It's All Right with Me: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Gordon Goodwin's re-orchestration for big band captures the sophisticated harmonic vocabulary that makes Porter's song endure, while locking the ensemble into grooves and articulations that feel genuinely contemporary. This chart swings hard without sacrificing the tune's elegance, and it demands the kind of precision and musicality that separates an engaged ensemble from one just reading notes. Programming this tells your audience you trust them with real jazz repertoire.

Urbane and conversational at first, then building into a chart that grooves with real sophistication. The orchestration sparkles without ever feeling overwritten; Goodwin gives you space to breathe and swing while the harmonic language keeps listeners engaged with unexpected turns and clever voicing choices.

Advanced jazz ensembles with strong section discipline and a rhythm section confident enough to lock into complex grooves. Your saxes need to read comfortably in the staff, and your ensemble should be ready for parts that demand articulation precision and harmonic awareness beyond lead sheet symbols.

• Balance the alto section in the opening so the melody lands cleanly; this chart asks for definition and control, not volume.
• Lock the rhythm section to the recorded reference from XXL. Goodwin's conception lives in the pocket and the feel of the accompaniment.
• Treat the optional flute double on alto 2 as an opportunity to brighten specific sections, not as a safety net. Commit to the voicing choice you make.
• Mark phrase breathing in parts during sectional rehearsals; the melodies are long and require strategic air management to maintain the swing feel.

Pair this with other Porter standards or contemporary big band charts to create a program that values harmonic depth and arranging craft. It works equally well as a concert centerpiece for an advanced ensemble or as the anchor for a jazz showcase that emphasizes musicianship over spectacle.

• Reading and executing complex jazz articulation and phrasing
• Understanding sophisticated harmonic language through performance
• Locking ensemble timings and groove references to a recorded standard
• Balancing section blend in modern big band voicings
• Navigating optional doublings and instrumentation choices