Jericho: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Sharp nails the balance between accessibility and authenticity here. A Grade 2 arrangement that actually swings with genuine big band flavor rather than oversimplifying the idiom means your students play something that feels real the moment it clicks. The connection to Sing, Sing, Sing gives the piece immediate context and historical weight without requiring extensive explanation.

Jericho lands somewhere between a spiritual's soul and the propulsive swagger of 1940s big band swing. The familiar hymn tune gets infused with driving rhythmic momentum and period-authentic jazz texture, creating something that feels both rooted and energized.

Jazz ensemble directors working with developing groups who need something substantial enough to hold interest yet manageable in rehearsal time. This works for high school jazz bands building their repertoire, or middle school groups ready for authentic swing style.

• Establish the driving ostinato as the heartbeat of the piece before anything else settles in. Lock the rhythm section into this groove first, then layer the soloists.
• The spiritual's melody works best when phrased with the natural lilt of swing eighth notes rather than straight rhythm. Have your lead players listen to early big band recordings to internalize that feel.
• Keep the energy up through the familiar sections. The contrast comes from knowing when to ease off, not from dragging tempos.

Schedule this for a jazz concert where you want to showcase both your ensemble's swing chops and their connection to American musical tradition. It pairs well on a program with straight-ahead standards and gives audiences an accessible entry point into what modern jazz education actually sounds like.

• Swing interpretation and appropriate eighth-note phrasing in a big band context
• Rhythmic precision within an ensemble ostinato
• Balancing melody against written accompaniment figures
• Listening to and matching articulation styles in period-appropriate jazz voicing