Blues for a Killed Kat: Conductor Score

Name: Blues for a Killed Kat: Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-10105246
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Jack End / arr. Frederick Fennell

Grade: 4

Item: 36-10105246

$10.00

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One moment…

Early one winter morning after playing at a Jazz club, composer and clarinetist Jack End observed a cat that had lain dead for a few days to be still in the dimly lit gutter in front of Sibley Music Library. Wen he dropped the instruments in his studio he sat at the piano to express his sadness - what else but with a Blues. His band played Blues for a Killed Kat for years and so did those who gathered for an Eastman School of Music class reunion in 1960 when Frederick Fennell asked him to score it for The Eastman Wind Ensemble. The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra recorded it twenty-five years later in 1986 when Jack End died in his 67th year.

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Series: Fennell Editions - LudwigMasters

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 1-63-887001-2

ISBN13: 978-1-63-887001-2

UPC: 660355139246

SKU: 36-10105246

Instrumentation: Symphonic Band

More about this title

About the Composer: Jack End

Jack End was a composer and clarinetist whose creative life centered on the Eastman School of Music community in Rochester, New York. A working jazz musician who performed at local clubs, End channeled his artistic sensitivity into concert works that bridged vernacular and classical traditions, most notably this blues-inspired piece that emerged from a moment of genuine emotion and became a standard in the wind band repertoire.

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Why we love this

End's blues has the rare quality of sounding both sophisticated and deeply human. It avoids sentimentality while capturing real melancholy, giving students and audiences a legitimate emotional experience without resorting to cheap effects. Frederick Fennell's orchestration respects the intimacy of the original while opening it up for full ensemble resonance.

What to expect

Blues for a Killed Kat carries genuine sorrow without wallowing. The harmonic language is warm and slightly melancholic, with moments of wry acknowledgment mixed into its grief. You hear jazz inflection in the phrasing and harmony, grounding the piece in a real musical tradition rather than an abstraction.

Who it's for

Band directors programming at the Grade 4 level who want repertoire that teaches musicality and emotional depth alongside technical skill. This work engages serious young musicians without condescending to them, making it ideal for school bands ready to play with expression and sensitivity.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the solo voices (clarinet especially) so they emerge naturally from the ensemble texture rather than cutting through it; this is a collective expression of sadness, not a solo feature.
Take the tempo with restraint; blues work best when there's room for the harmony and inflection to breathe rather than pushing forward.
Shape phrases by feel rather than mechanical accent patterns; listen to how jazz musicians phrase and apply that sensibility to the ensemble.
Use dynamic contrast across sections to highlight the instrumental colors Fennell chose, particularly the darker sonorities in the lower brass and reeds.

How to use it

This is perfect alongside other character pieces that ask students to engage emotionally rather than technically. Consider pairing it with works that contrast in mood and energy; its introspective quality creates a powerful program moment that prepares the audience for lighter or more virtuosic material that follows. It also works well as a centerpiece in a concert exploring jazz influences on concert band writing.