It's holiday mash-up time! This is a clever combination of the traditional carol with sultry Brazilian jazz a la Stan Getz. Two transcribed solos are provided for tenor sax and trumpet (or flugelhorn) that mirror the recorded solos, or they can be improvised as desired. The rhythm section parts are fully realized along with suggested piano voicings and bass lines. This is a relaxed and laid-back chart that features sectional solis and the full ensemble for a fresh and modern addition to holiday concert repertoire. Optional parts are included for flute/violin, clarinet and F horn, and the lead trumpet range is to written E top of staff. Highly recommended!
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Ryan's arrangement strips away the weight of traditional holiday arrangements and replaces it with genuine groove. The transcribed solos give students concrete models to study, while the improvisation option lets confident players own their moments without losing the chart's cohesion.
What to expect
Warm, spacious, and unhurried. The Brazilian jazz DNA gives this familiar carol an almost tropical ease, as if the ensemble is playing poolside in December. Solos float above the rhythm section with the confidence of players who know their groove.
Who it's for
Jazz ensembles looking for repertoire that feels current and swings without demands that outpace a Grade 2 group. This works equally well for holiday concerts, informal performances, or student recitals where you want the energy to stay high.
How to get the most out of it
Study the recorded solos before rehearsal so students hear the phrasing and inflection they're after, whether they'll read the transcription or improvise over it.
Balance the sectional solis carefully; these moments shine brightest when the supporting section plays with restraint and pocket awareness.
Experiment with the rhythm section voicings across rehearsals. The suggested piano voicings are guides, not mandates, and this chart rewards flexibility if your pianist wants to color the harmony differently.
Lock the tempo early. The 'relaxed and laid-back' feel only works if the rhythm section commits to a steady groove without dragging.
How to use it
Anchor your second half with this; its relaxed confidence provides perfect ballast after a traditional opening number. The optional parts also make it flexible enough to double as a smaller combo feature if you're working with a subset of the ensemble.
Skills your students will build
Reading and performing walking bass lines with harmonic awareness
Interpreting jazz articulation and phrasing in an ensemble setting
Navigating optional chord voicings while maintaining rhythmic ensemble cohesion
Transcribing or improvising saxophone and trumpet solos over a fixed harmonic progression
Balancing sectional textures and dynamic control in a rhythm-section-driven arrangement
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