Take The 'A' Train (arr. Mark Taylor): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Mark Taylor's arrangement captures the infectious swing and chromatic sophistication that made this tune an instant classic, while keeping the voicings accessible for advancing ensembles. The Grade 4 difficulty strikes an ideal balance: your section leaders stay engaged with meaningful material, while younger players build genuine jazz vocabulary without drowning in complexity. Programming this standard connects your students to a living jazz canon and guarantees an audience that will sing along before the first chorus ends.

Urbane and propulsive, with the casual confidence of a New York minute made musical. The harmonies shimmer with chromatic movement beneath a deceptively simple melody, creating that perfect balance between immediate accessibility and sophisticated jazz vocabulary that only Strayhorn could achieve.

Jazz ensembles with three to four years of high school experience, or college groups looking to program a historically significant standard that never sounds tired. Directors who want their students to understand why this composition has remained the Duke Ellington Orchestra's signature piece for over eighty years.

• Balance the melody line against the walking bass; the tune only sings when both are clearly articulated. Have the bass section mark their entrances and lock in with the drums well before rehearsal.
• Shape the A section with gentle forward motion rather than aggressive swing. Strayhorn's melody has an elegant stride to it; let that character emerge through relaxed articulation.
• Listen for the chromatic voice leading in the harmony parts. These inner lines carry harmonic interest and should never disappear into blend; they deserve individual voice independence.
• Mark cutoffs and releases precisely. Jazz ensemble sound depends on collective attention to endings, and this tune's straightforward structure means those moments land cleanly and professionally.

Open a concert with this as a statement piece; the audience recognition gives you immediate energy and establishes your ensemble's jazz credibility from measure one. Alternatively, place it mid-program as a palette cleanser between more challenging contemporary works, or use it to anchor a Duke Ellington tribute featuring other Taylor arrangements.

• Reading lead sheets and jazz notation conventions
• Swing rhythms and feel in ensemble context
• Walking bass line execution and rhythmic lock with drums
• Voicing blend and balance in a four or five-part jazz harmony
• Phrase shaping and dynamics within a groove-based structure
• Listening for and executing ensemble cutoffs in real time