Prelude to a Kiss: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Dave Wolpe's arrangement captures the romantic sweep of Ellington's melody while creating a genuine feature for your baritone saxophonist. The structure works beautifully in performance: the ballad sections are genuinely lyrical, the double-time swing section provides momentum and contrast, and there's no improvisation to manage, so everyone can focus on ensemble blend and the soloist's phrasing.

A warm, sophisticated ballad that feels more like a conversation than a performance. The melody unfolds with Ellington's characteristic elegance, and when the double-time section arrives, it lifts the piece with a joyful buoyancy that makes you want to move. Wolpe's voicings are lush without being heavy, giving the ensemble plenty of color to work with.

Directors with a strong baritone saxophonist ready for a genuine showcase, or those building a mixed-difficulty set where this medium-advanced chart balances easier opener or closer. Jazz ensembles at the high school or college level will find it sits comfortably in the repertoire range where musicianship and arrangement craft both shine.

• Balance the ensemble voicings underneath the baritone solo so the melody emerges cleanly without the rhythm section overwhelming it; the lush writing invites a collaborative rather than competitive texture.
• Treat the double-time section as a genuine tempo shift in feel, not just faster note values; your rhythm section should lock into a brighter swing pocket here to make the contrast punch.
• Shape the baritone's phrases like a vocalist would; Ellington melodies sing, and your soloist should breathe where a singer would, even within longer passages.
• Let the ensemble dynamics breathe during ballad sections; resist the urge to fill every moment with sound.

This works beautifully as the centerpiece of a jazz concert set, either opening a second half or anchoring a ballad segment flanked by up-tempo pieces. The bari feature and absence of improvisation make it ideal for festival settings where you want to showcase ensemble discipline and a standout soloist without managing the variables that come with student improv.

• Legit ballad phrasing on saxophone and throughout the ensemble
• Feel the distinction between ballad and double-time swing feels
• Reading and voicing lush jazz harmonies
• Supporting a featured soloist within ensemble texture
• Controlling dynamics and blend in slower tempos