R U Chicken?: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Berg knows exactly how to craft a chart that lands on the closing spot of a concert: strong hooks, accessible voicings at Grade 3, and genuine funk that your ensemble will have fun playing. The written solos for trumpet and tenor sax give you flexible showcasing options without requiring your soloists to navigate complex harmonic territory, and the title itself guarantees audience engagement.

Funky, groovy, and immediately approachable, this chart lets your ensemble sink into a confident swagger. The solos breathe room for individual voices while the ensemble supporting them locks into Berg's clean, modern writing, creating the feel of a band that knows its sound.

This chart speaks to jazz ensembles at the intermediate level who want a contemporary, high-energy closer that doesn't demand virtuosity but rewards solid musicianship and ensemble cohesion. Directors programming festivals or concert finales will find it serves both the ensemble's developmental needs and the audience's appetite for fun, swinging jazz.

• Lock the groove with your rhythm section from the first rehearsal. The funky character depends entirely on a tight pocket between drums and bass, so isolate that section early.
• Balance the lead trumpet carefully as the range climbs to written B-flat. Ensure the soloist has enough room to breathe at the top while the section maintains cohesion beneath.
• Layer dynamics deliberately throughout the chart. Berg writes textural contrasts that disappear if the ensemble rushes to full volume; let space and restraint build the funk's authenticity.
• Work the written solos individually before ensemble rehearsal. Trumpet and tenor sax soloists will feel more confident owning their parts when they've prepared them separately first.

Perfect as a concert closer or festival finale, especially when you want the audience to leave smiling and tapping their feet. Program it after a ballad or something more serious to shift the energy in the room, or pair it with other contemporary big band charts to showcase your ensemble's command of modern jazz repertoire.

• Locked ensemble swing feel and rhythmic precision in funk and contemporary jazz contexts
• Solo construction and confidence in written melody and improvisation-style passages
• Reading and balancing lead trumpet range extending to written B-flat
• Dynamic shape and textural contrast within a composed arrangement