Big band compositions and arrangements
Scroll down this page for the available scores. You can click for audio examples in mp3 format.
This is a composition I wrote on the occasion of the 25th birthday of the Sea Sound Big Band. A dvd is comming up and will be recorded at the beautiful Fire Department-Museum in the Dutch town Hellevoetsluis.
Level: intermediate
Jerry van Rooyen was one of the best big band arrangers I knew. He worked as a leader with several big bands like the famous dutch Metropole Orkest, the german WDR big band and the Dutch Jazz Orchestra. He was a very inspiring man and I was lucky to get some lessons from him back in the eighties.
He passed away in 2009 at the age of 80. I wrote this ballad for him and asked Ack van Rooyen, his famous brother and fluegelhornplayer to perform it at a big band festival in the Dutch town Brielle.
Level: intermediate
First recorded by Anita O’Day in 1947. Later by June Christy with the Stan Kenton orchestra.
I love the version of Cybill Shepherd when she sings it in the television series “Moonlighting”. That was back in the late eighties, also with Bruce Willis.
There is an alternative in the score for the very high trumpet part at the end.
Level: intermediate
One of the greatest hits from the rock-band Queen. It was written in 1979.
This instrumental version starts as a shuffle to expose the theme. The shuffle changes to a swing when we come to the tutti-ensemble playing the bridge.
In the middle there is a solo for the 1st tenor after which a swinging tutti ends the piece.
Level: intermediate
Here is one of the many great compositions of Charles Mingus. He recorded it in 1959.
After the intro the theme is first played by trumpet, trombone, alto and tenor. The second time all sections play together, answering each other.
Then there is a march-like interlude followed by an alto solo and trumpetsolo. A tutti leads to the end of the piece.
Level: intermediate
I based this composition on the chord structure of Gershwin’s ‘I got rhythm’. Lots of jazz compositions are based on the so called ‘rhythm changes’.
I used large leaps in as well melody and dynamics. Octaves and sevenths and jumps from ff to mp.
I wrote it for my second daughter Annelies when she was 8 years old.
Level: intermediate/advanced
One of my heroes of Brazilian music is Ivan Lins. He has made dozens of beautiful songs with all very high
quality and originality. His most succesfull song is a song used in a Brazilian television ‘soap’ called
“Malu, mulher” , Malu, a woman. It was sung by Simone and I fell in love with it eversince. That was in 1979.
It is a seemingly endless line of unsolved chords that trigger new unsolved chords.
I wrote this arrangement as one crescendo from the beginning to the end. There is an instrumental part in the middle that follows the melody line. It comes with the beautiful Portuguese text from Vitor Martins, but an English text of Alan & Marilyn Bergman is provided as well.
Level: intermediate.
I wrote this composition in 1985 and re-arranged it recently. It features the baritone saxophone (written out solo provided). It is a medium soul-funk where after a ‘classical’ intro a bluesy ‘A’ melody is being played by saxes, trombones and trumpets after which we have a long bridge. In the middle is the baritone solo, followed by an 8 bars drums-solo.
And finally we have the ‘classical’ ‘mon fin est ma commence’ music again to end the piece.
Level: advanced.
A ballad that I am in love with since I heard it being played by Jimmy Smith on his Hammond. I arranged it as a trombone feature (written out solo provided). The change in time-signatures gives a nice build up of tension.
Level: intermediate.
You’ll probably know this Jamie Cullum song. In the Netherlands it was a great hit a few years ago. I arranged this vocal version for lead vocal and added 2 optional vocal parts in the tutti big band part. The whole band ends up scatting...
Level: intermediate.
Another great Jamie Cullum song. He used a sample of a Thad Jones piece as an interlude. I added some things of my own to it. Like whistling. In the middle there is 16 bars room for the guitar-player.
Level: intermediate.
No jazz music without the blues. I wrote this jazz-blues in1984 and I combined two different blues schemes, a common scheme and a ‘Parker-blues’. There is lots of space for improvisation, starting with guitar or piano, then for tenor saxophone and for trumpet. In the middle is the Parker blues where both the saxophone - and brass section play a ‘special’ in a close-voicing. Then the tutti starts with drum fills towards the end.
Level: intermediate/advanced.
I love this combination of hip-hop rap and big band.
The bass consists of a 2 bars long ostinato and forms the backbone of this great song. The 16 bar rap is alternated with 16 bars funky melodic lines from the horns. The rapper part is written out completely.
Here is the clip of the original audio.
Level: intermediate/advanced.
I have taken the extended version of the Crusaders lp from 1979 as the basic form of this arrangement. It includes the beautiful slow intro where I use the saxes to accompany the singer. There is a solo for alto and for trumpet (a written out solo provided).
Level: intermediate.
This is a piece I wrote for a friend of mine, Rogier de Mulder who, having one daughter, heard his wife Suzan was pregnant of a twin. They had some busy months with their three lovely daughters Rosanne, Amelie and Julia!
It is an altered boogie scheme with an extended ending. Towards the end of the piece the horns play a rhythmic jigsaw puzzle leading to the climax.
During the first time the piece was played a photo was taken from the children and guess what: they had put their fingers in their ears...
Level: intermediate.
Especially for the lovers of Dutch cabaret here’s a song by Toon Hermans. It is a very popular song since it was sung by Jasperina de Jong in 1967. Recently it became a Dutch hit again in the version of a rather profiled and bold lady named Sugar Lee Hooper. An optional 2nd and 3rd vocal part are provided in case your band has more singers.
Level: intermediate.
An up tempo swinger that I meant to be as a leader or opening of the concert.
Level: advanced.
One of Horace Silvers greatest hits. If you’re looking for the combination of big band and a 4 part female vocal group, have a look at this one. After a vocal start with the rhythm-section the horns come in slowly. After some vocal ‘solos’ we have an instrumental tutti with the guitar protecting the beat. The singers pick it up towards the end.
Level: intermediate.
Mainly three notes. That’s all Jobim needed for one of his most beautiful songs. It’s always great fun working on an arrangement of a song of this level. After the intro it builds up as one large crescendo. The harmony does the rest. The arrangement can be used with vocal group or a soloist.
Level: intermediate.
Leslie Bricusse gave us this wonderful example of how to unfold an ascending melody.
After the vocal part it modulates to a laid back instrumental tutti that ends in an 8 bar duet between flugelhorn and 1st trombone. After a funky 8 bars transition we’re back to the melody to finish the piece.
Level: intermediate.
I wish I had written this one back in the seventies.
This arrangement can be used with a solo vocalist or a four-part vocal group. After the first 2 verses and refrain there is an instrumental part where the saxes take over the melody. The long end is a gradual instrumental build up and the drums leads to the final chord as well as the optional reprise, which is one key up and slightly faster.
Level: intermediate.
I wrote this samba for my oldest daughter Nikki in 1997 when she was 5 years old.
It starts with piano-chords that want to let you believe the beat is on a wrong count. After the rhythm section have set the samba, the theme is exposed in an A(7 bars) A(8 bars) BA form. In the middle there is room for a trumpet or bugel solo and when the BA form is completed the band stops and cowbell and only one trombone take over. The second trombone joins, and so on, and after a while we have the complete band playing again towards the end.
Level: intermediate/advanced.
Pah pah oohm bah oohm bah pah pah... One of the great scat-vocals of Tania Maria.
This vocal arrangement starts in C minor and changes to D minor later on. An optional second voice is provided. At the end we have a 16 bars duet between the vocalist(s) and the drummer with two big bangs in the middle. Listen to the “pah pah oohm bah oohm bah pah pah” in the audio-demo.
Level: intermediate.
Back in1975 KC & the Sunshine Band scored this huge disco hit. You cannot skip this one at your parties.
It comes with 3 vocal parts though it can easily be sung by one or two singers. It has room for an alto solo and an 8 bar drums solo.
Level: easy/intermediate.
This arrangement is for a SATB vocal group with a standard big band.
It starts with a capella vocal group. The rhythm section joins in and after a while we have the whole band playing. There is a firm double time feel tutti in the middle and on the bridge the vocal group joines in again towards the end.
Level: intermediate.
A Russian doll or Matrushka (sometimes Babushka) is a wooden doll that can be opened and you’ll find a wooden doll in it with a wooden doll in it etc, smaller each time. They often have different faces.
The music here is kind of alike. After the piano intro it every time starts with the same theme but after 4 bars it continues in a different way each of the 5 times it appears. There is a 16 bars solo for trumpet and 14 bars tenor saxophone solo. I wrote it in 2006 for my youngest daughter Chrisje.
Level: intermediate.
This beautiful Jerome Kern song is from the musical ‘Show Boat’ (1927). It is for a female singer though in the score I give textpossibilities to change it to male. After the first vocal chorus there is a tenorsax solo, for the occasion changed to Toots in person in the demo. It is followed by a tutti with optional scatting (written out) for the singer. The bass player ends the song.
Level: intermediate.
This male/female duet waltz was a hit in 1979 by Billy Preston and Syreeta. It was originally written for the motion picture ‘Fast break’. In this arrangement there are some optional lines for a third (background) singer.
Level: intermediate.
This song was first popularized in 1975 by the group Labelle but is perhaps best known from the ‘Moulin Rouge’ film soundtrack in 2001 sung by Christina Aguilera and others.
This arrangement is based on the ‘Moulin Rouge’ version and includes the rap as performed in this song.
The score comes with a lead vocal/rap part and 3 optional backingvocal parts.
Level: intermediate.
Frankie Valli was one of the first who had a mega succes back in1967 with this song. Many others follow after him. This arrangement is typical discojazz ;-).
Level: intermediate.
I made some harmonic changes in the last 4 bars of this Billie Holiday’s classic blues to make it a bit more challenging for the singer. After the first 2 chorusses there is plenty of room for several soloists followed by a big band tutti.
Level: intermediate.
Paul Simon’s biggest solo hit from 1975. Covered by many but I didn’t hear a big band version yet. Well, here it is! It starts with the famous (written out) Steve Gadd shuffle. The verses are accompanied by the brass section. Halfway the music there is room for solo’s, in the score it is for alto but in the audio you’ll hear an electric piano. After the “Slip out the back, Jack” there is Steve Gadd again ending the piece.
Level: intermediate.
