Legends Of Jazz: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Bulla's arrangements of these three jazz standards demonstrate why programming jazz medleys at the concert band level can feel genuinely artistic rather than gimmicky. The progression from cool sophistication to emotional depth to pure joy gives you a concert arc that works, and the orchestration lets mature musicians hear themselves in the jazz idiom without losing the harmonic sophistication of the originals.

The opening floats with cool restraint; you hear the influence of modal jazz and understated elegance. When "'Round Midnight" arrives, the mood turns introspective and tender, asking the band to play with genuine lyricism. The final movement lifts into warmth and exuberance, landing squarely in the Ellington groove that feels both refined and deeply human.

Concert bands at the Grade 4 level with solid section maturity and comfortable rhythmic reading. This works best with an ensemble that has tackled some contemporary concert band repertoire and is ready to engage with jazz history as serious musical content.

• Spend rehearsal time on the "Boplicity" opening establishing the laid-back swing feel and clear articulation in the melody. This sets the tone for the entire piece and gets the ensemble into the right rhythmic pocket.
• Balance the sax section carefully during "'Round Midnight". The Monk composition relies on subtle harmonic movement, so make sure inner voices aren't drowning out the vulnerable melody line.
• Let "In a Mellow Tone" breathe during transitions between the walking bass figures and the full ensemble hits. The energy builds naturally here, but rushing will rob Ellington's composition of its swagger.

This fits naturally into a concert celebrating American composers or a program exploring jazz in the concert setting. At 6:10, it anchors a set without overstaying, and it pairs well with other contemporary band works or with traditional concert fare that benefits from the stylistic contrast.

• Swing rhythm and jazz articulation
• Reading syncopated melodic lines
• Balancing ensemble texture in a non-classical idiom
• Interpreting rubato and dynamic nuance in a standards-based context
• Understanding harmonic movement through walking bass lines