Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Gordon Goodwin's arrangement captures everything that makes his big band writing irresistible: relentless energy, smart voicings, and genuine respect for his soloists. The fact that this is a feature from The Phat Pack means your ensemble gets to play something that a world-class big band has already validated, and the tongue-in-cheek premise gives your program permission to have fun without sacrificing musical substance.

Imagine a theme that arrives with comedic swagger, all forward momentum and sharp articulation, then opens up for soloists to strut their stuff over swinging changes. The energy never fully dissipates; even when the arrangement breathes, it's still coiled and ready to pounce. This is music that makes people smile and then makes them respect your ensemble's chops.

Advanced high school and college jazz ensembles with a strong bass trombone section and reliable soloists across three voices. Directors programming a concert that balances virtuosic big band literature with entertaining audience appeal will find this chart does both simultaneously.

• Lock the bass trombone part into the kick drum and bass patterns during the written sections; this is your engine, and a weak bass trombone reading will deflate the whole chart.
• Give your soloists (alto, tenor, trombone) space to breathe and shape their lines, but keep ensemble figures crisp and synchronized or the humor collapses into sloppiness.
• Treat the auxiliary percussion parts as equal voices, not decorative; they're integral to the cartoon-like character that makes this arrangement work.
• Let the tempo breathe naturally rather than rushing; Goodwin's charts have momentum built in, and over-conducting often kills the groove.

Program this as a centerpiece for a fall or Halloween concert where you're mixing serious repertoire with music that showcases personality. It works equally well as a closer that sends the audience home energized, or as a mid-set turning point that signals your ensemble isn't afraid to take itself lightly while still executing at a high level.

• Trading solos with ensemble precision across three different voice parts
• Reading syncopated figures and maintaining groove against active bass trombone lines
• Executing dynamic contrast in ensemble passages (hitting stabs crisply, laying back in groove)
• Doubling on additional instruments (soprano sax, flute, piccolo) with secure voicing
• Balancing comedic delivery with technical accuracy in a chart that demands both