My Friend the Couch: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

$48.00 USD

My Friend the Couch: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Name: My Friend the Couch: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-38689
Price: 48.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Craig Skeffington

Grade: 3 (Medium)

Item: 00-38689

$48.00

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Enjoy this infectious modal samba! Very creative and playable, with a groovy intro that includes a recurring rhythm section pattern along with written-out solos for trumpet 2 and tenor 1 and excellent development throughout. Yeah, you heard it, get off the couch and play this chart. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, My Friend the Couch: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Jazz Band Series

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 108

UPC: 038081436999

SKU: 00-38689

More about this title

About the Composer: Craig Skeffington

Craig Skeffington brings two decades of composing experience across jazz, marching, and wind band idioms, with commissions spanning multiple ensembles and performance contexts. His fifteen years directing high school bands earned him the 2003 MMEA Teacher of the Year award, grounding his compositional voice in classroom realities. He has performed professionally alongside Barry Manilow and Natalie Cole, and toured with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, bringing those performance traditions into his writing.

Skeffington currently serves on the faculty at the University of Southern Maine, where he continues to shape both student musicians and the next generation of composers. His dual perspective as both a bandmaster and a working musician informs compositions that are genuinely playable while remaining musically sophisticated.

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Why we love this

This chart captures the groove sensibility of a working jazz composer without losing sight of what a Grade 3 ensemble can execute. The written-out solos for trumpet 2 and tenor 1 give players concrete, stylistically authentic material to learn from, while the groovy intro and recurring rhythm section pattern anchor the whole piece in genuine jazz language. It's the kind of arrangement that keeps students engaged because it sounds and feels like real jazz, not a watered-down approximation.

What to expect

Infectious and propulsive, grounded in a steady samba pulse that feels collaborative rather than stiff. The groovy intro welcomes you in before the solos and developed sections keep the energy moving; this is music that makes you want to get off the bench.

Who it's for

Grade 3 jazz ensembles seeking authentic samba repertoire with real solo opportunities. Directors looking for a piece that sits comfortably in difficulty while sounding professional and contemporary.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the rhythm section first. The groove won't land if the bass, drums, and comping instruments aren't locked into the samba feel; isolate those parts before adding the rest of the band.
Shape the written solos with appropriate articulation and phrasing. These aren't just notes; guide trumpet 2 and tenor 1 through the style and dynamic contour that makes the solos breathe.
Emphasize the recurring rhythm section pattern during the intro. That pattern is the glue; make sure it's clear and confident before the horns enter.
Balance the development sections so the piece breathes. As new material emerges, resist the urge to crescendo everything; let contrast in dynamics and texture carry the momentum.

How to use it

Program this as an anchor piece for a jazz concert focused on contemporary composing or Latin-influenced jazz. It pairs well with both more traditional swing charts and other modal compositions, offering a rhythmic palette that sounds fresh without requiring students to master unfamiliar harmonic territory.