St. James Infirmary: Score
Arr. Tom Davis
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0003928
$8.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Down-home and bluesy, slow and greasy! This outstanding chart blends a New Orleans-style slow swing and contemporary harmonies. The best of both worlds comes alive within the creative mind of arranger Tom Davis. Your young band students will love this arrangement so much that they won't want to stop playing. Lots of unison, easy brass range (trumpet to F and trombone to E-flat), alto and tenor sax written solos with band backgrounds, and simple rhythms will all give you a quality musical product with minimum rehearsal time. Very effective chart for festivals and concerts!
"This chart gives the New Orleans classic a funk treatment. The piece starts with a great introduction, and a vamp based on the melody follows each chorus. Written solos for the tenor sax and trumpet are in D minor and use some nice stylistic elements."
- The Instrumentalist
"This chart gives the New Orleans classic a funk treatment. The piece starts with a great introduction, and a vamp based on the melody follows each chorus. Written solos for the tenor sax and trumpet are in D minor and use some nice stylistic elements."
- The Instrumentalist
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, St. James Infirmary: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Young Jazz Ensemble
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
88
SKU:
00-PR-0003928
More about this title
Why we love this
Tom Davis strips away pretension from this blues standard and rebuilds it with funk swagger and New Orleans soul. The writing respects young players by keeping ranges accessible and rhythms grounded, yet delivers sophisticated harmonies that make even Grade 2 ensembles sound polished and intentional. You get a piece that works equally well at a spring concert or a festival competition.
What to expect
Slow, deliberate, and dripping with blues attitude. The arrangement sits comfortably in the pocket, grounded in New Orleans tradition while nodding to contemporary harmonic language. It's the kind of performance that makes an audience lean in and listen.
Who it's for
Jazz ensemble directors working with Grade 2 students who need a piece that commands attention without demanding technical superhuman feats. Trumpet and trombone players benefit from the conservative ranges, while saxophonists get meaningful solo material that builds their jazz phrasing and style.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the groove during the introduction before the melody enters. The vamp that follows each chorus sets the rhythmic pocket for the entire arrangement, so lock in the pulse early in rehearsal.
- Balance the alto and tenor sax solos against the band backgrounds without burying either layer. These written solos are stylistic centerpieces, not accompaniment.
- Shape the phrase endings with a slight rhythmic lean rather than strict precision. Swing feel lives in the space between notation and intention.
How to use it
This works as a standout concert closer or festival selection where you want the audience to remember not just the performance but the feeling it created. Pair it with uptempo material earlier in your set to showcase range; the contrast will only deepen this piece's impact.
Skills your students will build
- Playing with swing feel and jazz phrasing
- Reading and interpreting vamp-based sections
- Balancing written solos with ensemble backgrounds
- Stylistic elements of blues and funk language
- Maintaining groove over multiple choruses