Hit Me with a Hot Note: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Mark Hayes captures the essence of Ellington's swagger in this arrangement, giving choirs a legitimate jazz number that swings without demanding a vocal jazz specialist's polish. The optional instrumental parts and recorded accompaniment create real flexibility: use the CD for a polished sound, add players for authentic texture, or perform with just voices. This is the kind of piece that reminds students why they chose choir.

Sultry and confident from the opening bass line, the piece exhales attitude through its sassy vocal melody and snappy rhythmic phrasing. The full-blown jazz arrangement that unfolds feels both sophisticated and fun, never pretentious, with the kind of swinging groove that makes singers smile on stage.

Choirs at the intermediate level and above who are ready to tackle syncopated rhythms and jazz style without feeling like they are singing "fake" jazz. This works equally well for school choirs seeking a contemporary-sounding secular concert piece and community choirs wanting to explore the songbook with swing and attitude.

• Reference the SoundTrax CD repeatedly during rehearsals so singers internalize the groove rather than fighting it. Have them conduct along to the accompaniment to feel where the syncopation lives.
• Shape the dynamics around the horn licks on the recording. When those syncopated figures answer the choir, pull back slightly to let them breathe and land with impact.
• Release consonants cleanly and slightly ahead of the beat in the sassy vocal sections. This precision makes the syncopation read as intentional rather than sloppy.
• If you add the optional instrumental parts, rehearse rhythm section and choir separately first, then bring them together. The tight interlock is essential to the sizzle.

Pair this with other Great American Songbook selections for a concert that celebrates American vocal standards, or slot it into a pop/contemporary-style show where its jazz credibility adds substance alongside other secular repertoire. The recorded accompaniment makes it ideal for a concert where your ensemble needs variety in accompaniment styles without requiring a pianist to transpose or adapt.

• Reading and performing syncopated rhythms in jazz style
• Maintaining pulse and groove against a walking bass line
• Shaping phrases with swing articulation and dynamics
• Blending with recorded accompaniment and optional instrumental parts
• Understanding the historical and musical context of Great American Songbook standards