Rice and Beans: Score
By Victor López
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0005427
$8.00
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Description
As the title suggests, this one has two styles, funky and Latin. The "Rice" has a funky blues-based melody, and the "Beans" is a Latin groove. Victor López arranged this chart to include optional parts for flute, clarinet and violin, viola and cello---everybody plays in the jazz ensemble! Trumpet 1 range is to written A. "Rice and Beans" is a fun and flexible chart. Don't forget the string parts. (4:20)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rice and Beans: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Jazz Expressions
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
114
SKU:
00-PR-0005427
More about this title
About the Composer: Victor López
Victor López is a prolific composer and arranger whose work spans jazz, Latin, and contemporary concert music. His arrangements for jazz ensemble have become staples in school programs, known for their accessibility, rhythmic vitality, and genuine ensemble writing that gives every section meaningful material to play.
Why we love this
López writes jazz charts that actually sound like jazz without requiring virtuosos. The two-part structure here gives your ensemble a genuine stylistic shift to prepare and perform, and by including optional string parts, he's solved the real problem of how to keep your full ensemble engaged when you have mixed instrumentation.
What to expect
You get two distinct musical environments in one package. "Rice" grooves with a bluesy, slightly funky swagger; "Beans" shifts the ensemble into a warmer, syncopated Latin feel that feels earned rather than tacked on. The 4:20 length gives you just enough time in each section to settle into the vibe before the piece ends.
Who it's for
Jazz ensemble programs with mixed instrumentation, including strings or woodwind doublers who need parts that feel essential rather than optional. This works equally well for high school jazz bands and middle school groups ready for straightforward stylistic variety.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the funky blues melody in "Rice" against the rhythm section so the head lands clearly; this isn't a solo vehicle, so make sure everyone hears the shape of the tune.
- Lock the clave pattern in "Beans" before worrying about tempo; once your rhythm section feels the Latin pulse, the ensemble will settle into pocket much faster.
- Feature the string players equally to the winds in both sections. López wrote these parts to sing, not to double, so bring them forward in the mix.
How to use it
Program this as the opener or closer of a jazz concert when you want energy without chaos. Its medium-easy grade and flexible instrumentation make it ideal for a mixed-level concert where your better players can support those still developing jazz language, or use it as a rehearsal staple for teaching stylistic contrast and ensemble balance across the school year.
Skills your students will build
- Distinguishing and executing funky blues articulation versus Latin groove feel
- Reading and balancing optional parts within an ensemble texture
- Maintaining rhythmic precision in a clave-based Latin section
- Listening and responding to rhythm section leadership across two contrasting styles