Steve's Lava Chicken (from A Minecraft Movie) (arr. John Wasson): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

John Wasson's arrangement captures the infectious energy of the original while writing for a Grade 3 jazz ensemble in a way that's genuinely fun to play without sacrificing musicianship. The rock groove sits perfectly in the middle of what your students can execute with solid tone and ensemble awareness, and the memorable melody gives them something rewarding to lock in on.

Immediately fun and approachable. The melody lodges itself in your head from the first run-through, and the rock groove gives the ensemble an infectious sense of forward motion that makes rehearsal feel less like work and more like discovery.

Jazz ensembles at the middle school and early high school level who are ready for something contemporary and energetic without technical complexity. This works equally well for directors building a program's confidence in jazz fundamentals or looking for a genuine crowd-pleaser at a concert.

• Lock the back line into a tight, consistent groove. The rhythm section drives everything here, so anchor your rehearsals with the drums and bass locking in first before layering in the horns.
• Keep the melody singing even when it sits in the lower registers. Young players often bury a catchy line by undercutting the dynamics; make sure your lead voices understand they're carrying the tune.
• Lean into the rock character without losing jazz articulation. This sits at the intersection of two styles, so remind students that jazz phrasing and appropriate ghosting on backbeats still matter in a groove-oriented piece.
• Record a rehearsal and listen back as a section. Nothing builds awareness of ensemble balance faster than hearing yourself play together, especially in a piece where the groove is everything.

Include this in a concert that mixes traditional jazz repertoire with film and pop arrangements, or program it as a closer when you want to leave the audience with something contemporary and energetic. It's also an ideal piece for the first jazz concert of the year, when you want to establish that jazz can be fun and accessible while still demanding musicianship.

• Maintaining steady groove and backbeat feel in a jazz rock context
• Balance between melody and accompaniment in an ensemble setting
• Reading and executing jazz articulation and phrasing conventions
• Rhythmic precision in syncopated lines
• Ensemble listening in a rhythm section driven arrangement