String of Pearls: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

$42.00 USD

String of Pearls: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Name: String of Pearls: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-29775
Price: 42.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Jerry Gray / arr. Mike Lewis

Grade: 1 (Easy)

Item: 00-29775

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Arranger Mike Lewis took the swinging Glenn Miller hit and arranged it for the easy jazz ensemble player. Mike's clever reworking of the solo sections and the descending harmony line makes this chart very playable for the young jazz musician. 1st trumpet range is to written F top line. Ideal for any performance. (3:04)

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Series: First Year Charts for Jazz Ensemble

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 66

UPC: 038081320427

SKU: 00-29775

More about this title

About the Composer: Jerry Gray

Jerry Gray (1915-1976) was a composer and arranger who shaped the sound of the swing era as a key member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. His arrangements for Miller's band combined accessible orchestration with sophisticated harmonic movement, making complex jazz ideas digestible for both players and audiences. "String of Pearls" became one of his most enduring works, recorded multiple times and adapted across countless settings.

Gray's gift was writing parts that sit comfortably in the hands of capable but not virtuosic musicians. His voicings stay idiomatic to each instrument while creating lush ensemble textures. For young jazz musicians, his charts demonstrate how clarity and swing can coexist with genuine musical substance.

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Why we love this

Mike Lewis strips away nothing essential from this swing standard while making every part singable for early ensemble experience. The descending harmony line sits beautifully in the ensemble texture, and the reworked solos mean players aren't fighting an arrangement that was originally written for seasoned professionals. This hits that rare sweet spot where the chart honors the original while genuinely serving the level.

What to expect

"String of Pearls" swings with genuine lightness. The tune has an almost conversational quality, with phrases that breathe naturally rather than pressing hard. Mike Lewis's arrangement preserves that easy sophistication while giving young players room to discover their own swing feel within a supportive ensemble structure.

Who it's for

Jazz ensemble directors programming for Grade 1 ensembles, including first-year jazz experience classes and developing community jazz groups. Players with basic jazz vocabulary and sound concept benefit most, as the arrangement assumes they can handle ensemble swing feel and read jazz notation.

How to get the most out of it

Keep the forward momentum steady throughout the head. Young bands often rush the swing feel here; lock in with a metronome at tempo first, then remove it only when the pulse feels genuinely locked.
Balance the melody against those descending harmonies so both lines sing. Have non-melody voices listen actively to the trumpet line rather than playing in isolation.
The solo sections open up space for featured players. Encourage soloists to listen to how the rhythm section and background voices react to them, building real dialogue rather than just filling time.
Mark your breathing points clearly in parts. With 66 pages of material, players need to know where ensemble breaths land and where soloists carry phrases alone.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a concert opener or closer, especially when you need something the audience recognizes immediately. It also pairs well with other early swing-era charts in a program that emphasizes the big band tradition, or standalone as the centerpiece of a grades 1-2 jazz showcase.