Villancicos para Big Band

Here is our take on the Foster classic, taken from Basie's 1981 Carnegie Hall concert, with Sonny Cohn on Trumpet. We have written out the first half of Cohn's solo and left your player to improvise t...

Easy Does It is another classic but underplayed chart from the Tommy Dorsey book, written by Sy Oliver. This chart is a medium tempo bouncy swing chart with a 2-beat feel that dancers might describe a...

Transcribed from Goodman's 1938 recording, this medium tempo swing chart features solos for Trumpet and Clarinet and contains some lovely sectional and ensemble writing that gives the chart a lilting,...

This chart has been transcribed from the recording that Benny Goodman made with his Orchestra in April 1951 for the Columbia label. The band consisted of Goodman, 5 reeds, 7 brass and 4 rhythm. We hav...

Rock-a-Bye Basie is a lovely little riff chart from the earlier days of the Basie band, written by Basie and Lester Young. We have written out the first (Alto) sax solo, though this can be improvised...

Wolverine Blues is an up tempo, bouncy swing chart from the Goodman band, featuring solos for Clarinet, Trombone, Trumpet and Tenor. These solos are written out in full, though your players can improv...

Contrasts was Jimmy Dorsey's theme tune and, as you might expect, it is a big Alto sax feature. The title reflects the two moods of the song: the opening slow swing ballad featuring Alto, the almost d...

First recorded by Benny Goodman in 1937, Sugar Foot Stomp is a hard-driving, up-tempo swing chart that features solos from Clarinet (Alto 2) and Trumpet. We have augmented the chart up to full 5,4,4,4...

Whilst the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is most often remembered forh TD's lush trombone sound, the band also produced some extraordinarily powerful swing numbers, and not many were better than this one. Wr...

Here is a fabulous swing dance chart from the Count Basie orchestra of 1941, and if you play to a dance crowd, then this chart is a must-have number. After a punchy opening, the tune itself is just so...

Basie Boogie is, as its name might suggest, an up-tempo Piano feature that swings from top to toe. Like many of Basie's charts, the arrangement evolved over time, but this version is from the original...

Blues on the Double is a very rare Count Basie chart. Written by Buck Clayton and generally more associated with the Ellington band, this Basie version swings harder and offers more solo opportunities...

Red Bank Boogie is a classic Basie piano feature, and we have written out the Piano part in full. This chart evolved over time, as many of CB's charts did. The original was possibly a little stilted,...

This is Artie Shaw's 1939 version of At Sundown, from the time when his first band was arguably its the height. Apart from the Clarinet solo, the chart is not too hard, and swings freely with good sol...

A fabulous chart from the Goodman band of the early 1940's, written by Eddie Sauter, and, quite naturally, a Clarinet feature. The chart is harmonically very innovative, and shows glimpses of the sort...

The Fox is a real beauty of a swing-dance chart, perfect for the Jitterbug and Lindy dance crowd. This tune has a totally infectious bounce to it, and swings like crazy from start to finish. The arran...

Glen Island Special is a very quick swing chart written by Eddie Durham for the Glenn Miller band, and on first hearing it you could be forgiven for thinking it to be a Basie chart. At 240 beats per m...

Written by Jimmy Mundy for the Benny Goodman Orchestra shortly after he joined BG as a staff arranger, Jam Session is an up-tempo swing chart with solo space for Tenor, Clarinet and Trumpet. The arran...

Back Bay Shuffle is a jump tempo swing chart from the great Artie Shaw orchestra, perfect for dancing. We have transcribed this chart as per the original, though expanding it to 8 brass in the process...

Frenesi was a tune popularised and played by many of the well known bands of the late 30's and early 40's. Our version is an adaptation of the Artie Shaw version, but re-scored for a regular big band...

Li'l Darlin' is one of the great tracks from the Basie band of the 1950's, and is one of a series written and arranged for the band by Neal Hefti to be found on The Atomic Mr Basie album. This chart i...

Here is Benny Goodman's timeless classic in all its glory. Many bands performed versions of this song, but the Goodman Orchestra's rendition remains the standard by which all others are judged. The sa...

Here is a really unusual arrangement of this jazz standard from the Harry James Orchestra. Slow, bluesy and laid back, the chart opens with the Bari and Bass in unison, with tightly muted Trumpets ove...

Perdido was one of Duke Ellington's early big hits. Many arrangements have been made of this chart over the years - lots of them at a flat out tempo. The Duke's version is a very laid-back swinger tha...

Non Stop Flight is a really bouncy swing chart and is perfect for dancing to. The pulse is infectious and will really get the feet tapping. Written by Artie Shaw, it naturally features the Clarinet, a...