Strayhorn: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score, Parts & CD

Bill Dobbins' arrangement gives you a smart pedagogical solution: the fully written piano part means classically trained pianists can perform this without improvisation experience, while jazz pianists have the freedom to explore their own voice. This flexibility lets you cast the feature strategically based on your ensemble's strengths, not its limitations.

This feature captures the lyrical, conversational quality that Strayhorn's melodies are known for, unfolding with elegance and harmonic warmth. The piano takes center stage with sophisticated voicings while the big band provides a responsive, swinging backdrop that lets the soloist breathe and shape the line.

Big band directors working with ensembles that have mixed levels of jazz experience, particularly those with strong classical pianists who need an on-ramp into jazz repertoire. It also serves jazz-focused groups seeking a well-crafted feature that respects improvisation while providing security through the written part.

• Clarify the solo piano part with your performer during rehearsal. If you're using a classical pianist, make sure they understand the style and phrasing expectations; if you have a jazz player improvising, run through the changes and harmonic framework to align their choices with the arrangement's harmonic movement.
• Watch the first trumpet player's upper register comfort. With the part reaching two ledger lines above the staff, secure this in advance and plan rehearsal time for endurance in that range rather than waiting until the week before the performance.
• Balance the ensemble during the piano feature so the solo sits prominently but the rhythm section and any background figures remain cohesive and rhythmically locked.

Position this as a mid-set feature that showcases your pianist and demonstrates ensemble sensitivity to a quieter moment. It works well on a concert that balances uptempo charts with ballad-tempo material, or as a statement piece on a program highlighting your ensemble's musicality alongside its power.

• Jazz ensemble balance and dynamics when accompanying a featured soloist
• Piano players: interpreting jazz harmony and comping styles (or, for classical pianists, adapting to jazz idiom through a written part)
• Big band sections: maintaining groove and rhythmic precision during a feature without overwhelming the solo
• Trumpets: extending secure range into the upper staff and beyond
• Reading and performing alongside improvisation in a section context