A holiday swing chart on this classic, performed around 130 BPM, with suggested solos written for alto 1, trumpet, 1, tenor 1, and trombone 1. Easy brass ranges with a shout chorus that modulates to A-flat with a clever glissando for trombones into the new key. Nice chart for the holidays. (3:40)
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Greg Nielsen's arrangement keeps the melody front and center while building in just enough swing sophistication to engage your ensemble without overwhelming them. The modulation to A-flat with that trombone glissando gives the chart personality and a real payoff moment, making it feel like a composed piece rather than a functional holiday filler.
What to expect
A genuine swing number dressed in holiday clothes. The chart swings easily at a moderate tempo without technical demands, letting students focus on feel and phrasing rather than gymnastics. It has warmth and a little bit of showmanship, especially in that modulation moment, making it satisfying to play and fun to hear.
Who it's for
First-year or developing jazz ensembles that need a stylistically solid holiday chart with actual swing language, not just a simple reduction. Directors seeking accessible repertoire that still teaches ensemble blend, solo etiquette, and the feeling of a real arrangement rather than a lead sheet.
How to get the most out of it
Keep the tempo locked at 130 BPM; the swing feel depends on steadiness in the rhythm section, not rushing through the groove.
Balance the solos carefully so each soloist sits in the mix without drowning out the comping behind them. Alto 1 in particular needs a clear, singing tone.
The shout chorus modulation should hit cleanly. Make sure trombones nail that glissando together so it lands as a unified gesture into A-flat, not scattered.
Don't overplay the dynamics in the first chorus. Save energy for the shout and the final section so the arrangement breathes.
How to use it
Pair this with a ballad or straight-ahead tune to showcase your ensemble's range in a holiday concert. At 3:40, it's a strong closer or a confidence-builder earlier in a program; either way, it fills the slot of 'jazz ensemble doing the holidays' without apology.
Skills your students will build
Swing articulation and phrasing on chord changes
Solo communication and listening in an ensemble context
Reading and executing modulation and glissando notation
Blend and balance in a section with a written solo melody line
Maintaining time feel and pocket in a jazz rhythm section
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