It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Sing, Sing, Sing: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Tom Anderson's pairing of two Ellington standards creates momentum and variety within a single piece, keeping singers engaged through contrasting textures and moods. The arrangement respects the sophistication of swing writing while remaining teachable, so your choir experiences the challenge and reward of authentic jazz without requiring years of specialized vocal training. This is exactly the kind of repertoire that reminds students why they joined choir in the first place.

The piece swings with the elegance and sophistication Ellington brought to every composition. You move between moments of driving energy and sophisticated harmonic moments, the kind of writing that makes singers feel like they're part of a real jazz ensemble. It's fun, it's challenging, and it carries real musical substance.

This octavo suits choirs with solid reading skills and enough rehearsal time to work swing interpretation. Your singers should be comfortable with jazz vocabulary and able to balance precision with stylistic freedom. Experienced high school choirs, college ensembles, and confident community choirs will find this rewarding.

• Shape the swing rhythms with precision. The distinction between written and felt rhythm is what gives this style its groove; work the ensemble toward consistency in how they interpret syncopation and articulation.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the harmonic backdrop and style, but resist letting singers passively follow it. Have them sing through sections with just piano or simple harmonic support so they own the melodic line.
• Pay attention to dynamic storytelling across the medley. The two titles have different energies and emotional temperatures; build transitions that let singers feel the shift and carry audiences through the journey.
• Emphasize the jazz vocabulary in your rehearsal language. Talk about 'laying back' on the beat, 'swinging' eighth notes, and 'phrasing' like instrumentalists do. This develops jazz musicianship alongside vocal technique.

This works beautifully as a jazz or American songbook concert centerpiece, especially paired with other swing-era standards or Ellington compositions. It also serves as a wonderful teaching tool during a unit on twentieth-century American music or the Harlem Renaissance, letting your choir explore history through performance. Consider programming it mid-concert where the style shift will energize an audience.

• Reading and interpreting swing rhythms and syncopation
• Jazz articulation and phrasing
• Voice leading and blend in close harmonic progressions
• Connecting melodic interpretation to lyrical storytelling across a medley structure
• Understanding jazz harmony and harmonic movement in twentieth-century popular song