La Almeja Pequeño (The Little Clam): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Goodwin's sense of humor infuses this Latin chart with personality while maintaining serious musical chops. The solos span multiple voices (alto, tenor, trumpet, trombone), giving you flexibility in distributing featured roles across your section, and the included Latin percussion part transforms the texture in ways that feel authentic rather than cosmetic. Grade 5 doesn't mean straightforward; it means rewarding for players who can handle rhythmic precision and sectional independence.

Hip, groovy, and infectious. The Latin percussion and rhythm section create an irresistible forward motion while the horn lines sparkle with Goodwin's signature blend of sophistication and swing. The humor in the title and arrangement gives performers permission to smile while playing something genuinely challenging.

Advanced high school and college jazz ensembles with confident players who can handle syncopated rhythms, section independence, and multiple solo voices. Directors seeking a crowd-pleasing, musically substantive chart that showcases both technical skill and ensemble personality will find this piece delivers on both fronts.

• Lock the Latin percussion with your rhythm section early in rehearsals. The clave pattern drives the entire feel, and rhythm players must internalize it before the ensemble joins.
• Balance the soprano and optional alto saxophone voices carefully. The substitution changes the color significantly, so choose based on your section strength and the timbral goal you want for that performance.
• Feature the solo voices generously in rehearsal so soloists understand not just their own lines but how they interact with the ensemble hits and rhythm underneath.
• Record a full run-through mid-rehearsal process and listen back as an ensemble. Goodwin's writing rewards ensemble listening, and players often hear balance and timing issues they can't detect while playing.

Program this as a centerpiece in a jazz concert, where it can anchor a set alongside swing standards or contemporary jazz works. Its contest-festival credentials make it equally valuable for competition or festival showcase settings, where the combination of musicality and exciting solos will engage both judges and audiences. The recording by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band provides an excellent reference for interpretation and arrangement detail.

• Reading and executing Latin rhythm patterns with precision
• Balancing individual solo voices within an ensemble texture
• Interpreting syncopated melodic lines that sit across bar lines
• Responding to dynamic and articulation changes in a dense, active arrangement
• Ensemble listening in independent section parts