Cherry Point: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Roy Phillippe's arrangement strips Hefti's blues composition down to its essentials, making it accessible for young ensembles without sacrificing that authentic swingin' groove. The written solos give students real jazz vocabulary to learn and perform, and the lead trumpet part in written F removes transposition confusion so players can focus on feel and delivery.

Greasy and infectious. This tune settles into a swingin' blues pocket with a hook that sticks with listeners long after the final chorus. The ensemble sections have a relaxed, big-band confidence that feels playable even for newer jazz musicians.

First-year jazz ensemble students and directors building a foundation in blues form and small-group swing orchestration. The Grade 1 difficulty and written solos make this ideal for players still developing jazz reading skills and improvisation awareness.

• Lock the groove between the rhythm section and the ensemble before worrying about solo execution. The chart only works if the swing feel is consistent and relaxed throughout.
• Study the solo sections as a band. Even though piano, trumpet, and tenor sax carry the written lines, the rhythm section's accompaniment shapes how those solos land and breathe.
• Let the catchy riff breathe. Resist the urge to rush it; the punch comes from pocket placement, not tempo.

Pair this with other blues-based charts from the First Year Charts series to create a thematic concert section that teaches students the blues as a foundation for jazz. It works equally well as a winter concert closer or a spring jazz festival crowd-pleaser.

• Reading and performing swing eighth-note feel
• Playing written jazz solos with proper phrasing and articulation
• Understanding 12-bar blues form in an ensemble context
• Balancing section blend while maintaining strong individual voices in solo passages
• Reading lead trumpet parts in written pitch