Hit the Ground Running: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

$12.00 USD

Hit the Ground Running: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Name: Hit the Ground Running: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-30653S
Price: 12.00 USD
Availability: InStock

As recorded by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

By Gordon Goodwin

Grade: 5 (Advanced / Difficult)

Item: 00-30653S

$12.00

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It's funky with all the Big Phat Band attributes, and it's fairly tough to play, but hey, it's Gordon and you know it will be a hot chart . . . if you have the horses. The opening lick for piano is really hot. The rhythm section will stay busy and it includes an auxiliary percussion part. Solo space is for alto, tenor, bari, trumpet and trombone. Open with this chart! (4:55) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

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Series: Gordon Goodwin Series

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 28

UPC: 038081344461

SKU: 00-30653S

More about this title

About the Composer: Gordon Goodwin

Gordon Goodwin wrote his first complete composition at five years old, demonstrating an innate gift for capturing fully formed musical ideas. By thirteen, he had already composed a big band chart that would catch the attention of industry professionals. His work as a film and television composer earned him three Emmy Awards and multiple Grammy nominations, with his orchestrations featured in films ranging from Bad Boys II to Remember the Titans.

Beyond Hollywood, Goodwin has collaborated with jazz and pop luminaries including Quincy Jones, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, and David Foster. Since founding Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band in 2000, he has established himself as a leading voice in contemporary big band jazz, conducting major symphony orchestras across North America and Europe while continuing to compose, arrange, and perform at the highest level.

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Why we love this

This is quintessential Goodwin: funky, high-energy, and written with the technical precision of someone who understands exactly how a professional big band thinks and breathes. The opening piano lick sets an immediate hook, and the layered complexity of the rhythm section combined with clean solo opportunities across the saxes and brass makes this an ideal statement piece for ensembles with the chops to deliver it.

What to expect

Hit the Ground Running captures the swagger of contemporary big band jazz, where precision and funk sensibility collide. The rhythm section churns with relentless energy while the horns punch in with attitude, creating a chart that feels both meticulously crafted and explosively alive.

Who it's for

Jazz ensembles at the advanced level with strong section fundamentals and capable soloists across the reed and brass sections. This score demands musicians who can execute complex rhythmic figures, lock into a funk pocket, and navigate the harmonic sophistication Goodwin brings to every chart.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the piano and bass into that opening lick with absolute clarity; it's your calling card and needs to land with confidence from the first measure.
Push the funk feel without dragging; this chart thrives on forward momentum even when the groove sits deep.
Give your rhythm section advance time to digest the auxiliary percussion part so integration feels seamless rather than added on.
Shape the solo passages by establishing clear expectations around dynamics and phrasing with each section; soloists need room to breathe but within Goodwin's harmonic framework.

How to use it

Open a concert with this as your statement of purpose; it announces that your ensemble is serious, contemporary, and unafraid of demanding material. Pair it with other Goodwin charts to build a cohesive set that showcases your band's identity, or use it as a centerpiece that allows earlier, lighter pieces to warm up the audience before you hit them with the full force of this one.