Just in Time: Vocal Solo with Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Dave Wolpe's arrangement captures the conversational warmth of this standard while giving your ensemble genuine jazz credentials. The optional tenor sax substitution means you can program this whether or not you have a confident jazz vocalist on any given year, and the chord voicings written into the rhythm section parts function as a masterclass in jazz comping for your players.

Sophisticated and urbane. Styne's melody has the kind of classic appeal that feels both timeless and perfectly at home in a jazz setting, with harmonic turns that reward close listening. There's a conversational quality to the piece that invites the ensemble and soloist to lock into a shared groove rather than perform at each other.

High school and college jazz ensembles with a vocalist who can handle a standard with style and control. Even if your primary soloist isn't available, the included tenor sax part keeps the arrangement in play, making this flexible for rotating soloists or ensemble configurations.

• Balance the vocal melody against the ensemble so the singer sits in the mix rather than floating above it; the rhythm section voicings and guitar frames should anchor the harmonic foundation without overpowering the lead line.
• Work with your vocalist on the rubato and phrasing typical of jazz singing: this tune rewards subtle pushes and pulls against the ensemble rather than metronomic precision.
• Let the saxophone section breathe during their figures; Wolpe has written responsive backgrounds that work best when the lead voice and reeds listen to each other in real time.
• Use the chord frames to communicate harmonic intent to the rhythm section and guitarist; this preparation prevents the ensemble from defaulting to generic comping patterns.

Plant this on a jazz night concert as a showcase for both your vocalist and ensemble musicianship. The full 82 pages of score and parts make it substantial enough to anchor a set, and the SATB arrangement options give you flexibility if you want to add your choir to a closing ensemble moment.

• Trading solos and responding musically as a section rather than playing through fixed arrangements
• Reading and voicing jazz harmonies from chord frames and lead sheet notation
• Balancing a featured soloist within an ensemble texture
• Interpreting swing rhythm and jazz phrasing appropriate to the standard repertoire
• Comping and responding rhythmically as a rhythm section unit