Baby, It's Cold Outside: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
By Frank Loesser / Arranged by Roger Holmes
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00159433
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Description
This easygoing swing tune is a perfect feature number for your Christmas or holiday concert. With smooth ensemble writing and lush harmonies, this is sure to be an audience favorite and fun to play as well.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00159433
More about this title
About the Composer: Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser (1910-1969) was a songwriter and composer who bridged popular song and musical theater with remarkable sophistication. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Guys and Dolls and created some of the 20th century's most enduring melodies, from "Guys and Dolls" to "The Most Happy Fella." His gift for craft shows everywhere: memorable hooks paired with harmonies that reward careful listening.
For educators, Loesser matters because his songs teach voice leading, harmonic strength, and how to write a tune that sticks. His melodies sit naturally in the human voice while his harmonies challenge young musicians to hear complexity without density.
Why we love this
Roger Holmes's arrangement keeps the warmth and swung rhythms of this perennial favorite while giving your ensemble something substantial to sink their teeth into. The Grade 3 voicing works because it respects the tune's elegant simplicity rather than overcomplicating it, and the lush harmonies sound polished without requiring professional-level execution.
What to expect
The arrangement wraps you in the warmth of a classic tune with the gentle swing of a winter evening. Smooth voicings and a relaxed groove create intimacy without sacrificing the tune's inherent sophistication, making it feel like live jazz rather than a novelty number.
Who it's for
Jazz ensembles in high school and college programs looking for a holiday feature that audiences will recognize and musicians will enjoy playing. This works equally well for programs that want a seasonal crowd-pleaser or for ensembles building their jazz repertoire with accessible, well-written charts.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the melody with confidence through the verse; resist the urge to oversell it. The tune's charm lives in its natural phrasing, not in inflection.
- Balance the ensemble so the harmony sections bloom without burying any single voice. This is especially important in the mid-register lines that support the lead.
- Nail the rhythmic pocket early in rehearsal so players can relax into the swing feel. Once the time is solid, focus on musical phrase and blend.
- Let the recorded accompaniment settle the ensemble's tempo and groove before running the chart top to bottom; familiarity with the backbeat prevents rushing.
How to use it
Feature this as a palate-cleansing moment in a holiday concert program, perhaps following a more formal selection or preceding a high-energy closing number. It also serves well as an opener that draws audiences in with something they already love, buying goodwill before moving into deeper repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing jazz articulation and swing rhythms
- Blending four-part harmony with consistent tone across sections
- Maintaining groove and pocket in a small ensemble setting
- Shaping melodic lines with phrasing that mirrors vocal music
- Listening to harmonic color and adjusting intonation for chord quality