Minute By Minute (arr. Roger Holmes): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Roger Holmes brings sophisticated jazz voicings and narrative arrangement choices to material that could easily feel dated in a concert setting. The built-in solo spaces let your strongest improvisers shine without overwhelming the ensemble, and the shuffle groove sits squarely in the pocket that students find instantly gratifying to lock into.

Cool and laid-back, with an irresistible bluesy pocket that makes the ensemble want to move. The distinctive contemporary sound Holmes captured from the original sits somewhere between funk precision and jazz sophistication, never feeling forced or overwritten. When it clicks, your ensemble will feel the confidence that comes from playing something genuinely musical and genuinely fun.

Jazz ensemble directors looking for repertoire with genuine commercial appeal that still demands solid musicianship. This works equally well for high school ensembles seeking approachable rock repertoire and college groups wanting to expand beyond straight jazz standards into the soul and funk territories that shaped modern groove.

• Establish the shuffle feel in rehearsals before worrying about the parts; if the rhythm section isn't grooving together, nothing else lands. Have the drums and bass lock in at half tempo first, then gradually bring it up to performance speed.
• Balance the horn section carefully during the unison passages. Since everyone's moving together, slight timing variations become obvious, so mark attacks and releases with precision.
• Give your soloists clear expectations about form and feel. A recorded reference helps, but your students should understand how the tune breathes in the original before they build their own improvisations.
• The arrangement's contemporary voicings will sound thin if the ensemble rushes. Slow down in rehearsal and let the chords ring; the funk lives in space, not speed.

Book this alongside other modern ensemble hits from the 1970s and 1980s to show students the continuity between rock grooves and jazz ensemble writing. It works brilliantly as a closer on a concert, or paired with ballad material as part of a program exploring soul and funk influences on contemporary jazz.

• Executing shuffle rhythms with precision and independence
• Balancing section cohesion in tight unison passages
• Navigating blues harmony and voice leading
• Blues-inflected trumpet and tenor saxophone improvisation
• Groove ownership and ensemble pocket playing
• Reading and responding to contemporary jazz voicings