One for My Baby (and One More for the Road): Choral Instrumental Pak
As performed by Frank Sinatra / Arranged by Paris Rutherford
Item: 35-PK00339225
$30.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
Bette Midler sang it to Johnny Carson on his last show, a mature lyric targets this arrangement for a more mature ensemble, but the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard is a classic for the ages! This setting is brooding and bluesy, but filled with heartfelt emotion.
One for My Baby (and One More for the Road): Choral Instrumental Pak isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00339225
More about this title
About the Artist: Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra redefined popular song interpretation and became the gold standard for jazz vocal phrasing in the 20th century. His impeccable diction, rhythmic sophistication, and ability to convey deep emotion within a lyric transformed how singers approached the American Songbook and influenced generations of musicians across all genres.
In the classroom, Sinatra's recordings serve as masterclasses in legit phrasing, breath control, and the art of accompanying yourself through harmonic complexity. His interpretations of standards like this one demonstrate how mature artistry emerges from respecting the lyricist's intent while making bold interpretive choices.
Why we love this
Paris Rutherford's arrangement captures the introspective weight of Mercer and Arlen's lyric without leaning into theatrical excess. The orchestration breathes space for emotional authenticity, making this an ideal closer for ensembles ready to handle material with genuine adult thematic content and the vocal restraint it demands.
What to expect
A quiet conversation at closing time; the kind of moment when you're contemplating choices and losses over a drink you can't quite finish. The brooding minor tonalities and bluesy bent notes create atmosphere without sentimentality, while the orchestration supports rather than overwhelms the vulnerability in the text.
Who it's for
Advanced high school choirs, college ensembles, and community jazz groups with singers comfortable navigating jazz vocabulary and lyrical maturity. This arrangement assumes secure blend, intonation control in chromatic harmony, and the interpretive confidence to handle a ballad that unfolds rather than builds.
How to get the most out of it
- Prioritize clarity in the lyric delivery. The narrative specificity of Mercer's words only lands when every syllable reaches the audience; treat diction with as much care as you would a classical art song.
- Build the bluesy harmonic language gradually in sectional rehearsals. Jazz inflections and chromatic voice leading require more preparation than diatonic passages, so isolate and lock voicings early.
- Let the arrangement's space work for you. Resist the urge to fill silence or push tempo. The power lives in restraint and in allowing the ensemble to settle into the brooding quality Paris has written.
How to use it
Reserve this for concert finales aimed at adult audiences or mature concert themes exploring relationships, reflection, and the passage of time. The Sinatra connection and the specific reference to Mercer's lyrics also make it a natural fit for jazz standards-focused concerts or tributes to the Great American Songbook.
Skills your students will build
- Singing jazz phrasing with blues inflection and swing feel
- Lyric interpretation and emotional subtext in mature material
- Intonation in chromatic and jazz harmonic contexts
- Blend and balance in smaller sectional voicings
- Restraint and dynamic subtlety in ballad interpretation