improvisation.
Overall, this tune is basically a Swing dance tune. The year is 1942 and the tempo
is certainly danceable. The tune is simple in its basic structure (32 bar, AABA), but
Dizzys compositional mind adds a few twists and turns along the way, like the
interesting bridge, the coda, and the 8 bar guitar and bass soli, which is perhaps the
highlight of the tune. The shout chorus is fairly typical of a Swing era band, utilizing riffs
and star soloists to build drama and tension. The band swings hard and sounds well
rehearsed and the soloists find their way around the changes nicely, although no one of
them really plays anything of terrible interest.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Trpt. mel. over sax bgs.] + (4) [Trpt. mel. w/ drum accomp.] ||: A (8) [Sax
mel. w/ brass hits] :|| B (8) [Trpt. mel. over bone countermelody w/ jungle feel in
drums] A (8) [Sax mel. w/ brass hits] Coda (8) [Trpt. mel. w/ bone pedal]
Guitar/Bass soli (8) AABA (32) [Clarinet solo over sax bgs.] ||: A (4) [Ens. soli] +
(4) [Tenor solo] :|| B (8) [Tenor solo] A (4) [Ens. soli] + (4) [Tenor solo] Shout A
(8) [Brass riff over sax mel.], A (8) [Add clarinet solo] B (8) [Trpt. solo over sax bgs.]
A (6) [Brass riff over sax mel. w/ trpt solo] Coda (2) [Ens.] Fermata [Trpt. solos]
Notes:

Apple Honey February, 1945.

Personnel: Woody Herman - comp. & clarinet, Ralph Burns - arr. & piano, Flip
Phillips - tenor sax, Bill Harris - trombone, Marjorie Hyams - vibes, Pete Candoli trumpet, Dave Tough - drums.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 3as (w/cl), 2ts, bari, vibes, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Apple Honey is a rhythm changes tune, notable because these
changes are the basis for countless contrafacts played during the bebop era, which really
took hold of the jazz scene the year this piece was recorded, 1945.
The intro to the tune is particularly interesting, utilizing a dotted quarter note
hemiola for the first four measures in the rhythm section, low brass, and saxes beneath a
descending trumpet repeated figure that also implies the dotted quarter note. It is
executed so well that the tune almost sounds like it starts in another tempo and then
shifts gears at measure 5, when in fact it doesnt. The last 4 bars of the intro are a 2 bar
vamp, repeated twice, by only the rhythm section.
The saxes take the melody, a very repetitive gesture, for the first 2 A sections.
The brass play a riff like bridge that maintains the same rhythm while altering notes in
the inner parts of the voicings to fit the harmonic scheme of the bridge. The final A
section is also played by the brass, with a different melody than the first 2 A sections.

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The first solos is taken by Flip Phillips on tenor sax. Flip manages to make the
changes although it is clear he is not quite comfortable with them. He plays no bebop
and sounds like a stowaway from another era. What is more interesting are the
backgrounds behind the second and third A section of his solo. They are the stock stop
time background formula of a single quarter note on beat one of bar one; two quarter
notes on beats one and two of bar three, three quarter notes on beats one, two, and three
of bar five, and four quarter notes in measure seven. What is interesting is that while the
backgrounds are typically used as stop time, there is no stop time here. Instead the
rhythm section keeps chugging and the brass simply play these figures as background to
the solo. These are typical backgrounds that are played during both the blues and
rhythm changes tunes in a lot of small groups arrangements, and it is interesting that
they are found in this arrangement. The second chorus of solo is taken by Bill Harris,
who also is not completely comfortable with the changes. He is accompanied by sax
backgrounds and some yelling and screaming from the band. The third solo is split in
half, with the As being played by Marjorie Hyams on vibes and the bridge and final A
played by Herman on clarinet. Hyams and Hermans solos, but Hyams in particular are
the most technically and harmonically advanced solos of the entire tune Hyams plays a
few bebop gestures in her solo, whether consciously or not. Both solos are accompanied
by saxophone backgrounds.
Following the solos, the band shifts into a shout chorus. For the A sections, the
brass play a riff motive above the saxes who play an aggressive countermelody that is
almost buried on this recording. What can be heard sounds like bebop! The bridge is
played by a solo saxophone and includes an interesting dotted half note motive in the
third and fourth bars of the bridge as well as the seventh and eighth bars. The A section
returns in much the same fashion as the first two shout A sections. This A section
repeats two more times with Woody Herman blowing some clarinet over top. When the
bridge hits again we hear only a solo trumpet playing a motive that is like a bugle call.
The drummer responds rhythmically to the trumpet player. This moment is very
surprising for the listener because it kind of comes from nowhere. The final A section
maintains the shout chorus formula and adds a soloing trumpet on top to bring the tune
to a rollicking close on an very messy ensemble fermata that basically falls apart.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Ens. dotted quarter motive w/ trpt. mel.] + (4) [Rhythm vamp] ||: A (8)
[Sax mel.] :|| B (8) [Brass riff mel. w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Brass mel.] Sax solo A (8),
A (8) [add stoptime bgs.] B (8) [no bgs.] A (8) [stoptime bgs.] ||: Bone solo A
(8) [Sax bgs.] :|| B (8) [yelling and screaming] A (8) [Sax bgs.] ||: Vibe solo A (8)
[Sax bgs.] :|| Clarinet solo B (8) A (8) [Sax bgs.] ||: Shout A (8) [Brass riff over
sax melody] :|| B (2) [Solo sax mel.] + (2) [Dotted half note motive] + (2) [Solo sax
mel.] + (2) [Dotted half note motive] A (8) [Brass riff over sax melody] ||: Shout A
(8) [Simile w/clarinet solo] :|| B (8) [Trpt. bugle call solo w/ drums] A (8) [Shout
formula w/ trpt. solo] Ens. fermata
Notes:

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Bijou (Rhumba a la Jazz) August, 1945.

Personnel: Ralph Burns - comp. & arr., Woody Herman - clarinet, Bill Harris trombone.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 3as (w/cl), 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Bijou is a very rhythmically advanced piece of music for a big band in
the year 1945. Other than Dizzys tunes, which notable are also all latin tunes like this
one, Bijou is the first to use completely composed rhythm section parts and vamps.
The tune begins with an 8 bar intro during which the bass and guitar play a stylized,
straight eighths latin motive in unison while the drummer keeps a rhumba groove
beneath them. The ensemble then enters with a very fragmented melody that is a
composite of all the snippets played by different sections of the band. A clarinet and
trumpet take the lead, however, and basically play what one might think of as the melody
to this piece, although the other interjections made by the rest of the horn players are
hardly secondary. Rather than playing a simple groove, however, the bass part beneath
the melody is extremely syncopated. The drummer highlights these syncopations by
playing along with them rather than keeping the rhumba groove going. This creates a
very interesting texture that is at once both enjoyable for the listener and difficult to play.
Rather than having a nice groove beneath them, the horns are really forced to count their
way through this section and really keep good internal time, something that not many
horn players have been forced to do up to this point.
The saxophone section takes over at the bridge and is accompanied by the brass,
who play backgrounds. The bridge eventually melds itself into a sax solo. The final A
section returns as before, but with the same sax player soloing over top. The next section
of music tricks the listener. Following the last A section of this form it sounds as though
the piece goes back to the bridge without warning. Here, the first half of the bridge
returns, but immediately diverges into a solo break for Bill Harris. Ralph Burns the
arranger at once fools the arranger and creates and interesting coda that sets up the top
of the solo form.
Bill Harris then takes a solo over a rhythm section and saxophone vamp for the A
sections. The bridge adds the brass behind him, crescendoing before immediately
dropping down for the last A section, where the rhythm/saxophone vamp returns. The
ensemble soli that follows the trombone solo is an interesting section of the piece. Here
the rhythm section shifts to playing a pedal point on all the upbeats of every measure,
while the brass play an ebbing and flowing, hairpin melody above. They are
accompanied by a countermelody in the saxes. This section lasts for 16 measures, taking
the place of the first two A sections. The bridge then comes, and the ensemble switches
into swing. The brass take the lead here for 4 bars before the feel goes back to latin,
and the dynamic level retreats with only Bill Harris playing solo trombone over
saxophone backgrounds for the last 4 bars of the bridge. Harris continues to solo over
the last A section while the brass reprise their melody from the first two A sections of this
chorus.
The ending of this tune is quite interesting. The piece abruptly stops on the
seventh bar of the last A section, but the drummer continues to groove. This segues into
a coda where a quick brass motive followed by a falling motive in the saxes sets up a

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return of the bass and guitar motive from the introduction. Following this motive the
drummer plays a couple bars of fill that end the tune.
Below is a form diagram of this piece:
Intro (8) [Bass/guitar mel. w/ drums] ||: A (8) [Fragmented mel. w/ trpt./clar. on
top] :|| B (8) [Sax mel. w/ brass bgs.] A (8) [Sax solo mel. w/ mel. beneath]
Transtion (4) [Ens. like bridge] + (2) [Bone solo over sax whole note] + (2) [Bone solo
break] ||: A (8) [Bone solo over sax bgs.] :|| B (4) [Simile] + (4) [Add brass] A
(8) [Bone solo over sax bgs.] ||: A (8) [Brass mel. w/ sax countermel. over rhythm
pedal] :|| B - Swing (4) [Brass mel.] + (4) [Bone solo over sax bgs.] A (6) [Brass
mel. w/ sax countermel. over rhythm pedal] + (2) [Break drums only] Coda (2)
[Bone/brass motive] + (2) [Sax falling motive] + (4) [Guitar/Bass mel.] + (2) [Drum
solo]
Notes:

Four Brothers December, 1947.

Personnel: Jimmy Guiffre - comp. & arr., Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, & Herbie Steward tenor saxes, Serge Chaloff - baritone sax, Woody Herman - clarinet, Don Lamond drums.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 3as (1w/cl & 1w/ts), 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: This tune ended up becoming the anthem of the Woody Herman band
and made Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and Serge Chaloff a very famous
saxophone section.
What is notable about this piece is that the melody is basically a bebop melody
played by the saxophone section with brass interjections and responses. Also, the
soloists, all sax players, play bebop solos, a first for the Herman band on this
compendium. The saxophone soli that happens later in the tune is also bebop. Woody
Herman is the only soloist that sounds out of place on the tune, blowing a mere 8 bars.
The feel in the rhythm section is very modern. Don Lamond plays time on his
hihats for the entire melody and catches the brass hits on his snare drum. He then
moves to his ride cymbal, setting up a small group, bebop feel for the solos. Don
Lamond even comps in a modern way behind the third and forth sax soloists, dropping
bombs with his bass drum, playing some chatter on his snare and playing some accents
on his ride cymbal. The bass player walks consistently throughout the piece, using
chromatic pitches to connect his lines in a modern fashion.
The shout chorus is also notable because it gives the drummer, Don Lamond a
chance to open up and play some fills and setups. This shout chorus has become a
famous proving ground for drummers everywhere. The end of the tune is also
interesting because it presents breaks for each saxophone player followed by a
saxophone soli coda that is again bebop influenced.

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The form of the tune is a simple AABA, 32-bar form.

||: A (8) [Sax mel. w/ brass hits] :|| B (8) [Simile] A (8) [Simile] Tenor sax 1 solo
AA (16) [Brass bgs.] Bari sax solo BA (16) [Brass bgs.] Tenor sax 2 solo AA (16)
[Sax bgs.] BA (16) Tenor sax 3 solo [Sax bgs.] ||: Sax soli A (8) [Brass accomp.] :||
B (8) [Clar. solo w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Saxes w/ brass accomp.] ||: Shout A (8)
[Ens. riffs w/ drum fills] :|| B (8) [Saxes w/ brass hits] Shout A (8) [Ens. riffs w/
drum fills] Coda (2) [Tenor 1 solo] + (2) [Tenor 2 solo] + (2) [Tenor 3 solo]+ (2) [Bari
solo] + (4) [Sax soli] + Fermata [Sax soli fill]
Notes:

Stompin at the Savoy May, 1952.

Personnel: Edgar Sampson - comp., Ralph Burns - arr., Arno Marsh - tenor sax,
Woody Herman - clarinet, Nat Pierce - piano.
Instrumentation: 4t, 3tb, cl, 3ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Stompin was made famous by the Chick Webb Orchestra circa 1934.
18 years later, Hermans band records it in a drastic but wonderful arrangement.
Ralph Burns does wonders with the simple riff-based original that Webbs
Orchestra played almost 20 years earlier, and turns it into a sophisticated, modern
arrangement. Burns composes a brand new intro to the tune that features a bari sax,
low brass, bass soli that is an improvisation based on the melody of the tune.
Interestingly, Burns weaves this soli beneath the first A section of the tune as well. Here
the trombones play half the melody, and the other half, which is usually played by the
saxophone section is noticeably absent, allowing the countermelody in the lower
instruments to be clearly heard. Beneath this, the drummer plays time on his hihats, and
the time feel during these 8 bars feels suspended and weightless. For the second A
section, the bass player begins walking, solidifying the feel. The low countermelody is
also removed and is replaced by the trumpets who play back the trombone melody in
response. The drummer also shifts to his ride cymbal here, giving the feel a much more
modern quality. Burns removes the original melody from the bridge and instead
composes a new brass melody. Finally, the last A section presents the melody in its
entirety, replacing the missing saxophone lick.
The first solo is played by Arno Marsh on tenor sax and features some slick bebop
licks. After all, it is 1952 and everyone is aware of bebop. Marsh solos for the first two A
sections of this chorus. The bridge is quite amusing and interesting. Here, Burns brings
the band down to subito piano and composes a rising 8 bar ensemble soli that climbs
chromatically higher and higher while getting louder and louder. This builds some nice
tension which is released into a clarinet solo over the last A of the form.
The final chorus of the tune is a shout chorus that is very well conceived. The
first A section even includes a pause right in the middle, where the drummer chooses not
to setup up an ensemble figure, resulting in a moment of tension that is quickly resolved.
The shout lasts for 16 bars and takes some liberties with the harmonies of the two A

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sections it is replacing. It is at once bombastic, but also very well executed. The band
sounds very tight. Articulation is uniform and rhythms are precise. The drummer also
does a nice job of setting the band up. This loud shout gives way to a contrasting soft
bridge of piano solo by Nat Pierce who plays a solo that is Basie-esque in its
conception; very minimal and simple. The final A is a restatement of the melody in the
trombones with trumpet responses and again the second part of the melody that is
usually in the saxes is again missing.
The coda of the tune is similar to the intro, bringing back the low brass, bari sax,
bass soli over time in the drums. A four bar ensemble tag ends the tune followed by a
very unnessecary drum solo that almost ruins the end of the tune. Had the drummer just
played the final figure with the band the end of this tune would sound tighter and be
much better.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (6) [Loud ens. figures w/ drum setups] + (8) [Bari, low brass, bass soli] A (8)
[Bone melody w/ low countermel. over hihat], A (8) [Bone mel. w/ trpt. response, begin
walking bass] B (8) [Trpt. melody w/ sax bgs.] A (8) [Trpt./Sax mel.] AA (16)
[Tenor solo] B (8) [Chromatic rising ens. motive] A (8) [Clarinet solo w/ sax bgs.]
Shout A (8) [Ens.], Shout A (8) [Ens.] B (8) [Piano solo] A (8) [Bone mel. w/
trpt. response] Coda (4) [Bari, low brass, bass soli] + (4) [Ens. tag] Drum fill
Notes:

Sister Sadie October, 1962.

Personnel: Horace Silver - comp., Nat Pierce - arr., Sal Nistico - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 3ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Sister Sadie also became a very popular tune played by the Herman
band. The tune owes its bluesy sound to the Hard Bop composition style of Horace
Silver, a pianist most notable for co-founding and leading The Jazz Messengers with Art
Blakey. The form of the tune is a 32-bar AABA form. The A sections are basically a G
pedal with a few embellishing harmonies added (Ab, C, and C#), plus a ii-V turnaround.
The bridge moves the root up to C, the IV chord of G, the key of the tune, which is why
this tune sounds like a blues but isnt. The bridge starts on C and finds its way back to G.
Hard Bop, a style that emerges in the 1950s and was very popular in the early
1960s is very in your face, as is this arrangement of Sister Sadie. The tempo is up
there, although not as fast as bebop, it still is faster than most tunes. While accents on
two and four of bebop are really implied, there is no mistaking them here. Not only does
the drummer play a cross-stick on every single beat two and four of the entire tune, but it
sounds as though the members of the band are even clapping on beats two and four in
the intro; a stylistic trait of black Gospel music, one of the main musical sources for Hard
Bop. The pedal tones played by the trombones on beat four are also no less harsh.

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Sal Nistico, not to be confused with Sammy Nestico, blows some incredible blues
and bebop licks over the whole tune. He really wails. After 1 chorus Nistico solo that
includes some brass backgrounds on the bridge, the melody of the tune comes in. Nat
Piece arranges the melody of the tune in the trumpets, although the saxes play the last
two bars. The saxes take the melody for the bridge and last A section, accompanied by
the brass. Nistico is then left to solo with various background figures. One of these
background figures, during the 3rd chorus of Nistico solo, notably uses the tag rhythm
to a stock Ellington ending. All of the background figures behind the sax solo are riff
figures. After two choruses of solo the band plays an interesting interlude. The horns
come back in, playing a repeating motive that crescendos and grows higher and higher in
range over 10 bars before breaking for 2 measures to allow Nistico to solo. The band
then plays a 2 bar sendoff, with trumpets screeching, before the top of a new solo chorus
hits.
The melody of the tune is never restated. Instead Nistico blows one final chorus
of slick bebop licks accompanied by 2 riff backgrounds, one in the trumpets (Ellington
tag rhythm) and one in the saxes. Then the beat 4 pedal tone returns in the trombones
behind Nistico, who is still soloing. A two bar brass motive that was heard at the end of
the last chorus cuts the entire tune off, allowing Nistico to play a short cadenza before
the ensemble rips back in with a loud fermata.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (4) [Rhythm w/ beat 4 pedal] Sax solo AA (16) [Pedal tone] B (8) [Brass/sax
riff bgs.] A (8) [Pedal tone] ||: A (8) [Trpt. melody w/ sax accomp.] :|| B (8) [Sax
mel. w/ brass accomp.] A (8) [Simile] Sax solo Chorus 1 AA (16) B (8) [Brass
bgs.] A (8) [No bgs.] A (8) [Brass bgs.], A (8) [No bgs.] B (8) [Brass bgs.] A (8)
Notes:

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Claude Thornhill & His Orchestra

Snowfall Prob. 1947.
Personnel: Claude Thornhill - comp, arr. & piano.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2fhn, tba, cl, as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Like, Dizzy Gillespies Orchestra, the Thornhill band was one of the first
and most important bebop big bands. Snowfall is a 12-bar blues, but rather than using
the simple I-IV-I-V-IV-I progression, employs bebop harmony to embellish the
harmonic form of the blues by using passing harmonies between each of the standard
chords of the blues.
Right out of the gate the listener hears nothing but bebop in the form of the
melody being played in unison by one saxophone, one trumpet, and one trombone. This
is notable because Thornhill is essentially using a bebop small group (3 horns in unison
plus rhythm section) to state the melody. In effect, there is a smaller band inside the
bigger band. The melodic line is all bebop, using the types of sequences, chromatic
tones, and rhythms a bebop player like Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie might use. At
the very end of the first A section the 3 horn group is joined by the rest of the band, who
play a quick response to the end of the melody. The second chorus of melody adds
ensemble backgrounds, which are whole note chords. If one listens closely to these
backgrounds, one can here just how many new chords have been added to this blues.
There is almost a chord every two beats! Thats a lot of changes, but was very common in
the bebop era.
Following the melody, which is stated twice (like a bebop quintet would play it),
the band plays a 4 bar send off at the top of the next chorus. Basically, a sendoff is an
ensemble motive that occupies the first few bars of a solo, effectively sending off the
soloist onto their journey. This particular sendoff is very effective, especially the final
bar. The ensemble plays a dotted half note on beat 2, but the drummer sets it up
smoothly on beat one. The following tenor sax solo, accompanied by a few backgrounds
from both brass and saxes, is a typical bebop solo; nothing incredible happens, but for
1947 it was probably a rather advanced solo. One must remember that the distance
between 1945 (approx. start of the bebop era) and 1947 (the year this was recorded) is
much shorter than 1945 to the present. What sounds less advanced now in hindsight
was probably revolutionary back then. The ensemble re-enters and plays a similar send
off for the last chorus of the tenor solo.
Following the tenor solo, the rest of the band once again re-enters to play a
different send off for the trombone solo. This send off is extremely hip, using a
sequenced, running eighth note motive with plenty of chromatic notes that crescendos
into bar 5. The trombone solo is accompanied by a few backgrounds from the ensemble.
After 2 choruses, the trombone player drops out, leaving the rhythm section to groove for
one chorus for a shout chorus comes in.
Although this is a bebop big band, they cannot escape the temptation of a riff
shout chorus over the blues changes, and so, for one chorus play a riff-based shout
chorus that is slightly varied at the end. The drummer kicks the shout nicely. Next, we

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hear two choruses of trumpet solo with ensemble backgrounds. This solo is perhaps the
most stylistic bebop solo on this tune and this trumpet player sounds like the most
advanced bop player that solos on this chart.
The trio of horns restates the melody with saxophone backgrounds. A 2 bar drum
fill at the end of this chorus sets up one final shout chorus which is four bars of the same
riff that was heard in the previous shout followed by a four bar bebop-infused soli
melody in the trumpets that ends with an ensemble fermata.
Below is a form diagram:
Melody Chorus 1 (12) [Trpt./Sax/Bone] Melody Chorus 2 (12) [Simile, add ens. bgs]
Solo Chorus 1 (4) [Ens. sendoff] + (8) [Sax solo w/ bgs.] Solo Chorus 2 (12) [Sax solo
w/ sax bgs.] Solo Chorus 3 (6) [Ens. sendoff] + (6) [Sax solo] Solo Chorus 4 (4)
[Ens. sendoff] + (8) [Bone solo w/ bgs.] Solo Chorus 5 (4) [Ens. sendoff] + (8) [Bone
solo w/ sax bgs.] Chorus (12) [Rhythm section] Shout Chorus 1 (10) [Ens. riffs] +
(2) [Drum fill] Solo Chorus 6 (12) [Trpt. solo w/ sax bgs.] Solo Chorus 7 (12)
[Simile] Melody Chorus 3 (12) [Horn trio w/ bgs.] Shout Chorus 2 (4) [Ens. riff] +
(4) [Trpt. soli melody] Fermata
Notes:

Donna Lee November 6, 1947.

Personnel: Miles Davis - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Red Rodney - trumpet, Lee Konitz
- alto sax, Allan Langstaff - bone solo, Mickey Folus - tenor sax solo, Barry Galbraith guitar solo
Commentary: This piece is notable for two reasons. It is the first big band
arrangement of a bebop standard that was conceived for a small group. Secondly, it is
the first appearance of Gil Evans, an arranger that would go on to become one the most
important and influential arrangers in the history of jazz. Particularly notable are the 4
albums Gil recorded with Miles Davis featured on trumpet, a few tracks of which will be
discussed later.
The two most striking sections of this piece are the introduction and the coda,
both of which are similar in texture, sound, and orchestration. The introduction begins
with a quick motive in the piano that seems to lack any tonal center. It is unclear
whether this is improvised or composed. This motive is then mimicked by the drummer.
Another piano motive and the band enters over time on the ride cymbal. The horn parts
here are composed in a half time relationship to what the drummer is playing on his ride
cymbal. The entrances in all the parts are staggered, with no two sections of the band
playing at the same time, although there is rhythmic interplay between the two halves of
the band (brass and saxes). The horns then jump into the double time of the drums, play
a quick motive and the top of the form hits. Overall the intro is highly experimental and
slightly atonal; a far cry from the many introductions heard on the compendium so far.
It shows Gil Evans penchant for unabashed experimentation.

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Following one chorus of piano solo, which is very sparse and minimalistic in its
conception, the melody arrives. It must first be stated that Donna Lee is one of the
most difficult bebop tunes to play and it serves as a benchmark for many horn players.
Here,, Gil Evans arranges it in unison in the horn parts, just like it would be played in a
bebop era small group. The players pull it off with ease, obviously having practiced the
melody beforehand. The drummer comps and fills in the spaces of the melody like a
small group drummer. Evans adds a rhythmic motive to the end of the melody that acts
as a send off for the first soloist.
The first solo, by Allan Langstaff is perhaps the anti-thesis of bebop, which is
interesting considering Donna Lee is a bebop tune. He plays no bebop licks and very
little chromaticism. Mickey Folus tenor sax solo is only slightly better. The highlight of
the tune is ensemble soli composed by Gil Evans that follows the sax solo and acts as s
transition to the guitar solo. Evans employs some classic bebop licks and also quotes the
melody. Following the guitar solo, the melody repeats, but we only get the last 16 bars,
rather than the entire melody from the beginning. This is similar to the trick of skipping
to the bridge that other arrangers have used, although the halfway point of Donna Lee
is really the A section. This segues to the out coda on the final note of the melody,
where the tune would usually end if played by a small group. The coda climaxes and
ends with the trumpets playing a fermata. When they are cut off, the saxes hold over, an
interesting way to end a tune that would be used by many other arrangers and
composers.
Notable is the fact there are no backgrounds in this tune, much like a small group
would play. Also all the horn parts are completely unison except the intro and coda.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (?) [Piano/Drums] + (16) [Horns/piano over drum time] Piano solo (32)
Head (32) [Unison] Bone solo AB (16) Tenor solo AC (16) Ensemble Soli AB (16)
[Unison] Guitar Solo AC (16) Outhead AC (14) Coda (11) Fermata
Notes:

Robbins Nest October, 1947.

Personnel: Sir Charles Thompson & Illinois Jacquet - comp., Gil Evans - arr.,
Claude Thornhill - piano, Mario Rollo - tenor sax, Danny Polo - clarinet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, 2fhn, tba, cl, as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Robbins Nest is a very delicate arrangement that is played beautifully
by the band. For the entire tune, the band barely gets above a whisper except for during
the ensemble soli in the middle of the tune.
Gil Evans composes a light 6 bar intro that features a simple melody in the saxes
accompanied by the rhythm section. Claude Thornhill plays an ornamented version of
the melody over a grooving rhythm section. The ensemble comes in to support him at
the end of each A section. The saxophone section takes the bridge at whisper. The final

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A section is orchestrated in both the trumpets and saxes in unison. Danny Polo takes the
first two A sections as a solo on clarinet, improving and paraphrasing the melody. He is
accompanied by some soft backgrounds by the ensemble in the second A. These
backgrounds grow as the bridge is reached, ushering in Mario Rollo on tenor sax, who
instead of taking over the solo, simply plays a duet with Polo for the bridge. The entire
ensemble re-enters over the last A section playing a light soli composed by Gil Evans.
The highlight of this soli is really the way it starts at nothing, crescendos into the sixth
bar, and then decrescendos as it extends through the fourth bar of the first A section of a
new form. Thornhill finishes the phrase with a short piano solo. The ensemble then
reprises the melody, in unison, as before. The tune grooves to a close with a few more
small statements from the horns.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (6) [Sax mel., horns over rhythm] A (6) [Piano] + (2) [Ens.], A (6) [Ens.] B
(8) [Saxes] A (8) [Unison horns] A (8) [Clar. solo], A (8) [Clar. solo. w/ ens. bgs.]
B (8) [Clar./Sax solo] A (8) [Ens. soli] A (4) [Soli continues] + (4) [Piano] A
(6) [Unison horns] Coda (8)
Notes:

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Stan Kenton & His Orchestra

Cuban Carnival December, 1947.
Personnel: Pete Rugolo - comp. & arr., Eddie Safranski - bass, Laurindo Almeida guitar, Milt Bernhart - trombone, Art Pepper - alto sax, Al Porcino - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 5t, 5tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, g, b, d, 4perc.
Commentary: Notable first about this piece and the Kenton Orchestra in general is the
setup. Finally, we have a big band that as the standard uses a 5, 5, and 5 setup (5
trumpets, 5 low brass, 5 saxes) plus a rhythm section. Also notable is the fact that this
piece uses 4 percussionists. Previously we have seen only one percussionist being used
on some of the Dizzy Gillespie charts (Chano Pozo on Cubano Be/Cubano Bop and
Manteca).
The intro to this tune really sets up this group. The intro really has 3 layers, the
bass groove, which starts the tune, the combined percussion groove and the guitar
melody. The percussion groove is highly complex. It uses, in order of entrance, a upbeat
quarter note box triplet rhythm, a rhumba-like bongo pattern, and a sixteenth note
shaker pattern. Way in the back can be heard a fourth percussionist playing a clave
pattern. This tune features some of the most intricate guitar playing heard on this
compendium; an obvious mimicking of a latin guitar style by Brazilian born classical
guitarist Laurindo Almeida. This section of the piece is absolutely wonderful and its too
bad that it doesnt go on longer. The playing of Almeida is pleasant to listen to and his
style and concept are completely refined.
The trombones are first to enter and quickly the saxophones and trumpets enter
in a pyramid-like fashion, building the harmonies and dynamics of the tune. This leads
directly into a trombone melody with saxophone accompaniment. Here, the bass part is
particularly interesting. Instead of maintaining the groove he was previously playing,
the bass player begins walking in a double time fashion. It feels slightly awkward
beneath the percussion groove, but somehow it works. All of a sudden the tune stops;
the bass player reprises his earlier groove and the percussionists quickly change gears
into a new groove. The drummer enters, playing time on his hihats, although he varies it
quite a bit, much like a bebop player would play time, improvising and altering the swing
rhythm at will. The ensemble then enters, with the brass in the lead, crescendoing into a
sax solo by Art Pepper. The feel beneath this solo is slightly awkward and is reminiscent
of the swing feel in Cubano Be during which Chano Pozo maintained his conga
pattern beneath the swing feel. On this tune, the drummer is swinging and the bass
player is walking, but the percussionists maintain their straight latin groove beneath,
giving this section a dual feel that is slightly uneasy. The backgrounds behind Pepper
are sporadic and almost disjunct.
Following Peppers solo a shout chorus is played. The rhythm section first sets
up the groove followed by the trombones, who enter playing a quarter note box triplet
motive that oscillates back and forth between two pitches. The saxes then enter on a
pedal tone that eventually changes with the harmonies and the trumpets come soaring in
over top. The lead player climbs higher and higher and higher until the time breaks

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down and the entire ensemble segues into a bashing, slowing triplet motive which ends
the tune.
The sound of this tune, and most of the Kenton repetoire is very experimental.
The harmonies in this piece are much more dense than many of the other tunes on this
compendium. The composers and arrangers for Kentons band were all extremely
experimental and were not afraid to stick sounds, motives, or chord progressions
together than usually would not be combined. The resulting sound can sometimes be
atonal or even polytonal. This piece has a slightly atonal sound to it and dissonance is
usually a comparative idea in Kentons music. For example a fully diminished chord is
more dissonant than a half diminished chord, but when compared to a major triad, they
are both dissonant.
Notes:

Young Blood September, 1952.

Personnel: Gerry Mulligan - comp. & arr., Conte Candoli - trumpet, Richie Kamuca
- tenor sax, Lee Konitz - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 5tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, g, b, d.
Commentary: Much more in, and less progressive than Cuban Carnival, Young
Blood is basically a bebop chart arranged for the Kenton band by one of the greatest
bebop bari saxophonists, Gerry Mulligan.
This tune sounds like it uses rhythm changes, or a variation of it, at some point,
but Im really not sure. There are a few moments that make me unsure.
What is really neat about this tune is that the melody is phrased in odd measured
phrases. The tune begins with the saxes and trombones, who begin to state the melody
for two measures. They are joined by the rhythm section, who play 7 measures of time,
for a total first A section of 9 bars. The second A section repeats the melody in the saxes,
but adds a trombone countermelody. This A section is slightly different, and repeats a
bar near the end, making the total measures 10. The trumpets enter at the bridge and
play the melody, accompanied by trombone and sax backgrounds for 8 bars. The final A
section is pretty weird. What it sounds like is the second A section for 8 bars followed by
a 5 bar extension that sets up a 2 bar trumpet break for Conte Candoli, making the last A
section an 8 + 5 + 2 form.
What is dissapoint about this tune are the solo sections. Instead of having the
soloists play over the odd form, the tune goes into a 32 bar, AABA form. To my ear it
sounds like Rhythm Changes, although Im not exactly sure. Conte Candoli blows a nice
trumpet solo, followed by a tenor sax solo. Both are accompanied by various ensemble
backgrounds.
The next section of the tune is a modulation ensemble transition that
seems to move the key of the tune up a perfect fourth. Here we get one more solo, from
Lee Konitz on alto sax, the best solo of the tune. Following Konitzs solo the band plays a
rollocking shout chorus that is also in the AABA, 32 bar form, although the changes here

151

are different than beneath the soloists. The shout chorus comes off smoothly, with the
drummer kicking, filling, and catching all the ensemble rhythms. The chords in this
section of music are voiced rather thickly with 4-6 notes per chord voicing. After the last
A of shout, the tune segues into an interesting coda that ends the tune.
Below is a form diagram:
A1 (2) [Saxes/trombone mel.] + (7) [Add rhythm], A (10) [Sax mel./bone
countermel.] B (8) [Trpt. mel. w/ sax/bone bgs.] A (8) [Trpt. mel. 2 countermel. in
sax/bone] + (5) [Ens. unison] + (2) [Trpt. break] AABA (32) [Trpt. soli w/ various
bgs.] AABA (32) [Tenor sax solo w/ various bgs.] Modulating transition (up P4) (8)
[Ens.] AABA (32) [Alto sax solo w/ various bgs.] ||: Shout (8) [Ens.] :|| B (4)
[Trpt. solo] + (4) [Ens.] Shout (8) [Ens.] Coda (2) [Ens.] + (2) [Bones/saxes] (2)
[Add trpts.]+ Tag [Unison rhythm]
Notes:

A Trumpet February, 1953.

Personnel: Robert Graettinger - comp. & arr., Maynard Ferguson - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 5t, 5tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: Ah.Some nice atonal music. A Trumpet has perhaps the most
interesting and thought provoking introduction on this compendium. Beginning with a
pyramid of notes that combine to form a dissonant cluster, the intro goes on to feature
two sax players playing in a minor second relationship and a soaring trumpet player.
The introduction reaches almost fever pitch, with Maynard Ferguson reaching higher
and higher before the ensemble beneath him fades out, allowing him to hit the
penultimate note. A rather tribal drum beat enters, reminiscent of the timpani beating
that announces King Kong. The clusters of tones and notes continue above this rhythm
as does Maynards trumpet melody which finally succumbs to an insistent, dissonant,
crescendoing quarter note motive played by the rest of the horns. This motive washes
over the band and then quickly cuts off, again leaving only Maynard to finish his motive.
The saxophones then re-enter and begin playing an oscillating motive that sounds like an
ambulance siren. The brass come back in, with more cluster chords that grow louder
and louder as Maynard plays another solo melody over top of the ensemble. An
ensemble fermata is played as a sforzando, decrescendo. The horns get out of the way
and again leave Maynard alone for a moment. The saxes re-enter and play a dissonant
motive of their own, before a solo trumpet re-introduces the ensemble. The saxes and
brass then do battle of their own, trading a couple sections. Maynard re-enters and plays
a short cadenza, before the entire ensemble enters again above a swing pattern in the
ride cymbal. Maynard then screeches out a face-peeling note and the trumpets respond
with 12-tone like melodic rows while the trombones and saxes begin to setup a tempo
beneath.
The rhythm section then kicks into a quick swing feel. Maynard blows a solo over
some ensemble backgrounds. The solo then begins alternating between short ensemble

152

bursts and solos from Maynard. Many times the ensemble covers him up with their
cacophonus, but interesting to listen to, dissonant backgrounds, motives, and phrases.
Here is seems as though 4 layers are present. The dissonance and confusion created by
the brass, the consistent warbling of the saxophones, Maynards solo, and the rhythm
section time feel. Another face peeling chord is hit, with Maynard screeching on top. In
an impressive demonstration of dynamic control, this high note and chord decrescendos
to end the tune.
This piece seems much more like a study in tone and color than an actual jazz
arrangement and it is rather progressive. The beginning of the tune could absolutely
be confused as a piece of modern classical music, something that Kentons band
frequently incorporated into their sound.
Notes:

Egdon Heath March, 1953.

Personnel: William Russo - comp. & arr., Bob Fitzpatrick - trombone, Davey
Schildkraut - alto sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 5tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of the most interesting facets of this piece is the complex ostinati
pattern that accompanies the melody and permeates much of the tune. The first
saxophone we hear at the beginning plays an eighth note descending triplet motive, with
two sixteenth notes occupying the middle note of the triplet. Immediately, the bari sax
player begins playing a similar sixteenth note descending motive above this, setting up a
4 against 3 polyrhythmic feel. If there werent enough, a trumpet player enters on an
eigth note descending motive, further complicating the polyrhythm. Finally, more
instruments are added, and all play some variation of either the triplet, sixteenth note, or
eighth note motive. The combined effect is a swirling texture that is slightly mysterious
and ethereal.
Bob Fitzpatrick enters on the melody above this texture. Towards the end of his
melody, a trombone player begins playing some accented offbeat figures and the
polyrhythmic ethereal ostinati pattern begins to dissipate until only the original sax
player is left. The offbeat accents grow more forceful and louder as the trumpets join in.
The drummer then kicks into brush time and the ensemble plays a short in time soli that
grows more intense in dynamic level. At the second half of the soli, William Russo takes
one eighth note motive, repeats it a couple times and then speeds up the note values,
presenting the eigth notes as triplets and then as sixteenth notes; an effective arranging
trick. When the soli finally breaks, the tune goes into a half time groove, and a solo alto
sax enters, playing some nice tonal, slick licks over ensemble backgrounds.
Near the end of this solo, the brass enters with a sudden forte note, catching the
listener off guard. The solo dissipates back into the solo trombone melody as the
swirling ostinati builds beneath him. The ostinati comes to a halt on a fermata and ends
the tune.

153

Notes:

Whats New? July, 1955.

Personnel: Bob Haggart - comp., Bill Holman - arr., Bill Perkins - tenor sax, Sam
Noto - trumpet, Lennie Niehaus - alto sax, Kent Larsen - trombone.
Instrumentation: 5t, 5tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: This tune is notable first because it was arranged by Bill Holman, an
arranger whose music has become some of the most respected and loved arrangements
in the jazz cannon. As in A Trumpet, a group of instruments begin playing bell tones at
the top of this tune in a pyramid effect. These tones combine to form a cluster of sound.
A solo saxophone begins playing a melody and is eventually joined by the full sax section.
All the while, the drummer keeps time with brushes on his snare. This cluster of sounds
cuts out, leaving only the saxes, the builds up again, introducing the top of the tune.
When the top of the form hits, there are three layers of melody and
accompaniment. Each section of the band, the trumpets, trombones, and saxes each
play a lead role in the statement of the melody. Their parts intertwine and and create an
intruiging texture that has not been heard before on this compendium. An outro that
recalls some of the themes from the intro transitions the tune into solos. More
interesting than the solos are the backgrounds, which fade in and out behind the soloists.
Following the alto sax solo a short shout chorus is played, and Sam Noto takes a trumpet
solo with ensemble backgrounds. These backgrounds are basically a soli that is going on
beneath Noto while he is soloing and coule absolutely stand alone. The backgrounds are
highly melodic and again use the same three-part texture as the melody. The 3 horn
sections each take the lead at some point, smoothly passing the baton to the other
sections. Following the trumpet solo, another short ensemble soli transitions the tune
into an alto sax solo. Again, soli-like backgrounds accompmany the soloist. Bill Holman
uses some very intruiging and interesting voicings during the backgrounds behind all the
soloists, something he is very famous for.
Following a trombone solo, which includes a similar ensemble background style,
the ensemble re-enters. The saxes almost play a soli here with the brass accompanying
them. The feel here is loose; it floats and is not a 4-to-the bar feel at all. The beat is
much wider and the rhythm section is phrasing in bars rather than beats, one of the first
times a rhythm section has played in such a loose manner. Eventually, this soli
crescendos into a pseudo-shout chorus, with the drummer filling and kicking the brass.
For the most part, all the horns are in rhythmic unison during the shout chorus, with the
occasional saxophone or trombone fill. Basically, this shout chorus decrescendos by
using a repeated saxophone motive that is accompanied by bell tones in the trumpets
and bones, in a manner simlar to the intro. The final sonority of this tune is really
interesting; it is a thickly voiced chord, probably 6 or even 7 different notes, with close
intervallic relationships between some of the voices.
Notes:

154

La Suerte De Los Tontos

Commentary: The title of this literally translates to The Luck of The Idiots or Idiots
Luck. I dont know exactly what that has to do with the piece, but it is an interesting
fact.
From the beginning of this piece it is really unclear what type of ensemble is
playing. The brass fanfare could be clearly misconstrued as a concert wind band.
Notable also is the fact that the brass section utilizes a tuba, but obviously not in the
same was as the Paul Whiteman band used tuba. Rather than playing the role of the
bass, the tuba holds down the very bottom end of the brass section. The fanfare builds
up to fever pitch with unison rhythms in the entire ensemble over a roll on the bongos.
At the release of the whole note played by the ensemble, the rhythm section kicks in with
the time, a feel that could be described as a 12/8 Afro-Cuban groove.
The horn section enters at a soft dynamic playing a melodic vamp that is repeated
over and over, crescendoing on each repeat. The saxophones then begin playing the
melody beneath this vamp. The melody is eventually taken over by the trumpet section.
It also sounds like this piece employs a French horn to play some rather high
countermelody during the head of the tune, another first for this compendium.
Following the melody we hear a quick statement by the French horn. The brass then
setup a groove over which an alto player solos. A trumpet solo enters after the sax solo.
The ensemble shout chorus following the trumpet solo is highlighted by some
very thickly voiced chords that climax in a flurry of high-note, dissonant sonorities;
really surging the intensity of this tune over the edge. Below these chords, the groove
continues. The end of the piece is a full ensemble fermatathat again sounds like a
concert wind band, particularly with the rolling of the drummer, who either has a very
resonsant floor tom, or is actually playing a timpani.
The form of this tune is interesting. It is an AABA tune with the A sections
lasting 8 bars, but the bridge is 16 bars, making the total length of the form 40 measures.
It also sounds like a 4 bar extension is added to the final A section at time, pushing the
form to 44 bars.
This piece is notable because it is the first piece on the compendium that is not in
simple duple meter (4/4), but rather is in compound meter (either 3/4 or 6/4).
Sometimes it is even divided in groups of eighth notes in the following manner (listen to
some of the rhythmic ostinati played by the trombones): 3,3,2,2,2.
Notes:

155

The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra

The Loop October, 1954.
Personnel: Eddie Sauter - comp. & arr., Nick Travis - trumpet, Gene Allen baritone sax, Joe Venuto - xylophone.
Instrumentation: 3t, 3tb, tu, 1as (w/cl), 2ts, 2bari, harp, p, g, b, d, 2perc.
Commentary: To me, the Sauter-Finegan orchestra sounds like a combination of the
Thornhill Band, the New Testament Basie band, and the Stan Kenton Orchestra. They
borrow the groove from the Basie band; the drummer plays on his hats during the intro
and during a few solos. The bassist walks a clean 4 to the bar for most of the tune. The
piano playing in the tag near the end of the tune is also very Basie-esque. And the guitar
chunking is very Freedie Gree-like; just listen to the rhythm section groove behind the
xylophone solo. Some of the shout chorus parts are also in the style of the Basie band, at
least some of the sections that are riff dominated. The opening few bars of trombone
melody are quite Basie-esque in an nature.
From the Thornhill band, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra borrows the bebop
sensibilities. The soloists are playing bebop, something that the Thornhill bands soloists
are noted for. The sax soli is also a Thornhill-esque sounding section.
The influence of the Kenton band is quite obvious. Many times this piece takes a
slight left turn for the more progressive side of jazz. For example, the first 4 bars of the
melody are light, airy and Basie-esque, but the second 4 bars lets rip with a bombast of
crash cymbal hits and descending harmonies that seem to come out of left field. The
section that follows the first half of trumpet solo is at once extremely progressive with its
advanced harmonies, aggressive with its loud dynamics and brash articulation, and
playful with its dainty woodwind/xylophohe melody.
The ensemble parts that
intermitently interrupt the bari solo seem like a late Basie band arrangement on Stan
Kenton steroids.
Just before the main shout chorus of the tune, Eddie Sauter has composed a
really cool ensemble soli that again is part Kenton, part Thornhill. It is controlled in its
dynamic at the start, but quickly grows and grows as the piece modulates by half step
upward. The dynamics in the shout chorus are also executed nicely; with the first chorus
being a brash forte and the second four dropping down to a whisper.
The xylophone solo is just comical; there is no way around it.
Notes:

156

Maynard Ferguson & His Orchestra

On Green Dolphin Street September, 1964.
Personnel: Bronislaus Kaper - comp., Mike Abene - arr., Maynard Ferguson trumpet, Frank Vicari - tenor sax, Kenny Rupp - trombone.
Instrumentation: 5t, 1tb, 1vtb, 1as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Fast-forward 10 years from the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, and this
compendium finds itself in 1964. A lot has happened in the last 10 years. Miles Davis
has broken new ground with Kind Of Blue, Hard Bop, which was in full swing in the 50s
is now dwindling, giving rise to new sounds in jazz. John Coltranes A Love Supreme is
released in 1964 and Miles Davis organizes his legendary second quintet with Wayne
Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. Jazz is indeed in good shape
and is progressing at an alarming rate.
This particular arrangement feels like a small group arrangement played by a big
band. The backgrounds and countermelodies are played particularly light and the time
is never weighed down by the horn players. The rhythm section feels is also light, except
for when the drummer kicks the band. Many of Maynards arrangements feel this way.
The melody to this piece is arranged as a unison between a tenor sax and
trumpet, the way the tune would most likely be played in a small group setting. The
backgrounds behind the melody are highly melodic, moreso than almost any other
composer, arranger, or big band on this compendium. Not only do the backgrounds
embellish the changes perfectly, but they also fill the spaces created by the melody and
provide a pleasant countermelody. The melody of this tune is split in half between 2
different feels; a floating feel beneath the first 8 bars and a regular 4 swing feel beneath
the second 8 bars. Not only does the rhythm section make this change, but the character
of the background change from a legato melody to a much more stylized melody with
swing articulation (long-short, etc.). The usual tag is added to the end of the melody,
crescendoing and adding the brass to push the end of the melody over the edge. A 4 bar
rhythm section vamp sets up the top of the solo forms.
Also notable in this arrangement is the ensemble soli that occurs after the sax
solo. Here, the trumpet section takes the lead while the saxophones and trombones
embellish their melody by playing rhythmic hits that line up with the trumpets and
provide a harmonic underscoring and countermelody. Following these 16 bars, Maynard
takes the lead, playing a solo for the second A section, which is notable extended to 24
bars, rather than the usual 16, owing its extra length to the entrance of the ensemble who
play a rising set of figures that abruptly cut off leaving only the saxes to play a 2 bar
break that leads into their soli. The sax soli is notable because it is really the first
completely modern sax soli. It is almost like a retrospective of all the styles of soli
playing heard on this compendium thus far. There are unison lines, bebop lines, and
harmonized melodies present in the 32 bar soli.
Finally, the shout chorus is also notable. The drummer kicks the ensemble
smoothly and effortlessly. The time does not waver. The articulation and phrasing is
unified throughout the band. Maynard comes soaring in over top of the band midway

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through the first 16 bars. The second 16 bars drop way down in intensity and dynamic,
presenting a nice contrast to the listener. Here, the low brass and bari sax play a pedal
while the upper brass play a melody that grows in intensity, ushering in a few more kicks
by the drummer before the rhythm section vamp and melody return.
Below is a form diagram:
Intro (1 bar pickup + 6) [Woodwind melody w/ brass hits/countermel.] + (4) [Unison
horn chords] Melody A (8) [Trpt./Sax mel. w/ ens. countermel. & floating feel] + (8)
[Trpt./Sax mel. w/ sax countermel. & 4 feel] Melody A (8) [Simile to A] + (4) [Simile
to A] + (6) [Tag, crescendos/adds brass] Vamp (4) [Rhythm] Sax solo A (8) [Ens.
bgs, swells, floating feel] + (8) [Ens. bgs., 4 feel] Sax solo A (8) [Rhythm only] + (8)
[Sax countermel.] Ens. Soli A (16) [Trpt. Mel. w/ bone/sax accomp.] Trpt. Solo A
(8) + (14) [Ens. bgs., crescendo] + (2) [Sax soli break] Sax soli A (16) Sax soli A
(16) Bone solo A (8) + (8) [Trpt. long note bgs./sax staccato hits] Bone solo A (8)
[Sax bgs.] + (8) [No bgs.] Shout A (8) [Ens.] + (8) [Trpt. solo over shout] Shout A
(8) [Softer, Low brass/bari pedal w/ brass melody] + (6) [Ens.] Vamp (4) [Rhythm]
Melody A (8) [Sax/Trpt. mel. w/ brass hits/countermel.] + (4) [Sax bgs.] + (6) [Tag,
crescendos/adds brass] + (1) [Coda, drum fill]
Notes:

Got The Spirit June, 1965.

Personnel: Slide Hampton - comp. & arr., Ferguson - trumpet, Willie Maiden tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 2tb, 1as, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: WHOA! Maynard really wails at the start of this tune in duo with the
drummer, who responds to his stylistic lead playing. Following an amen cadence in the
piano, the tune, a 12/8 blues-like stop time melody with a bridge kicks in. The form of
the tune is AABA, 32 bars.
Both the A sections of the melody and all the solos are very blues inflected. Willie
Maidens playing is extremely bluesy, employing not only the blues scale, but bebop
licks, and tenor sax blues clichs. The middle of his solo really heats up when the saxes
enter on a background vamp. The form of the tune is also abandoned. Instead of playing
the AABA form, Maiden is left to solo over a rhythm section and saxophone vamp that
begins building, adding the brass in the process. This really heightens the tension of the
tune, but instead of climaxing to a boiling point, the vamp slowly fades out, the brass
exiting first, followed by the trombones, leaving only the saxes behind Maiden.
Eventually they fade out as well. Next, Maynard enters, but Maiden doesnt go away.
Here they play a collective improvisation, calling and responding to each others every
melody. Finally, Maiden exits, leaving Maynard to solo over the rhythm section. The
same vamp that we heard behind Maidens solo enters once again, building Maynards
screeching and flailing solo to a climax. Here however, the tension is released right back

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into the stop time melody. The entire melody, 32 bars, AABA, is reprised. Maynard then
reprises his intro solo, playing all the blues he can muster, with the drummer responding
once again. The texture of drum/trumpet duet is notable because it shows that the
drummer is being put in the limelight more and more and that drummers are becoming
notable not just for their timekeeping ability but can be a valuable solo force in the band.
This duet goes on for quite some time, climaxing with some stratospheric trumpet
playing. And then it happens! Instead of the piano player playing the amen cadence
like in the beginning, the band actually sings the plagal cadence and the words amen.
Simply priceless!
This tune is notable because it is over 9 minutes in length, the longest tune, by far
to this point on this compendium. But rather than having a lot of composed parts, solis,
shout choruses, etc., the tunes length is owed to the lengthy solos.
Notes:

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Buddy Rich & His Orchestra

West Side Story 1968.
Personnel: Leonard Bernstein - comp., Rich - drums, Bob Mintzer - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 5t, 3tb, 2as, 2ts (1w/ss), bari, 2g, p, b, d, perc.
Commentary: What big band collection or compilation would be complete without at
least one tune by the fabulous Buddy Rich. If nothing else, every must bear witness to
Buddys incredible drumming. Notable here is that West Side Story was originally a
piece of music composed as an underscore to acting. It was, however, re-orchestrated for
Richs band, and became one of the bands signature pieces.
The band sounds extremely tight, especially with a master such as Buddy at work
behind the skins. He catches, setups and plays just about every single hit in the band.
Although Buddy couldnt read music, his memory and ear were incredible and he was
known for his ability to memorize exactly what every section of the band was playing at
any particular time. That facet of his playing is completely obvious here because he
catches and kicks everything the band plays, and fills in all the spaces.
After Buddys quick cymbal and hi hat solo and count-in, the band rips into the
melody. What is notable is how the tune goes from one tempo right at the beginning to a
new tempo almost immediately, using only Buddys hi hat playing as a cue for the tempo
change. After a quick little hi hat solo, hits in the low brass, which Buddy catches, set up
the solo sax melody. The trumpets come in with a repeating motive with the saxes
supplying support below. The trumpets then take the melody, with the lead player
soaring above the staff. A rhythmic vamp in the rhythm section, low brass, and saxes
provides countermelody and support for the trumpets. The saxes then take the bridge.
Buddy plays a short drumset solo and the melody comes back in. Here the saxes take the
melody, although it is almost buried by the hits of the brass. Then were off to solos over
a vamp.
This is arrangement is very orchestral in nature with many different sections and
changes. Notice how the rhythm section drops out during the second half of the sax solo.
Also note the way the ensemble interrups the sax solo to play a new thematic motive.
Then all of a sudden, Buddy kicks into a rock groove and the tune takes a left turn.
Buddy, the bass player, and the percussionist play as a trio for a bit. Buddy then takes a
continuous solo that doesnt break at all. His playing is smooth, flawless and very hip,
and never misses a beat! The tempo, time, and groove are perfect, after all, he is Buddy.
This solo proves to me that Buddy Rich was not human.
The conga player is really annoying an unnessecary, playing the stock conga
pattern the whole time. Knowing what a purist and stickler Buddy was, Im surprised to
hear a conga player in this band.
Notes:

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The Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band

Weep July, 1961.
Personnel: Gary McFarland - comp. & arr., Gerry Mulligan - baritone sax, Bob
Brookmeyer - valve trombone, Don Ferrara - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 2tb, vtb, 2as (1w/cl), ts, bari (w/bcl), b, d.
Commentary: First of all, why Concert Jazz Band. Well, it certainly implies that the
art of jazz is becoming elevated and being brought into the concert hall. It is an
interesting name for a group that is basically a regular big band.
Interestingly, Mulligan, the famed bebop bari sax player ends up leading his own
band in the sixties, taking a page from Dizzy Gillespie who was one of the first bop
players to lead his own big band. Mulligans band, however, is slightly more modern
than Dizzys big band, owing this modern sound to a drastic difference in the decades
each was leading a band.
Weep is a fairly standard big band chart. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
Mulligan caries the first A section himself over only a bass, an interesting texture for the
beginning of the tune. For the second A, the drummer kicks in and plays some light time
on his hi-hats. Mulligan is also accompanied by a trombone, who plays the melody in
unison with him, and an alto/clarinet duo that supply background countermelody.
The backgrounds behind Mulligans solo are well composed, utilizing rhythmic
hemiolas, hits, and countermelody to spice up his solo. In general the horn lines in this
piece are highly melodic and are reminiscent of the sound of Maynards band.
Everything in this chart is a melody, even the short staccato backgrounds behind part of
Mulligans solo have a shape and melodic direction to them. The ensemble soli following
Mulligans solo is a really interesting texture. Here, a clarinet player is orchestrated way
down in lowest register for 8 bars, supplying some really interesting countermelody that
could easily be missed. For the second 8 bars, the same clarinet plays a trill that clashes
with much of what is going on in the other horn parts.
Another heavyweight of the contemporary big band scene, Bob Brookmeyer
graces this track with his valve trombone playing. Behind him, the saxes play some
precisely articulated riff-like backgrounds. Following Brookmeyer, Don Ferrara takes a
delicate muted trumpet solo with some nice countermelody and backgrounds from the
clarinet.
The shout chorus of this tune really starts building when the trumpet section reenters with a melody after Ferrars trumpet solo. The tune builds over these 16 bars,
propelling into a 4 bar shout section with a simple, yet effective drum fill. At bar 5, the
ensemble gets down to a whisper, which they hold behind a Gerry Mulligan solo.
Mulligan eventually exits the texture, leaving the ensemble to delicately end the tune.
Mulligan fills above the final fermata and the tune cuts off cleanly, leaving the listener
satisfied.
Notes:

161

Michel Legrand & His Orchestra

Night In Tunisia June, 1958.
Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie - comp., Legrand - arr., Phil Woods & Gene Quill - alto
saxes, Frank Rehak - trombone, Ernie Royal, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd & Joe Wilder trumpets.
Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 2as, 1ts,1bari, 1fh, vibes, p, b, d.
Commentary: Ive played this particular arrangement twice in Davids Big Band and
each time I hear it or play it, it simply amazes me.
The intro to the tune is wonderfully put together. Basically it fragments the
melody and orchestrates these fragments in different sections of the band. First in the
trumpets, then the trombones, then saxes, then solo acoustic bass, before the melody
comes in. The A section to the tune is used as a loop to setup up a very thick texture that
builds slowly. The melody is played by solo alto sax over the bari sax, who plays the
composed bass line. For the second A, the trombones enter with a very interesting vamp.
The third A, yes third A, introduces the trumpets into the mix. And the fourth A adds a
lead trumpet player above every thing else. By the time this texture hits the top of the
fourth A section, it is very thick, but all the parts are still audible. The bridge is played by
a solo trumpet player with some help from other instruments in the band. The final A
reprises the fully orchestrated texture before segueing into the interlude. The ensemble
hits right before the saxophone break are rather tricky , with a quarter note box triplet
coming out of nowhere and with no setup from the drummer. This ensemble pulls it off
smoothly.
Phil Woods blows his brains out on this tune above the band, who play some very
articulate, accurate, and tight backgrounds. Frank Rehak also finds his way around the
changes nicely. Notably, in the middle of the first half of his solo, the time shifts into ,
where the trumpets play a short melodic motive that modulates with the harmonies. The
tune then settles back into 4/4. Following Rehaks solo the rest of the tune is basically a
trumpet feature, with Ernie Royal, Art Farmer, Donaly Byrd, and Joe Wilder trading 8s,
4s, 2s, and then 1s. All four players sound great, opting for bebop stylings and slick licks
rather than doing battle with high notes. Beneath the trumpet solos the backgrounds are
well played. Notable is the way the saxophone section uses swells and dynamics when
playing their backgrounds. Following the trumpet solos, the drummer plays a short solo
and the ensemble re-enters with an augmentation of part of the melody. The tune then
segues into a coda over which an alto player solos. The tune fades out with a board fade,
a sign of the use of technology.
Notes:

Stompin At The Savoy June, 1958.

Personnel: Edgar Sampson - comp., Legrand - arr., Phil Woods - alto sax, Frank
Rehak - trombone, Ernie Royal, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd & Joe Wilder - trumpets.

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Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, 1fh, vibes, p, b, d.

Commentary: The fact that bands are still playing Stompin by 1958 shows that it
really is a true classic. This particular arrangement remains faithful to the original, but
adds some flair and modern sensibility to the tune. The chord structure and form of the
tune remain completely intact.
The two most notable parts of this tune are the inhead and the outhead. The tune
begins with a two bar introduction, a pedal point played by the rhythm section on two
and four, with a dissonant chord crescendoing in the trombones. The melody is played
by two saxophones. The rest of the members of the sax section and some of the brass
players harmonize the melody at every phrase point (every other bar). The melody is
also slightly embellished rhythmically. Finally, the combined effect of the sax melody,
harmonized phrase points, and responses in the brass create a very continuous melodic
style. It almost sounds as if the melody never stops and is continuous from the first A
section all the way through the last A section. Notable also is the fact that the drummer
plays time on his hats during the melody in a very authentic manner. The drummer does
the same on the outhead.
The solos on this tune are anything but authentic, but they are all very well
played. Again, Phil Woods really blows on this tune, pulling out his Charlie Parker licks.
During the trumpet and before trombone solo, Michel Legrand composes 2 four
bar sendoffs that are perhaps two of the highlights of the tune. Both of these sendoffs
use bebop infused licks, but harmonize them in unique ways. In the middle of the
trumpet solo, Legrand uses a ascending trumpet melody and a descending sax melody
that compliment each other nicely. Before the trombone solo, the listener is tricked into
thinking that he/she is about to hear a shout chorus.
The end of the tune is interesting. Instead of composing an actual ending the
tune becomes a broken record, repeating the 5th and 6th bars of the melody over and over
while the tune fades out with a board fade; a popular new technique that bands began to
use in the 50s and 60s. This would eventually fall out of vogue.
Notes:

In A Mist June, 1958.

Personnel: Bix Beiderbecke - comp., Legrand - arr., Seldon Powell - tenor sax, Art
Farmer - trumpet, Frank Rehak - trombone.
Instrumentation: 4t, 2tb, 2as, 1ts, 1bari, 1fh, vibes, p, b, d.
Commentary: Legrand orchestrates the melody to this piece throughout the entire
band. The drummer even orchestrates the melody on his kit. The bass player holds
down the time, walking 4 to the bar. The saxes play the main melodic statement and are
harmonized by the brass who play hits that line up with certain rhythms in the melody.
The melody also crescendos nicely from a mezzo piano up to a forte following a whole

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tone ascending motive, after which the trumpets are scored in the upper register.
Following the melody an augmented chord in the vibes combined with a skipping and
playful saxophone melody and a pedal point in the low brass provide a 4 bar to a sax
solo.
Seldon Powell blows over some smooth brass background figures. These figures
are made even more pleasant to listen to by the pastel tone of the french horn. The
melody is reprised in order to transition between the sax and trumpet solos, an effective
way of transitioning to a new soloist without just simply switching. Following the
trumpet solo, the 4 bar transition is used to transition to a trombone solo.
The most interesting section of the piece occurs near the 2:30 minute mark where
the rhythm section completely drops out and the saxes are left to play a beautiful soli
with only vibe accompaniment. This moves quickly into a piano solo. This whole section
seems to come out of nowhere and is a really effective contrast to the entire beginning of
the tune. The melody, however, does re-enter kind of abruptly. This new texture could
have been explored a little further. All the listener gets as a reprise of the melody is the
first 2 bars in the saxes, repeated over and over. Above that, the rest of the members of
the ensemble creep in and improvise cacophonously and atonally, completely obscuring
the sax melody and the time of the tune. Eventually, the band reaches one big fermata to
end the tune. This is a really interesting and effective ending, and the way it is executed,
with the atonal, cacophony creeping in, is almost Charles Ives-ish in nature.
Notes:

164

The Gil Evans Orchestra

Springsville May, 1957.
Personnel: John Carisi - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis - flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t, flugel, 2fhn, 4tb, tu, 1as, 1bcl, 2fl/cl, b, d.
Commentary: What is so important about the arrangements that Gil Evans did with
Miles Davis in the late 1950s is the fact that basically all 4 albums that they made
together were conceived as concertos for jazz band and trumpet/flugelhorn soloist.
Really, never before in the history of jazz had and entire album worth of big band music
been written with the sole purpose of highlighting one particular player. But if anyone
was worthy it was Miles, who plays spectacularly on every single track he recorded with
the Gil Evans Orchestra. Both Springsville and the following track, The Maids of
Cadiz are off of the debut collaboration between Miles and Gil. Released in 1957 and
entitled Miles Ahead (it really was miles ahead), it would spark controversy because of
the original cover, which showed a black woman and a white little boy in the same
photograph. That cover would eventually be replaced by a photo of Miles playing
trumpet. Today the album is also known as Miles + 19.
Where do you start when you discuss Gil Evans? There is almost no point in form
diagrams here, as they would take up an entire page, so for the remainder of the Gil
Evans music, I will simply write commentary and observations.
What Gil has essentially composed with Springsville is a lengthy solo for
MilesDavis with interruptions from the ensemble. Gil also writes some interesting
backgrounds behind Miles, and really there isnt more than a few measures where a horn
section of the ensemble isnt playing. One of the highlights of the arrangement begins
right before the 2:00 mark. Here, the ensemble cuts off Miles and plays a 16 measure
soli before Miles re-enters. This soli really showcases Gils orchestrational techniques.
The entire first half of the soli is written in rhythmic unison through the horns but it is
harmonized so uniquely. Then, the trumpets take the lead and play the melody with the
rest of the ensemble harmonizing and playing slower moving rhythmic lines that catch
the important hits in the melody. At the end of this soli Gil has the low brass play a
whole note that extends pass the cutoff and well into Miles next section of solo. This is
very unique.
The rhythm section swings with a relaxed, understated smoothness on this piece
and sounds very similar to one of Miles small group rhythm sections. Art Taylor, a
virtuosic small group drummer, plays on this album, but doesnt really change his
approach to the music or to the drummers role. Along with Paul Chambers on bass, he
simply swings and sets the groove that really makes this tune pop.
The way the melody to this tune is orchestrated, going back and forth between
solo flugelhorn and the ensemble is simply genius. Although Miles plays most of the
melodic statements, Gil passes the torch to the horn section of the band for a few
moments, utilizing this changing of texture as a call and response feature of the tune.

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I LOVE THE FINAL SONORITY OF THIS TUNE! I dont know what it is by ear,
but Im going to figure it out.
Notes:

The Maids of Cadiz May, 1957.

Personnel: Delibes - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis - flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t, flugel, 2fhn, 4tb, tu, 1as, 1bcl, 2fl/cl, b, d.
Commentary: The Maids of Cadiz is one of the most uneasy feeling tunes Ive ever
heard. It is very stark in its arrangement. Paul Chambers plays a very reserved and
simple bass line, basically playing on 1 and 3 for almost the entire tune. He rarely plays
any ornaments and sometimes even leaves out beat 3, allowing the time to just hang. Art
Taylors brush playing is very subtle and laid back.
The entire section before the double time feel kicks in is very haunting and stark.
Gil basically uses one section of the band at a time to play countermelody and
accompaniment to Miles. Many times it is only Miles and the rhythm section playing.
Miles playing, as always is lyrical and gorgeous, but his sound on this tune is purposely
tentative. He seems to be approaching every note in a very delicate manner.
At the 1:30 mark, Gil writes a very pleasant and gorgeous short soli in the low
brass and horn. His harmonization and voice leading here is lovely and really speaks to
the feeling the tune has generated thus far.
Notable about the double time feel is that only Art Taylor and the trombones
(who are playing offbeat repeated backgrounds) actually go to double time. Paul
Chambers remains in single time and Miles continues with the same rhythmic
vocabularly he has been using the entire tune; a combination of both feels. Eventually all
parts morph back into the original feel of the tune. The end of this piece is really
surprising; it builds from nowhere, using an offbeat figure in the entire ensemble to
crescendo into the next track, The Duke.
Notes:

The Duke May, 1957.

Personnel: Dave Brubeck - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t, flugel, 2fhn, 4tb, tu, 1as, 1bcl, 2fl/cl, b, d.

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Commentary: This tune is one of Gils finest on this record. The ensemble soli in the
beginning is great. The subtleness with which it is played, the tuba lines and the
crescendo that grows into the harmonized trumpet melody. The trombone and
saxophone harmonization of Miles melody is really one the finest moments in the tune.
Gil seems to basically approach this as a small group arrangement with a big band added
when needed. Even following the melody, Gil writes a subtle clarinet/flute duo for a few
moments that takes the chart in another direction before the band enters and Miles takes
a solo.
Miles solos with only a few bari sax and trombone backgrounds. By now the bari
has really become a part of both the saxophone and low brass sections. The ensemble
soli that follows Miles solo is very powerful. Here Gil has the clarinet orchestrated at the
top of its register and it is really effective in bringing across almost a sense of urgency.
All of a sudden this mini-shout comes to an end and the dynamic level retreats for the
outhead. The second half of the outhead is a flute and clarinet soli, beautifully written
and conceived. Its a nice touch that ends the tune on a very delicate note.
Notes:

Concierto de Aranjuez November, 1959.

Personnel: Rodrigo - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis - trumpet & flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t (1w/flug), 2tb, 3fhn, tu, 3fl, ob, bcl, bsn, harp, b, d, perc.
Commentary: Sketches of Spain is one of my favorite Miles Davis albums. What is
notable about this piece in particular is that the originally melody, composed by Rodrigo,
would not only be arranged in this piece, but would also be used by Chick Corea as an
intro for his landmark recording of the tune Spain. The tune is also an amazing piece
of music that shifts its shape, texture, and color numerous times. Gils genius is really
evident on this piece. His use of extended harmonies and varied orchestrations is
astounding.
At the top of the tune, Evans creates a shimmering bed of castanets and harp; yes
harp. The flutes play the melody, orchestrated in a mysterious harmonization in the
brass. It is incredible to think of how many people are actually playing the melody; there
must be at least 7-10 people, yet it sounds so delicate and light. Part of this has to do
with the way Gil orchestrates. There are really 4 layers going on at the top of the tune. 1)
the melody; 2) brass harmonization; 3) long tones in trumpets; 4) rhythm section.
Miles reprises the melody and varies it so expressively. Miless smoky tone seems
almost suited perfectly for this melody. Beneath Miles the listener can clearly hear an
oboe. One of the signature sounds of this record is the use of the extended family of
woodwinds; not just the doubles that have become standard for sax players (flute,
clarinets), but double reed instruments including oboe and bassoon. Notable also, as
mentioned, is the addition of harp. Gil uses 3 french horns rather than two, and also
uses only 2 trombones and a tuba. Notably there is no piano on some of the tracks on
Sketches.

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This piece is also the longest tune on the entire compendium; clocking in at a
whopping 16 and a half minutes!
The first 4 minutes of this tune are basically orchestrated and played in a manner
similar to a concert wind band. There is really no rhythm section, and Evans would have
absolutely been conducting the band the entire time. This is really a first, except for
maybe the Kenton band.
The complexity of these arrangements is absolutely
astounding, and without a conductor, portions of this music would be a wreck.
Eventually (near the 4 minutes mark), the rhythm section begins playing slow time, in
the manner of a ballad. Here, Miles solos over a bed of woodwind accompaniment. Gils
use of flutes, clarinets, and double reed instruments in various combinations and ever
stretching harmonizations is wonderful. Eventually, the tune kicks into a medium swing
feel and the brass harmonize a small section of the melody rather loudly before the
texture returns to the woodwinds playing backgrounds behind Miles.
These
backgrounds are interesting; they are basically bell tones that are each held for a few
measures. The time feel breaks down into a series of short fermatas, and Miles takes a
cadenza, using the melody of the piece as his substance. The flutes, playing in their
lowest register, and harp accompany Miles with some shimmering chords. In the
background, under the entire cadenza, is a subtle cymbal and timpani roll that is almost
completely missed if not listened for.
The most miraculous thing about this arrangement is how completely cohesive it
feels although it keeps shifting its shape every half minute or so. The most startling
example of this occurs at the 8:13 mark, right after the trumpet cadenza. Here, a quicker
melody in compound time is played by the woodwinds and muted trumpets, and echoed
in the brass catches the listener off guard. This is a very orchestral sounding section,
even incorporating the use of a tambourine as the main rhythmic accompaniment to the
winds. The tune then settles back down into a slower, duple feel and the low brass and
bassoon come to the fore on a melody that has a few quick flurries of sixteenth notes.
Following this melody, a bass ostinato groove, accompanied by castanets and a subtle
brush groove in the drums lays a new feel. Miles, in harmon mute, solos over another
bed of flutes and woodwinds. The horns also play backgrounds behind Miles and the
harp fills really add a texture and color that is detrimentl to the piece.
Near the 13:00 mark the entire ensemble takes over and plays the melody. The
brass have the lead here, and the texture sounds like a concert ensemble; not a jazz
ensemble at all. The melodic motives of the melody are bounced off each section of the
band and passed around until Miles re-enters.
Notes:

Saeta November, 1959.

Personnel: Gil Evans - comp. & arr., Miles Davis - trumpet & flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t (1w/flug), 2tb, 3fhn, tu, 3fl, ob, bcl, bsn, harp, b, d, perc.

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Commentary: The bassoon in the beginning of this piece is awesome; it makes me

think of Rite of Spring. Particularly of note is the groove set up by the rhythm section.
Its a march feel that feels extremely medieval, particularly with the open sonorities
bowed on the bass, the tambourine, and the fanfare in the brass. When Miles comes in
he really announces his presence, playing much louder than the rest of the ensemble. He
is only accompanied by an open sonority in the horns and the rhythmic snare drum and
tambourine playing. Miles is very conservative here, sticking to a very limited number of
pitches, but creating numerous melodies and melodic cells of his own that either relate
directly to the melody or embellish the melody. Miles playing is brilliant. A very
dissonant sounding woodwind section enters, followed by the brass. The texture builds
extremely slowly behind the trumpet solo, using a combination of dissonant sounds
(woodwinds) and consonant, open sounds (brass) to create a mysterious texture beneath
Miles. All the while, the drum continues to beat in a militaristic fashion. The cadence
grows until the brass re-enter with their fanfare.
Notes:

Gone July, 1958.

Personnel: Gershwin, Gershwin & Heyward - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis trumpet & flugelhorn, Philly Joe Jones - drums, Paul Chambers - bass.
Instrumentation: 5t (1w/flug), 4tb, 1as, 1bari (w/bcl), 2fl, 3fhn, tu, b, d.
Commentary: This piece sounds much more like a big band than anything on
Skethces of Spain. Inherently it is a jazz piece. It was composed by one of jazzs finest
ambassadors in the classical realm, George Gershwin for his Porgy and Bess. The tune
swings, first, unlike any of the tunes discussed from Sketches.
The melody of this tune is played by the entire ensemble, including Philly Joe
Jones on drums, who is also featured in the solo breaks between melodic statements.
Philly Joes playing is the stuff of legend. He simply isnt human. No drummer in his
right mind hasnt learned the breaks he plays on this piece. Gil Evans orchestration of
the melody is unique: he moves it around between sections of the band. A few of the
phrases are orchestrated in the brass, while others are played by just Miles and the
woodwind/sax section. What is interesting is that the sections played by the brass and
the sections played by Miles and saxes are swapped after the bridge.
Miles solo is fantastic. In fact there isnt one Miles solo that I dont think is
fantastic. Philly Joe adds his famous cross-stick on beat four and Paul Chambers walks
like mad. The feel here is great, and the absence of piano allows both Miles and Philly
to really open up. Jones chatter on the snare drum and bass drum comping is
particularly enjoyable. The tune speeds of considerably during the solo section, making
the melody sound slightly rushed, but the ensemble manages to pull it off. The ending of
the tune is slightly sloppy, and the last note is not entirely together, but this is forgivable
considering how marvelous the rest of the tune is.
Notes

169

Gone, Gone, Gone July, 1958.

Personnel: Gershwin, Gershwin & Heyward - comp., Gil Evans - arr., Miles Davis trumpet & flugelhorn.
Instrumentation: 5t (1w/flug), 4tb, 1as, 1bari (w/bcl), 2fl, 3fhn, tu, b, d.
Commentary: Gone, Gone, Gone directly follows Gone on the record. Evans
quotes the melody to Gone near the very top of this piece, uses a low brass choir and
flute; quite a combination that is absolute beautifully.
This is a really short piece, lasting barely longer than two minutes. It is notable
for its texture. The pastel sound Evans gets on this piece in particular is astounding, and
is directly owed to his use of mutes and very non-standard pairings of instruments, such
as flutes with low brass.
It sounds as though Miles is left to solo freely over the band in this piece, and
wasnt necessarily given a melody to follow, although his playing is highly melodic.
Notes:

New King Porter Stomp 1958.

Commentary: This tune sounds much more like the Gil Evans from the Claude
Thornhill Band up to his bebop tricks again. This a really hip tune that feels like a Swing
era piece, but with a modern twist.
The ensemble parts of this tune are particularly notable. Evans writes some tasty
bebop licks in the brass during the opening alto solo and during the piano/guitar duet
following it. The countermelody in the low brass behind this duo is also really great. The
4 bar transition following the clarinet feature and before the second alto solo is some
slick bebop writing that crescendos and really sends off the soloist. The descending
background countermelody in the low brass behind this solo is wonderful. In a
throwback to the Swing era, Gil even uses some nice riffs to build behind yet another alto
solo. The way his band plays riffs, however, is different than any other band. The riffs
are played very understated and are almost delicate but highly precise. The articulation
is much less pointed and harsh than the way many other bands would play these figures.
It could be said that there is certainly a Gil Evans style of playing that the members of his
band learned to master. Following the riffs, Evans composes an ensemble soli that is
rhythmically advanced. The melody is very choppy and continuously cuts in and out.
One little mistake by any horn player would completely throw it off. The phrasing and
dynamics during this ensemble soli are also executed with incredible accuracy. The
swells, subito pianos and subito fortes are played accurately by all members of the
orchestra and are highly exaggerated. The listener is really unsure of what is going to
happen during this section and Gil fakes the listner out multiple times. When one thinks
the piece is going to crescendo it doesnt. Finally, the tune kicks up into a final few bars
that climax with a chromatically rising ending and ensemble fermata.

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The drum solo in the beginning is kind of weird and almost unnessesary. Is Art
Blakey the drummer on this tune?
Notes:

The Barbara Song July, 1964.

Personnel: Kurt Weill - comp., Gil Evans - arr. & piano, Wayne Shorter - tenor sax,
Andy Fitzgerald - bass flute.
Instrumentation: 1tb, 2fhn, 1tu, 1fl, 1bass fl, 1English hn, 1bsn, 1ts, harp, p, b, d.
Commentary: This arrangement is very similar to the sound and style of many of the
arrangements Gil did with Miles Davis, and not surprisingly the year is 1964, the same
time period he was working with Miles. Gil evokes the same pastel shades with his use of
horns and flutes. Gils piano playing is almost a substitute for Miles; it sounds as though
Miles would fit perfectly in the spaces that Gil fills with the piano.
The entire middle section of the tune, where the woodwinds play the melody is so
serene and tranquil. The brass provide harmonic support, but never seem to get in the
way. Wayne Shorter rises up almost out of nowhere, soloing over the pulse and texture
of whole notes in the brass. The tuba playing on this track is particularly enjoyable; it
holds down the bottom in a very low register of the instrument, but the whole time
remains soft and in control. A combination of flute and muted trombone enter in behind
Shorter. This sound is so incredibly beautiful and is a texture that not many arrangers
explore. The sound of the bass flute is very enjoyable.
The entire harmonic underpinning of this tune is basically a pedal. The tuba and
bass rarely venture away from the pedal, allowing Gil to orchestrate passing harmonies,
chords, and melodies in consonance and dissonance with this pedal. During the tune,
Gil purposely moves away from consonance with the pedal to create tension before
bringing the horn parts back in harmony with the drone. This is a very effective
technique and Gil exploits it beautifully not only in his arrangment, but also in his piano
playing. About twenty seconds before the end of the tune, Gil plays a diad that clashes
with the pedal, creating a tense moment. To add to the tension, Evans rearticulates this
sonority until he finally resolves it, coming back into harmony with the pedal point.
Notably, this piece has absolutely no trumpet on it. Notable also on this piece is
the appearance of Wayne Shorter, an important figure in the history of jazz. Only one
year after this recording, Shorter would join Miles Second Quintet, which would play
many of his compositions.
Notes:

171

Blues In Orbit 1973.

Personnel: George Russell - comp., Gil Evans - arr., David Sanborn - alto sax, Billy
Harper - tenor sax, Herb Bushler - basses.
Instrumentation: 2t, 2fhn, 1tb (w/tu), 1as, 1ts (w/fl), 2bs (1w/tu & flug, 1w/ss & fl),
g, 2kybd, b, d, perc.
Commentary: First of all, look at that instrumentation list; WOW! Second of all,
listen to this thing!
The bebop ensemble at the top of this tune is hip and even quotes a snippet of
Donna Lee.
It is played by the entire ensemble in unison, with only drum
accompaniment. Following a brief excursion in the unknown, which features electronic
keyboard sounds that cant be explained along with some slide whistle sounds, the soli
comes back with full rhythm section accompaniment.
The sound of this tune is best described as the marriage of bebop and outerspace.
Although the soli is basically a bebop melody, the accompaniment in the keyboards and
bass is very out and experimental. Notable is the fact that there is an electric bass
player on this tune rather than acoustic. This enables the bass player to use some
devices that acoustic players dont usually use, such as harmonics (a la Jaco) and slides
on the fretboard that are clearly heard because of the amplification and nature of the
instrument.
A second melody enters at the 1:00 mark, played by saxophone and trumpet and
accompanied by drums, playing time, and bass, playing countermelody. On the repeat of
this melody, the saxophone and low brass are added to harmonize the melody. This
harmony is very dense and complex and is unlike anything heard thus far on the
compendium. It features clusters of notes, parallel harmonies and some really
interesting voice leading that frustrates some of the tendency tones of a few of the
chords.
Following this melody, the tune kicks into an alto solo which is, not surprisingly,
a blues, as indicated by the title. Behind the alto player, the rhythm section (drums,
electric bass, and electric guitar, and keyboards) play in a very fusion-esque swing style.
The feel here really evens out the quarter notes of the measure, and the accents that are
usually placed on two and four are gone. Each quarter note is given equal weight and the
eighth note is swung more like a dotted eighth sixteenth, rather than triplet
relationship. David Sanborn leaves no note unplayed in this solo. Although the tempo is
on the faster side of moderate, Sanborn manages to play some burnin double time. The
rhythm section begins to take the tune out, employing pedals and some chord
substitutions that urge Sanborn on. The dissonant ensemble backgrounds add fuel to
the fire, kicking the tune into overdrive, as if Sanbord wasnt already.
The backgrounds to the trumpet solo go way out. Beneath the trumpet player a
bari sax player continually solos, creating a collective improvisation texture. More and
more players begin to solo behind the trumpet player and eventually things get pretty
crazy. The bari sax player begins to play harmonics and sounds almost as if he is biting
his reed, screeching and screaming behind the trumpet player. Some of the backgrounds
behind this solo are a little hard to hear, because the trumpet soloist is very loud.

172

After the trumpet solo, the bari player takes a solo of his own. Here the rhythm
section all of a sudden shifts into a funk/fusion groove and blows off the form of the
tune. This lasts for about a minute, until pickups in the entire ensemble bring the tune
back to swing. A short ensemble soli brings back the unison melody in trumpet and sax.
Notes:

173

The Gerald Wilson Orchestra

Viva Tirado September, 1962.
Personnel: Gerald Wilson - comp. & arr., Joe Pass - guitar, Carmell Jones trumpet, Teddy Edwards - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as, 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d, conga.
Commentary: Viva Tirado is a very tasteful latin tune. The melody is played by the
saxes following a brief intro that features Joe Pass on guitar, playing some slick blues
and bebop lines. After the trombones set up a vamp, the saxes enter with the melody.
The bridge is played by the piano player, with forte-piano crescendo accompaniment
from the horns. The form of the tune is AABA, 32 bars.
Following the melody, Carmell Jones takes a trumpet solo with saxophone riff
backgrounds. The trombones add their own riff to the second A section. Teddy Edwards
then takes a sax solo with just rhythm section accompaniment on the first A. The brass
come in, riffing their way through the second A section. The bones accompany the
bridge with more forte-piano crescendos. Joe Pass guitar solo is absolutely the highlight
of the tune. His fluidity is amazing and he really gets around an instrument that was not
made for bebop playing with ease.
The groove to this tune is very simple, understated, yet refined and sophisticated.
The drums, bass, and piano lay a groove down that does not waver for the entire tune. It
feels great and the band grooves nicely over top.
The outhead kicks up the energy, with the trumpets and trombones playing the
melody with saxophone countermelody. Here, the drummer kicks the ensemble slightly,
ending the tune on a high note as it fades out.
Notes:

174

The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

Now Hear My Meanin January, 1963.
Personnel: Jimmy Woode - comp., Francy Boland - arr. & piano, Derek Humble alto sax, Ake Persson - trombone, Sahib Shihab - baritone sax.
Instrumentation: 6t, 5tb, 1as, 3ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Francy Boland sets this tune up with a melodic piano intro that is
infused with some blues. The tune kicks into time played by the bebop pioneer Kenny
Clarke on drums. After a short piano solo, the melody kicks in, orchestrated for the first
time through homorhythmically in the horns. For the repeat, Jimmy Woode splits the
sections apart slightly, allowing the trumpets to take the lead, and the bones to
harmonize below, although some of this section is homorhythmic as well. After the
repeat, the arranger tricks the listener into thinking the melody is going to repeat for a
third time, but instead only gives the listner the first 4 bars as a send off for the alto sax
solo.
Following the alto sax solo, the band re-enters and plays a killer send off for the
trombone player that could be misconstrued as the beginning of a shout chorus. Kenny
Clarke kicks this section nicely. Ake Persson plays some hip double time licks, no easy
task on trombone at this tempo. After his solo, the same send off comes back,
introducing the bari solo. Here, however, the ensemble continues to play, backing up
Sahib Shihab.
The hippest section of the tune comes at the 3:40 mark. Here, Shihab drops out
and the band re-enters. The trumpets are muted and grouped in either twos or threes
(notably there are 6 trumpet players on this tune). One group plays a lick and the other
plays it back, creating an continuous, flowing vamp that is rhythmically tricky to pull off
and requires an excellent sense of timing and flow from all the players. The trombones
and saxes call and respond to each other above this vamp. The vamp just keeps going
and going before Kenny Clarke plays a setup that uses the exact same rhythm as the
trumpet vamp, kicking the band into a soli which is voiced vertically with everyone in the
band playing the same rhythm. Both in this soli and in the send off to the trombone and
bari solos, the ensemble parts use two adjacent sixteenth notes surrounded before and
after by swung eighth notes. This juxtaposition of straight and swung rhythms creates a
nice contrast and is hip, especially when the ensemble pulls it off as well as this band.
Kenny Clarkes setups throughout the entire tune are simple, yet effective. Clarke
was not particularly known as a big band player, but rather as a bebop innovator, and
accordingly his playing is much more reserved than someone like a Mel Lewis who would
have really kicked the heck out of a band like this.
The end of the tune repeats a trumpet vamp that is accompanied by a second
vamp in the saxes. Muted trumpets and trombones also have two separate vamps,
bringing the vamp count to 4 during this section. Harmonically, this section is a little
out, and a few of the vamps clash, particularly the trombone and sax vamps.
Notes:

175

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra

Cherry Juice January, 1976.
Personnel: Thad Jones - comp., arr., & flugelhorn, Frank Foster - tenor sax, Walter
Norris - piano.
Instrumentation: 4t, 1flug, 4tb, 2ss, 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: The intro of this tune is neat because it uses the same rhythmic motive
on different pitches beginning on different beats of the measure, effectively blurring the
bar lines of the introduction. The intro is 8 bars long and the form of the tune is a 32
measure, AABA form.
The melody of the tune is carried by the saxophones with some interjections and
hits in the brass. The bridge is a stop time section, with the saxes playing in the spaces
created by the rhythm section and brass rhythmic motives. The brass play a 2 note send
off before Thad Jones plays a flugelhorn solo, accompanied by saxes on the bridge and
second A of the first chorus. Thads playing is smooth and slick. The brass again play
the same 2 note send off at the top of Thads second chorus. Again, Thad is joined by
saxes on the bridge, but with the addition of the brass. The sax backgrounds continue
over the last A. When Thad stops playing the saxes continue into a new form playing a
soli accompanied by a repeating motive in the brass that grabs the listeners attention.
However tempting it is to listen to the brass, the saxophone countermelody is much
hipper. These 8 bars serve as a transition into Frank Fosters solo, but it also the first A
of the new form. Foster begins his solo on the second A. Mel Lewis switches cymbals
here, playing time on his swish, a riveted china cymbal that was part of his signature
sound. The trombones play backgrounds at the top of the new chorus and the trumpets
are added over the second A and continue to play over the bridge before dropping out
over the last A. Notable is the Thad Jones style of backgrounds. Many times, and in
this tune in particular, the backgrounds arent really backgrounds but mini-shout
choruses and countermelodies that sometimes steal the limelight from the soloist.
Following Fosters solo the shout chorus enters, with Mel kicking the band
incredibly. For the first 16 bars the horns play homorhythmically, but over the bridge
the saxes break away slightly, and over the last A the trombones, saxes, and trumpets
become unglued. The setup going into the bridge is vintage Mel Lewis. Instead of
playing a setup on the drums he places a crash squarely on beat 1 of the first bar of the
bridge. Not only does this delineate the form, but it also sets up the ensemble figures
that follow. During this section Mel adds a backbeat which increases the intensity
further. Following the final flurry of hemiola ensemble figures at the end of the last A,
the saxes take a burnin soli. Notable is the fact that the sax section includes soprano
sax, a favorite of Thad Jones. The brass interject a few times during the 32-bar soli, but
nothing major. Following a piano solo, the outhead is presented similarly to the inhead.
The end of this tune is neat; using a series of short fermatas with drum fills to end the
tune on a high point.
Notes:

176

Willow Weep For Me May, 1966.

Personnel: Ann Ronnell - comp., Bob Brookmeyer - arr. & valve trombone, Thad
Jones - flugelhorn, Richard Davis - bass.
Instrumentation: 4t, 1flug, 1vtb, 3tb, 2as (1w/fl & bcl, 1w/cl), 2ts (w/cl), bari, p, g,
b, d.
Commentary: The beginning of this tune is harmonically interesting. The low brass
play a pedal point, over which trumpets play a harmonized melody. The bass player
deviates from the pedal, playing a rising chromatic motive. The trombones also play
some chromatic slides that clash with the trumpets harmonies. The groove then kicks in,
with a composed 12/8 bass line that is doubled in the piano, setting up the top of the
tune.
Thad Jones plays the melody on flugelhorn, but rather than playing in its original
rhythmic form, he plays each note of the melody as a sixteenth note of the e and a of
each beat. This creates a 4 over 3 hemiola feel against the rhythm section who are clearly
playing in 12/8. This is a very advanced rhythmic approach and is the highlight of
beginning of the tune. For the repeat of the melody, the tune goes into 4/4 double time
for a few bars before retreating back to 4/4 single time, and then back to the 12/8 feel.
In the middle of Thad Jones solo, Mel Lewis switches to sticks, letting the listner
know something is up. The ensemble also enter, playing backgrounds that quickly grow,
culminating in a crescendoing quarter rising line that lays back perfectly. No one in the
band rushes, which is very easy to do when playing a motive such as this at such a slow
tempo. Thad lets a quick flurry of notes go in the silence before retreating back to a more
reserved style. He is then accompanied by backgrounds from the band that start and
stop, leaving only Thad and Mel to duet for a few seconds.
Bob Brookmeyer then takes a solo over the double time that was heard earlier.
Here, Thad uses the trombones to play a low pedal point and moves the saxes to clarinets
to play some backgrounds. A pyramid figure at the end of Brookmeyers solo ushes Thad
back in over a very interesting, slightly schizophrenic texture featuring the saxes and
clarinets playing flurries of notes. An arrhythmic bass solo brings the groove back with
Thad loosely toying with the melody. The trumpets and woodwinds re-enter with an
interesting harmonized version of the melody before the tune seemingly ends. After a
few seconds of silence, the intro returns and goes into a coda, an ensemble fermata with
Thad soloing over top.
Notes:

Tip-Toe
Commentary: By far, the greatest example of Mels brush playing, Tip-Toe is
highlighted by a very pointilistic saxophone melody that employs soprano, alto, tenor,
and bari sax with Basie-esque piano fills. I think there is even a glockenspiel on this
tune. The rhythm section grooves hard beneath.

177

Following the melody, Thad Jones plays a solo over what is basically a saxophone
soli. As stated earlier, Thads sax backgrounds are really not backgrounds in the
traditional sense, but rather thoughtful melodies and motives that could easily stand
alone. After Thads solo, the trombones play a soli with the bass player joining in. Only
Mel accomapanies them with an extremely hip sounding brush pattern.
After the trombone solo, the listener is treated to one of the hippest shout
chorus/drum solos ever written. Highlighted by the quick sixteenth note motives in the
ensemble, the shout chorus/drum solo is an example of Thads genius. This section
exhibits some difficult rhythmic passages in the horns, especially at a quiet dynamic
level. Mel fills in and around the ensemble rhythms, catching, kicking and soloing all at
once. No one can kick a band with brushes like Mel does. His soloing here is incredibly
virtuosic and Ive never heard anyone, except Jeff Hamilton, play this tune as well as
Mel. This is one of the most difficult drum solos ever written because of its irregular
phrases.
The backgrounds behind the alto solo are also interesting, because rather than
composing coherent lines and melodies, Thad simply uses detached interjections by the
brass to startle the listener. Out of nowhere the brass suddenly play a forte chord,
announcing their presence, and over the last half of the alto solo, continue to interject in
odd places and without warning. Following the alto solo, Thad composes an ensemble
soli that loosely quotes the melody. The soli is written in vertical chords and is
homorhythmic. Toward the bridge, the soli gets softer and over the bridge uses a
sequenced motive to crescendo. The final 8 bars of the soli quotes the melody in the
trumpet section, setting up a return to the actual melody in the saxes.
Notes:

The Groove Merchant 1966.

Personnel: Jerome Richardson- comp, Thad Jones- arr., Roland Hanna- piano.
Instrumentation: 4t, 1flug, 1vtb, 3tb, 2as (w/ss), 2ts, bari, p, g, b, d.
Commentary: One of the greatest shuffles ever written! No one shuffles like Mel
Lewis. He never lets up for the entire tune, playing a simple and refined shuffle that feels
better than anything Ive ever heard. This tune simply uses a 16 bar chord progression
and a unison melody in the saxes to make one hell of a statement. For the repeat, the
brass play the melody and the saxe supply a countermelody. Mel switches from his
signature hi-hat shuffle to a shuffle on the ride, lightening the feel just slightly. The
repeat of the melody uses a 2 bar tag in the middle of the tune and repeats in three times
before moving on to the last two bars of the form.
Rather than going straight into solos, That presents the listener with a sax soli,
again employing the use of soprano, alto, tenor, and bari. Mel Lewis obviously knows
the soli like the back of his hand, because he fills with his bass drum in all the spaces
created by the soli. This is a very long soli, lasting 48 measures, and includes some really
hip stuff, notably the double time licks in the third set of 16 bars.

178

When the melody returns it returns with the brass carrying the melody and the
saxes playing countermelody. The triplet tag is used to transition into a coda that
augments the final melodic motive of the tune, transitioning into a straight-eighth
motive before the final fermata.
Notes:

179

The Duke Pearson Big Band

New Girl December, 1967.
Personnel: Duke Pearson - comp., arr., & piano, Burt Collins - trumpet, Lew
Tabackin - tenor sax, Mickey Roker - drums.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 2as (w/fl), 2ts, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: The sound of this tune is not too far removed from what Gil Evans was
writing early in his career. The melody is similar to the unison style that Evans wrote in
and the melodic responses by the trumpets during the repeat of the melody are right out
of Gils book. Also the use of mixed meter in the introduction and the presence of flutes
also suggests Gil Evanns.
The backgrounds behind the trumpet solo are well composed and combine an off
beat riff with quotes from the melody. When the ensemble enters with backgrounds
behind the trumpet solo it is very aggressive; Mickey Roker is bashing away, almost
obscuring what Burt Collins is playing.
Lew Tabackins tenor solo is rather aggressive, but heightens the energy of the
tune, especially when he tears into a few flurries of double time motives. The ensemble
plays backgrounds behind him. Following the tenor solo, the piano player takes a solo,
accompanied by some rising offbeat trombone backgrounds and a short section of sax
backgrounds. Burt Collins re-enters, playing another solo, with ensemble backgrounds
that are a repeat of what was played during his first solo.
When the intro to the tune returns, the listener thinks it is going to end. Instead,
Duke Pearson shifts the tune into high gear and a shout chorus comes in that includes a
nice dotted quarter note hemiola figure. Mickey Roker kicks the band expertly with a
few rather off the wall fills. Roker also takes a tasteful 4 bar solo at the end of the first
time through the shout, setting up the repeat. The repeat of the shout chorus goes into a
tag that quotes the end of the melody before segueing into a 2 measure drum solo that
sets up the ending quarter note hemiola motive, ending in an ensemble fermata.
Notes:

180

Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra

A Street Named Hell July, 1956.
Personnel: Sun Ra - comp., arr., & piano, Bob Barry - drums, Jim Herndon timpani.
Instrumentation: 2t, 1tb, 1as, 1ts, 1bari, p, eb, d, timp.
Commentary: One of the coolest large ensembles of all time, the Sun Ra Arkestra was
not afraid to be experimental; in fact, the band thrived on it, and in the processbuilt a
very loyal and passionate following.
Jazz timpani?????!!!!! What else is there to say about this piece? This is one of
the most interesting pieces on the entire compendium because it is so unique. The
unison saxophone melody is accompanied by a timpani countermelody, if you could
call it that. Notably, the first solo section on the piece is a trading section between Bob
Barry on drums and Jim Herndon on, yes, timpani. Herndon utilizes the pedals on the
timpani to play glissandi and some very interesting atonal and chromatic melodies.
During the trading, the bass player holds down the fort simply walking in 4/4. After the
trading, the melody is reprised by the saxes. Then, the tune shifts into a much slower
section of music, in . This section is highlighted by some dissonant piano fills and a
simple saxophone melody. The bari sax also plays a single note over and over, varying
the rhythm in a very weird accompaniment to the melody.
This is a fairly short piece, and it seems like the sole purpose of the tune is to give
Jim Herndon and Bob Barry a chance to blow.
Notes:

181

George Russell & His Orchestra

Manhattan September, 1958.
Personnel: Richard Rodgers - comp., George Russell - arr., Jon Hendricks narrator, Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone, Frank Rehak - trombone, Bill Evans piano, John Coltrane - tenor sax, Art Farmer - trumpet.
Instrumentation: 3t, 1vtb, 2tb, as, ts, bari, p, g, b, d, narrator.
Commentary: This tune is notable simply because of the personnel playing on this
piece. Including on the list are the incredible vocalist Jon Hendricks, the great Bill
Evans, and the incomparable John Coltrane. This piece is also notable because for 1958
it is fairly ahead of its time.
No other piece uses a narrator rather than a vocalist. Here Jon Hendricks
speaks words about New York City, and more specifically Manhattan over the drummer
who is swinging hard with brushes. Hendricks tells a story while the drummer plays.
After Hendricks narration the tune kicks in. It begins with a vamp in the trombones and
quickly grows, adding trumpets and saxophones before settling down. The tempo then
changes and the tune goes into a medium swing feel. The most notable thing about this
tune is how quickly it changes pace. No one section of the band ever carries a melody for
very long. The tune is rather like a collage of different melodic cells that are pasted
together one after the other. There is a lot of call and response in the tune. One section
of the band will play part of a melody and another section will respond and finish the
phrase.
Also notable is the texture that occurs around the 3:15 mark. The drummer drops
out(!), leaving only the bassist and Frank Rehak to play together. This is such a
refreshing texture and hasnt been used at all on this compendium up to this point.
When the drummer does re-enter he plays a Philly Joe Jones double time feel, where
the ride cymbal remains in regular 4/4 time, but the hi hat plays double time. Rehak
responds with some double time of his own. The bass player, however, doesnt budge,
and eventually the drummer comes back to join him when the ensemble enters with
some backgrounds. The drummer drops out once again at the top of the piano solo. Bill
Evans plays some very hip stuff on this tune, taking his own motives and spinning them
out into a well-composed solo. Again, the drummer enters with the double time feel.
This is very intrusive on the soloist, as neither Evans nor Rehak ever implied double time
in their solos. The double time feel must have been a pre-conceived idea and was not
done on the spot. The drummer brings the single time feel back and Evans blows for
quite some time.
When the ensemble re-enters it is just to play a short transition section to segue
into Coltranes solo. Again, just the bass and soloist are left to play. Trane sounds like
Trane, which is marvelous. The drummer, again, enters with the double time, although
this time Trane gave him reason to, busting out some hip double time licks during the
first few bars of the solo.
What is interesting and unfortunate about this piece is that the opening narration
is never reprised. Instead, following Art Farmers trumpet solo, the band re-enters and

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begins playing a straight-eighth note rhythmic vamp that features two different riffs in
the trumpets and trombones. Above this, Trane solos. The tune then simply fades out.
Notes:

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The Thelonious Monk Orchestra

Four In One December, 1963.
Personnel: Thelonious Monk - comp. & piano, Hall Overton - arr., Thad Jones cornet, Charlie Rouse - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 1t, 1c, 1tb, 1ss, 1as (w/cl), ts, bari (w/cl & bcl), p, b, d.
Commentary: The Monk Orchestra really isnt an orchestra, but rather a dectet that
uses trumpet, cornet, trombone, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, and a three
man rhythm section. Basically, its like a small big band.
Monk will be Monk, whether its in a big band or small group. What is most
interesting here is that the tune is treated as though this were a small group. All of the
musicians play the melody in unison and Hall Overton doesnt really exploit the options
that come with having multiple players. One of the coolest things about the arrangement
is that the backgrounds behind all the solos are basically the types of motives and ideas
that Monk would play on the piano. Monks comping is very Monk-like, using dissonant
intervals and short motivic snippets to back up the soloist. At times, Monk doesnt play
for very long time, leaving only bass and drums to duet with the soloist.
This tune feels much more like a small group than a ten-piece band. The soloists
simply switch off like in a small group and there are very few backgrounds. Monk
doesnt even comp for many of the soloists, and for the majority of the tune only 3 people
are playing (bass, drums, soloist). That being said, the drummer on this tune plays some
nice comping ideas in both his bass drum and his snare drum. Since he is the only
person comping he opens up a bit, playing a few polyrhythms and rhythmic hits that
otherwise he might not play.
Following Monks solo, Overton composes an extremely hip ensemble soli which
is played in unison by all the horn players. Overton seems to have composed an
ensemble soli in the style of Monks solo playing, utilizing many of the devices Monk uses
in his solo. These include the ascending and descending whole tone scale and many
dissonant intervals. The soli also has some comping in it. For example, while the saxes
and trumpets are playing Monk-like melodic material, the trombones play diads in the
style of Monks comping. Overall, this is a very inventive and interesting solo and
Overton does a great job at sticking to not only the style of the tune, but also the style of
Monks playing.
This tune has a false ending that not only tricked this listener, but also the
audience present during this recording. The soli suddenly stops and leaves a silence that
is presumably the end of the tune. Even the audience begins to clap, but then suddenly
the melody comes back in.
Notes:

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The Don Ellis Orchestra

Chain Reaction 1972.
Personnel: Hank Levy - comp. & arr., Don Ellis - flugelhorn & trumpet, Milcho
Leviev - piano.
Instrumentation: 5t (w/flug), 2tb, 1fhn, 1tu, 4ww doublers, kybd, g, eb, d, 3perc,
string quartet.
Commentary: Chain Reaction is an incredibly complex tune. The first half of the
piece is a sophisticated latin tune that uses 3 extra percussionists along with the
drummer to define a nice pocket. Also notable is the use of electric keyboard and electric
bass. This tune has a very modern sound, a sound typical of a studio jazz band of the
1970s. The drums are very muffled and very studio sounding. This combined with the
use of electrified instruments adds to the produced sound of this track. To me, the first
half of this tune sounds like great soundtrack music to one of the many 1970s
Blacksploitation films.
The string section on this recording is used in a very interesting manner. Rather
than being used to play long whole note chords as is customary for string sections
playing in a jazz band, the strings are used as another section of the ensemble and arent
treated any differently than the horns. The strings carry melodies and provide
background countermelody beneath the trumpet solo. Near the end of the trumpet solo,
the ensemble re-enters with backgrounds that push the solo over the edge. When the
ensuing ensemble soli enters, the strings are used to play countermelody beneath the
main trumpet theme of this section. Between burnin swing sections of the piano solo,
the strings are used to play 2 very jig-like sections of music that foreshadow the 7/8
theme to come.
This tune is also notable because it uses a few different sections and styles. The
beginning of the tune, as described, is like a sophisticated, groovy, funky latin tune.
After the trumpet solo, the tune changes grooves, using an electric piano vamp to set the
new style. The tune is much funkier here. This texture doesnt last very long, because all
of a sudden the tune starts burnin with some really fast swing over which a piano player
solos. Here, the pianist uses an atonal, aggressive style which includes some large chord
clusters and glissandi all over the piano. There are 2 sections of this swing and after each
of them the strings play a jig-like motive that foreshadows the next section of music.
Following the string motive, the tune shifts in 7/8! Later, the tune uses an alternation of
6/8 and 7/8.
Finally, the arranging style of this piece is very segmented. The sections of the
band are rarely combined except for near the end of the piece. For most of the beginning
of the tune the sections of the band, including the strings remain intact. Each section
basically functions as one big instrument, being used to respond to other sections
melodies and play countermelodies. Accordingly, this tune uses a lot of call and
response between sections during settings of the melody.
Notes:

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Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band

Sumie June, 1976.
Personnel: Toshiko Akiyoshi - comp., arr., & piano, Lew Tabackin - flute & piccolo.
Instrumentation: 4t, 4tb, 1fl/picc, 2as (w/fl), 1ts (w/fl), 1bari (w/bcl), p, b, d,
kakko.
Commentary: Not surprisingly, this piece sounds like a Japanese folk melody. With
that being said, the piece showcases the orchestrational style of Toshiko Akiyoshi. The
opening of the piece presents the melody played by flutes and accompanied by bass
clarinet and the string bass player. The drummer also helps color the melody by adding
a cymbal role. Eventually the melody is picked up and harmonized in the brass with the
occasional statement from trumpets w/ harmon mutes. The harmonization of the
melody, particularly what is written in the brass is very interesting. Akiyoshi uses a lot of
parallel moving harmonies in this piece.
The crescendo and change of texture near the 1:30 mark is very effective. Here,
the tune goes from the very wet sound of the intro, with its cymbal roles and sustained
chords, to a very dry staccato style, with unison rhythms across the ensemble. This
texture builds and gradually grows wetter until the screeching trumpets kick off Lew
Tabackins flute solo. Tabackin is an excellent flute player. His tone is round and
beautiful and his vibrato in all registers of the instrument is shimmering. He also has a
lot of technical facility on the instrument and his double and triple tounging techniques
are very advanced. Behind Tabackin, the horns play some countermelody.
The swing section that arrives at the 4:10 seems to come out of nowhere, but the
band executes the change effortlessly. Akiyoshi solos over this section for about 30
second before the rest of the ensemble re-enters to play an ensemble soli, the highlight of
the piece. Here, a flute and sax play the melody and are accompanied by a low brass
countermelody. This entire section is just a variation on the original melody presented at
the beginning of the tune. Here the melody is presented over a heavy 2-beat feel. Slowly,
the orchestration of this melody expands, adding trombones, saxes, and finally the
trumpets into the mix. The tune segues back into the slower feel of the beginning by
cutting the time feel in half. Here, the melody is reprised similarly to the way it was
played at the top of the tune.
The last minute and a half of the tune, the portion which includes the unique
sound of the kakko, a Japanese instrument that sounds like a ball dropping on a wooden
box, is very interesting. This section sets the melody in the low brass and uses muted
trumpets and saxophones to play whining moans and swells as accompaniment. Lew
Tabackin also plays a motive on the piccolo that sounds as if it belongs in a Clint
Eastwood western. This section plays itself out in a logical fashion and slows to a halt,
where an ensemble fermata ends the piece.
Notes:

186

The Bob Mintzer Big Band

Dialogue September, 1993.
Personnel: Bob Mintzer - comp., arr., & tenor sax, Jon Riley - drums.
Instrumentation: 5t (w/flug), 4tb, 2as (w/fl), 2ts (w/fl), bari, p, eb, d, perc.
Commentary: Most impressive in this tune are the sudden dynamic changes executed
by the band at breakneck speed during the melody.
This piece is very aptly titled, because most of the tune is a duet between Bob
Mintzer and Jon Riley. Riley and Mintzer do battle for a few minutes in the tune, in a
flurry of breakneck licks. Mintzer is at the top of his game and so is Riley. They respond
and play off each other and feed one another rhythmic and melodic ideas. Rileys
drumming is highly melodic, employing the entire kit to play time. Rileys solo work is
also impeccable. Both the solo at the top of the tune and the solo he takes following
Mintzers are works of art. After the second drum solo, the tune begins to build, starting
first with the saxes, adding the trombones and the trumpets. Riley begins to crescendo
and kick the band harder before the entire texture disintegrates. Here, once again, Riley
and Mintzer play off each other in a duo texture, but this time in half time, drawing the
tune to a close.
The horn effects Bob Mintzer uses in this tune are incredible. Not only does he
use sudden dynamic changes in this piece (and at a very fast tempo), but he also uses an
effect near the 1:50 mark that sounds like a piece of music being played backwards. I
have no idea how this effect is generated, but it sounds like it is a swell that is articulated
at the release rather than the attack.
Notes:

Vision/City of Hope September, 1993.

Personnel: Bob Mintzer - comp. & arr., Jim McNeeley - piano, Roger Rosenberg baritone sax.
Instrumentation: 5t (w/flug), 4tb, 2as (w/fl), 2ts (w/fl), bari, p, eb, d, perc.
Commentary: This tune is basically like a latin pop tune and reminds me of some of
Jaco Pastorious pieces like Liberty City. John Riley lays down a reggae-like groove,
accompanied by a percussionist. The melody is played by a flugelhorn and harmonized
by both a bari sax player and trombonist. The melody is played very lightly and really
sets the mood for the tune.
Even when the tune kicks up slightly and the trumpets begin ascending in range
above a saxophone countermelody, the tune still maintains its understated coolness.
Notable is the fact that the chord changes of the tune keep modulating up. This first

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occurs during the interlude between the melody and the piano solo. It again occurs in
the piano solo, with Jim McNeeley, the pianist for the Vanguard Band taking a highly
melodic expressive solo.
Following McNeelys piano solo, the original groove of the tune returns, and the
horns re-enter to play an ensemble soli. The trumpets carry the melody and are urged on
by a vamp in the saxophones. Eventually the saxes take over, playing a lovely melody
beneath the brass melody. Here, two melodies that compliment each other beautifully
are going on at the same time. This texture gives way to a bari sax solo. Beneath the
solo, the melody, written and harmonized in a homorhythmic texture returns as the tune
fades out.
Notes:

188

The Bob Belden Ensemble

Treasure Island August, 1989.
Personnel: Bob Belden - comp. & arr., Tim Hagans - trumpet, Marc Copland piano.
Instrumentation: 2t, 2tb, 1fhn, 1tu, cl, fl, ts, bcl, bari, p, b, d.
Commentary: Treasure Island beings as a very tranquil piece of music, with Tim
Hagans on trumpet, playing Beldens beautiful melody. He is joined by the rest of the
ensemble, who accompany him with some long chords.
When the groove of the piece kicks in, it is basically an ECM-ish feel. The eighth
notes are straight, but the tune is not exactly a latin feel. Hagans improvises over the
rhythm section who respond to his every move, especially Marc Copland on the piano,
whose playing is extremely responsirial and antagonistic. Belden uses the low brass and
saxophones behind Hagans to play backgrounds. A second set of backgrounds adds the
trumpets, who eventually begin playing countermelody and reach up into the higher
register, bringing Hagans solo to a climax.
When the horns enter during Marc Coplands piano solo, they do so at a whisper,
with just a clarinet and flute entering initially. The orchestration of the backgrounds is
slowly expanded to include, in order, french horn, trombone, and finally trumpets. The
background texture eventually evolves into countermelody and takes over the solo. The
tune then comes to halt on a fermata, and similarly to the intro, Tim Hagans plays
melody, accompanied by a second trumpet player in harmon mute, over some French
horn and brass fermatas.
Notes:

189

The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra

Bombshelter Beast, Part 1 from "Scenes From Childhood" suite August, 1989.
Personnel: Maria Schneider - comp., Scott Robinson - baritone sax & theremin,
Ben Monder - guitar.
Instrumentation: 4t (w/flug), 4tb, 2as (w/ss,cl, fl), 2ts, bari (w/bcl, cl, fl, theremin),
Eng.hn (w/cl), g, p, b, d.
Commentary: I love the beginning of this tune. It sounds like a tornado siren is going
off. The sound is owed to the theremin, a very interesting instrument that is hard to
master. This is perhaps the most interesting about the intro. Also, the guitar player is
ripping out some serious heavy metal licks, shredding his guitar up and down behind the
trumpet melody and trombone countermelody.
After the intro, the tune settles into a funk-rock feel. The melody is presented
rather quietly in unison by the entire ensemble with guitar filling behind the band.
These fills grow more and more intense, as do the ensemble parts, not only increasing in
volume, but in dissonance as well. The band settles down, and another melody is
presented in the trumpet and saxes over a low brass groove. Eventually the guitar
and/or theremin come back in with their tornado siren sound effect. This kicks the
energy of the tune up a notch into a bari sax solo, behind which the ensemble plays a
number of rhythmic hits that the drummer sets up rather nicely. The tune then goes into
straight funk feel with just the rhythm section and soloist (bari) playing. The bari player
blows for quite some time.
The tune completely breaks down in the middle, with the drummer dropping out,
leaving only the bassist and guitarist to duet. Here, the bassist holds down the groove,
while the guitar player experiments with sounds and shapes on his guitar. The drummer
re-enters, restating the groove while the guitarist begins to assemble a cohesive solo from
the bits and pieces of sound he has already carved out. His solo escalates in intensity,
eventually turning into an all our shred fest. The ensemble backgrounds really help to
kick this solo into 5th gear, surging the guitarist and the rhythm section on. The guitar
solo reaches a climax with some screeching trumpet backgrounds and quickly the tune
comes way down, over only a matter of about 30 seconds, fading out to a close.

Notes:

Love Theme From Spartacus November, 1995.

Personnel: Alex North - comp., Schneider - arr., Rich Perry - tenor sax.
Instrumentation: 4t (w/flug), 4tb, 2as (w/ss,cl, fl), 2ts, bari (w/bcl, cl, fl, theremin),
Eng.hn (w/cl), g, p, b, d.

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Commentary: This piece is extremely beautiful. The melody, played by Rich Perry on
tenor is slightly predictable, although not necessarily a bad thing. The woodwind
doubles are used very well in this piece and at times the tune sounds like a concert
ensemble rather than a jazz band, particularly when the woodwinds play running eighth
or sixteenth note backgrounds behind the melody.
Perry is allowed to solo at length over a pillowy bed of ensemble backgrounds
that include some beautiful flute playing. Eventually the rest of the woodwinds enter,
followed by the brass, providing Perry a dense harmonic texture over which to lay his
ever reaching improvisation. Perry takes his improvisation slightly out, but for most of
the solo remains fairly faithful to the changes.
One of the most beautiful sections of the piece is the last minute. The way the
harmonies are voiced here is beautiful, particularly near the 6:00 mark, when Perry
drops out just before the recap of the melody. The winds take the melody, first
orchestrated in the flutes and then the brass, ending on a simple major chord in the
horns and trombones. The use of this chord is so effective since many of the harmonies
of the rest of the piece are so dense. The resolution of this melody at the 6:18 mark is so
satisfying and beautiful.

Notes:

Allegresse
Commentary: Allegresse is another ECM-ish tune, very similar to the style of Bob
Mintzers Vision/City of Hope. This tune is very smooth all the way through. Both
soloists, tenor and trumpet play some very sophisticated improvisation, but the rhythm
section doesnt respond nearly enough. The melody to the tune and the backgrounds are
set in a similar style to the Mintzer tune. The arrangement is fairly uninteresting and the
highlight of the piece is really the two solo sections.
The main melodic voice is a solo trumpet player, who gets harmonization from
both the low brass and saxophones along the way. The texture of the entire tune remains
fairly constant. The voicings and harmonizations are very consistent and stay relatively
the same from section to section. It seems as though the goal of the backgrounds was to
create a texture for the soloists to play over. There are some rather interesting voicings
in the background parts, often including some fairly dissonant intervals in close voicings
(minor seconds, tritones, etc.).
Both soloists in the tune really shine and one of the nicest sections of the tune is
when they are both soloing, either collectively improvising or responding directly to one
another, or trading 4 to 8 bar phrases while the ensemble play the melody below.
Notes:

The End!
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