Here's That Rainy Day: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Rick Stitzel's arrangement captures the intimate quality of this standard while keeping the ensemble actively engaged. The brief solos for alto sax and trumpet give younger players a low-pressure entry point to improvisation or feature playing without overwhelming them, and the Grade 2 scoring means the full band can support those soloists without complexity getting in the way of musicianship.

Contemplative and nostalgic, with the warmth of a standard filtered through a small group's intimacy. The lush harmonies evoke a quiet moment of reflection, the kind that feels natural after a more uptempo set closes.

Young jazz ensembles ready to move beyond pure section playing into ensemble-plus-soloist textures. This arrangement works especially well for groups that include developing improvisers who benefit from playing over straightforward changes in a supportive ensemble setting.

• Shape the ensemble melody with a single breath line across the entire phrase; resist the urge to punctuate at every bar line, especially in the opening section where the harmony is doing most of the expressive work.
• Balance the solo trumpet and alto sax prominently enough that they feel like conversation partners with the ensemble, not buried underneath the harmonic framework.
• Establish a conversational tempo that lets the ballad breathe; rushing this arrangement flattens the emotional architecture that makes it work.

Pair this with a faster swinger earlier in your concert to create dynamic contrast, or use it as a wind-down moment that transitions your audience into a different emotional space. It's also an excellent choice for festivals where judges expect to hear younger ensembles tackling the jazz repertoire with taste and restraint.

• Phrasing and breath placement in jazz ballad settings
• Balancing ensemble accompaniment with solo voices
• Reading jazz notation and chord changes
• Maintaining consistent time feel at slower tempos