Emily: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Lisa DeSpain's arrangement makes Mandel's graceful waltz melody the focus, giving your ensemble immediate access to a composition of genuine sophistication without overwhelming complexity. The pedagogical scaffolding built into this chart—phrasing instruction, vibrato work, and deliberate attention to phrase connection—transforms a beautiful tune into a teaching tool that deepens how students listen to and shape melody. At Grade 2, it belongs in any jazz program aiming to balance accessibility with artistic substance.

Emily moves with the grace of a waltz but carries the harmonic sophistication and warmth of jazz. The melody has a singing quality that invites legato playing and expressive vibrato; the rhythm section locks into a steady, unhurried 3/4 groove that feels spacious and conversational rather than rushed.

Jazz ensemble directors teaching Grade 2 (Medium Easy) students who are ready for genuine jazz repertoire with clear pedagogy. This works for ensembles building foundational skills in phrasing, vibrato, and jazz feel while performing music that sounds and feels real.

• Shape the melody through intentional phrase direction rather than even, static phrasing. The trombone and tenor sax need to hear where each phrase peaks and how it resolves, then commit to that architecture with their dynamics and articulation.
• Lock the rhythm section into the waltz's 3/4 feel early in rehearsal. The clarity of the pulse underneath will help the melodists land their longer note values and vibrato work with confidence.
• Work vibrato on the sustained melody notes as part of ensemble rehearsal, not just in sectionals. Hearing how vibrato colors the phrase, rather than treating it as ornamentation, elevates the whole group's understanding of expression.
• Distinguish between the written solo and the cued ad lib options for trombone. If your ensemble plays the written solo first, make that version sing with full intention before exploring what the ad lib invites.

Place this in a concert where you want to showcase your ensemble's attention to lyrical playing and ensemble cohesion. Its moderate length (3:03) and accessible difficulty make it ideal for a contest or festival setting, and the waltz idiom offers a refreshing change of pace alongside more uptempo charts.

• Phrasing and phrase connection in jazz idiom
• Vibrato as expressive tool rather than ornament
• Melody statement and counterpoint awareness
• 3/4 feel and swing interpretation
• Balancing soloist and ensemble roles in arrangement
• Listening to and matching phrase contour across sections