Embraceable You: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Roy Phillippe's arrangement respects Gershwin's harmonic language while giving every section something real to play. The written-out sax solos mean your soloists aren't improvising over changes they don't know yet, the muted trumpet part is genuinely beautiful, and the brush work keeps the ensemble anchored on ballad fundamentals. This is a chart that sounds like a professional recording without requiring one.

Soft-focus and intimate, like a late-night set at a small club where every note lands with intention. The harmonies are rich enough to reward close listening; there's nothing throwaway here, even in the comping parts. Time slows down slightly, and the whole ensemble learns what it means to play as a single voice instead of individual parts.

Jazz ensembles at the Grade 3 level who have solid reading skills and at least one competent soloist on trumpet and one on each saxophone. This works equally well for high school jazz bands, college jazz combos, or community ensembles that want a ballad with professional sound and reasonable technical demands.

• Balance the ensemble around the vocalist energy of the solos; this is a tender ballad, not a swinger. The drummer's brushes set the texture, so spend rehearsal time on brush technique and dynamics.
• Pay attention to the diminished chord passages the arranger includes. Mark them in your parts and have students identify them by ear; recognizing that sound is a skill that transfers immediately to improvisation.
• The muted trumpet solo should speak clearly without volume; work dynamics and phrase shape before worrying about tempo. A beautiful solo at a slightly slower pace beats a fast one that loses its lyrical quality.
• Lock the trombones' block harmonies tight; these chords define the harmonic color of the arrangement, especially under the sax solos. Voicing precision matters more than blend here.

Program this after an uptempo feature to showcase your band's ballad command and dynamic control. It pairs beautifully with other Gershwin standards or as a bridge between a jazz set and a classical section, demonstrating how much depth sits beneath what sounds simple. It's also an ideal closer for a shorter set, leaving the audience with something elegant.

• Reading and recognizing diminished chord voicings by ear and on the page
• Brush technique and dynamic control in a ballad context
• Solo line reading from written-out melody (alto sax, tenor sax, and trumpet)
• Balancing solo prominence with ensemble support
• Phrase shaping and lyrical phrasing at slower tempos