Nothing from Nothing: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
As performed by Billy Preston / Arranged by John Wasson
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00296733
$45.00
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Description
Recorded by Billy Preston in 1974, this became a #1 hit on the charts, and in 1975 became the first musical number ever performed on the TV show "Saturday Night Live"! Here is a funky version for young players that carefully maintains the feel and style of the original.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00296733
More about this title
About the Artist: Billy Preston
Billy Preston stands as one of the few musicians to achieve mastery across soul, funk, rock, and gospel idioms during the 1970s. His work as a session organist and keyboardist for everyone from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones earned him the nickname "The Fifth Beatle," but Preston built his solo career on infectious funk grooves and soulful musicianship that made him a fixture on both the radio and in live performance.
Preston's approach to the keyboard combined technical sophistication with an unerring sense of pocket and feel. His ability to serve the song rather than overshadow it made him invaluable as an arranger and performer, and his influence on funk and soul keyboard playing remains central to how contemporary musicians approach rhythm section work.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures everything that made the original compelling: the syncopated keyboard riff, the irresistible groove, and that perfect balance between tightness and swing that defines great funk. Grade 3 ensemble writing rarely feels this authentic to its source material, which means students aren't playing a simplified knockoff but rather a genuine interpretation scaled for their developing abilities.
What to expect
Irresistible forward motion. The arrangement settles into a pocket immediately and stays there, funky and relaxed without a moment of preciousness. Students will recognize the hook instantly and feel themselves drawn into the groove from the first rehearsal.
Who it's for
Jazz ensembles working at the Grade 3 level who want repertoire that feels current and relevant to students' own listening. Directors seeking accessible funk arrangements that don't sacrifice groove or style for simplicity will find this unusually rewarding.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the keyboard player's eighth-note syncopation with the bass line's rhythmic profile; this pocket is the arrangement's backbone
- Push the hi-hat pattern slightly ahead of the beat rather than behind it, which gives the groove its characteristic buoyancy
- Keep horn entries clean and articulate rather than pushing for warmth; the funk aesthetic demands clarity over blend here
- Let the dynamic shape rise gradually through the first chorus, resisting the urge to play the groove at full volume from the top
How to use it
Place this in a jazz concert alongside modal pieces and standards to demonstrate funk's role in contemporary jazz evolution. It also works well as an encore or closing number for a spring concert, where its infectious energy and brief duration (relative to more formal arrangements) leave audiences wanting more.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining syncopated rhythmic feels (funk grooves with push and pocket)
- Reading slash chord notation and understanding harmonic movement
- Balancing section blend with funk articulation and clarity
- Coordinating rhythm section parts (keyboard, bass, drums) to create cohesive groove
- Interpreting stylistic accents and inflections beyond notation