Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum (arr. Mark Taylor): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Taylor's approach to this Wayne Shorter classic manages something difficult: he keeps the tune's sophisticated harmonic language and lazy swing pocket without burying younger players. The included solos for tenor sax and trumpet give your section leaders genuine solo space that sounds authentic, not watered down.

Laid back and groovy, with a pocket-friendly swing that invites the band to settle into a comfortable groove rather than rush. The harmonic sophistication underneath the relaxed surface gives the tune a knowing quality that appeals to young musicians who want to sound contemporary and cool.

Jazz ensemble directors working with players at the intermediate level who want to teach real jazz arranging and authentic swing feel. This works equally well for a Grade 3 jazz band looking to expand their repertoire or for a mixed-ability ensemble where stronger players can anchor the solos.

• Establish the swing feel early in rehearsal by playing the head together several times before diving into solo sections. The relaxation in this tune comes from collective rhythmic security, not from rushing the time.
• Balance the written accompaniment texture so that walking bass and comping chords sit behind the melody and solos rather than competing. A lighter touch from the rhythm section will let the soloists breathe.
• Record yourself taking the solos first, then play the recording back for your improvising musicians to hear what the solo section should sound like. Shorter's melodic language is distinctive enough that hearing an example accelerates their comfort.
• Pay attention to dynamics marked in the score during the head and tutti sections. These subtle curves prevent the tune from sounding flat and build listener engagement.

Program this early in the year to establish your ensemble's swing vocabulary and to give soloists a vehicle for building confidence in front of an audience. It also pairs well with other Shorter material if you're building a unit on jazz composers or with standards from the same era.

• Playing and maintaining swing eighth-note feel within a jazz ensemble texture
• Improvising single-chorus solos over jazz harmonic changes
• Comping and walking bass lines that support soloist phrasing
• Interpreting jazz articulation and dynamics from a lead sheet context
• Listening and responding to other soloists while maintaining time and harmony