Pick Six By:
Jennifer Parker
Repertoire & Resources Chair for Jazz Choirs
MacNally Smith College of Music
Jennifer.Parker@mcnallysmith.edu
Holiday Carols I
Various Arrangers
Sound Music Publications SMP08-065
SATB, a cappella
There are three collections of Holiday Carols available from Sound Music Publications. Each one of them contains standard holiday fare arranged in new, creative ways. There is a broad range of styles and levels of difficulty included. Some have just a hint of jazz nuance and others commit all the way. There is something for every choral situation. Each collection contains around 15 carols so one packet provides years of choice material from some of the country’s finest arrangers.
Crazy in Love
Beyoncé Knowles, Rich Harrison, Shawn Carter, Eugene Record arr. Kerry Marsh
SSA with chord chart piano and notated bass and drums
This fun arrangement is based on the Puppini Sisters’ adaptation of Beyonce’s #1 hit.
Make Someone Happy
Adolph Green, Betty Comden arr. Matt Falker
Sound Music Publications SMP08-032
SSA or SAB, a cappella
In this arrangement, Matt Falker was able to create lush, full sounding jazz harmonies with fewer voices while maintaining great voice leading. This chart could be used with an advanced middle school group or high school ensemble. As part of the Great American Song Book, it fits equally well on the Jazz or Choral concert program. It includes a lovely soprano solo. Everyone from Doris Day and Judi Garland to Aretha Franklin and The Supremes has recorded Make Someone Happy, making it a wonderful musical and historical teaching tool.
Freedom is a Voice
Bobby McFerrin and Russell Ferrante, arr. Tim Buchholz
Sound Music Publications SMP09-067
SATB with notated rhythm section parts (piano, bass, drums)
This arrangement encompasses everything you would expect from a Bobby McFerrin experience; worldly scat syllables, improvisation, beautiful melodic content, lush harmonies and groove-based spirituality. The syllable choices flow easily and the ending has a gospel-like feel to it. It would make a great song to incorporate into a circle song experience with your choirs or your audiences! With its catchy phrasing and inspiring word content, it makes a wonderful closer. I have used this chart with high level ensembles and with a few choirs of various ability at one time by splitting up the more difficult sections between them and bringing them together on the repetitive ending section.
Love You Madly
Duke Ellington, Jed Scott, Beth Bright arr. Jed Scott
SSATB, rhythm section partially notated, 2 Tpt, Tbn, T. Sax.
This is a hard-swinging Duke Ellington classic! There are opportunities for soloists of any voice type and great room for improvisation. It includes a very clever shout chorus and over a dozen other Duke Ellington quotes throughout the arrangement. It is a wonderful opportunity for a Jazz History listening lesson about the Duke. The horn parts are fabulous so your band directors will be happy to be on board. I have used this with All-State Vocal Jazz ensembles and honors choirs. It is challenging, but it is so much fun the students won’t realize how hard they are working!
Still
Brian Eichenberger arr. Jeremy Fox
SAATBB a cappella
This groove based song crosses over beautifully into contemporary a cappella, incorporating vocal percussion and an “instrumental” bass vocal line. It features a tenor solo throughout. It provides a great opportunity to work on your ensemble’s sense of time and rhythmic interpretation. The students will instantly relate to its modern sound while still being challenged by jazz elements.