Dance Big'un Dance: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
By Ralph Ford
Grade: 1 (Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0006903
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Description
Ralph Ford delivers a superb Latin-rock chart with a melody that will grab you. Features include a simple but catchy piano montuno pattern, written solos for alto sax and trumpet, and an optional but recommended percussion part that will definitely add to the Latin flavor. A great chart by an outstanding arranger. (3:25)
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Additional Details
Series:
First Year Charts for Jazz Ensemble
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
82
SKU:
00-PK-0006903
More about this title
About the Composer: Ralph Ford
Ralph Ford has spent nearly three decades on university faculty while maintaining a prolific career as a composer and arranger. His professional portfolio spans broadcast media, live music production, and commissioned works for orchestras, concert bands, jazz ensembles, and marching ensembles worldwide. As an exclusive composer and arranger for Alfred Music's Belwin division, he has authored over 250 published titles.
Ford's arranging work began at age fifteen in Panama City, Florida, and deepened during his undergraduate years at Troy State University, where he directed the Jazz Ensemble I program for fifteen years while serving as staff arranger for the university band. He holds a Master of Science degree from Troy and has taught orchestration, arranging, theory, jazz studies, and applied brass alongside his composition work.
Why we love this
Ford's Latin-rock arrangement cuts through the noise with a melody that lands immediately and a rhythm section foundation that keeps ensemble members locked in. The written solos for alto sax and trumpet give individual players a moment to shine while the optional percussion part transforms the texture from functional to genuinely idiomatic, making this a first-year charger that feels like a real professional writing job.
What to expect
Groovy and immediate. The melody hooks fast, the rhythm feels contemporary and listenable rather than mechanical, and the Latin percussion elements (when included) give the piece personality that goes beyond standard jazz ensemble fare at this level. It lands somewhere between a fun opener and a crowd-pleaser your ensemble will want to play again.
Who it's for
First-year jazz ensemble directors looking for accessible material that sounds polished and professional. This chart works for high school ensembles still building fundamentals and middle school programs aiming to introduce Latin jazz idioms without overwhelming students with technical demands.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the piano montuno pattern early in rehearsal. Have your pianist play it alone for several run-throughs so the rhythmic feel is rock-solid before adding other voices.
- Bring the optional percussion part into at least one performance. The Latin texture only works if the rhythm section feels anchored by timbales, congas, or the suggested alternatives.
- Feature the alto sax and trumpet solos prominently in rehearsal. These young players deserve the chance to practice comping and dynamics in a written section before tackling full improvisation.
- Keep the groove relaxed and grounded. Easy-grade charts can rush when directors push for energy; let the Latin feel breathe.
How to use it
Open a concert with this to grab attention and set an upbeat tone, or use it as a counterpoint to a ballad or bebop standard elsewhere on the program. It also works well as a dedicated Latin jazz study when you are introducing young musicians to montuno patterns and Latin ensemble roles.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing Latin rock rhythm feels in small ensemble contexts
- Playing written solos with clear phrasing and articulation
- Understanding piano montuno patterns as a foundational jazz device
- Listening to and locking in with percussion parts in ensemble texture