My Foolish Heart: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Dave Rivello has dressed this standard in the kind of textural sophistication you'd expect from a Kenton chart, but without requiring your ensemble to be sight-reading wizards. The alto sax sits front and center with everything written out, which means your soloist gets to focus on phrasing and tone rather than worrying about changes. Grade 3 arrangers rarely deliver this balance of lush sonority and genuine playability.

Intimate and unhurried, with the kind of sophisticated background shimmer you find in a good standard ballad. The melody sits like something you already know by heart, even if you've never heard it before. Kenton's influence shows in the voicing choices: lush but not heavy, textured but never cluttered.

Jazz ensembles at the Grade 3 level looking for a feature that sounds more sophisticated than it reads. Directors who want to spotlight a strong alto saxophonist without asking the ensemble to tackle overly complex harmony or range.

• Shape the opening voicings with attention to the inner voices; the arrangement's Kenton influence means the saxes and low brass are doing sophisticated harmonic work that shouldn't get buried under the melody.
• Let your alto sax soloist know that this is a ballad built on rubato and space. Pushing the tempo kills the emotional architecture.
• Check your lead trumpet early. Written A above the staff is playable at Grade 3, but it needs support from a secure section underneath so the soloist doesn't feel exposed on the upper partials.
• The recorded accompaniment (available through MakeMusic Cloud) is your friend for rehearsals, but use it as a reference, not a crutch. Your ensemble's flexibility will shine once you can breathe together without the click track.

This works beautifully as the centerpiece of a ballad set, paired with a quick swing chart before and after for contrast. It's also an excellent closer for a concert where you want to send the audience out thoughtful rather than energized. If you're building a program around specific soloists, this gives your alto sax section a genuine moment.

• Ensemble balance and blend in close voicings
• Accompanying a soloist with sensitivity to rubato and phrasing
• Reading lush chord voicings typical of mid-century big band writing
• Understanding the role of background voices in supporting a feature