That's How We Roll: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Goodwin's writing here captures what makes shuffle feel irresistible: clear melodic hooks, plenty of solo real estate for your section leaders, and a rhythm section groove that locks immediately. The range demands (especially that high F to G for lead trumpet) give your best players something genuinely exciting to reach for, while the ensemble figures stay playable and engaging for everyone else. This is the kind of piece that works as well at a festival adjudication as it does at a community concert where audiences come to hear something swinging.

Infectious and propulsive. The shuffle rhythm propels the melody forward with an easy swagger that never feels forced or mechanical. When the soloists step up over that rolling groove, the piece opens into conversations between the ensemble and individual voices, creating moments of both spotlight and collective drive.

Advanced jazz ensembles ready to tackle a full big band chart with demanding solo voices and rhythmically intricate section work. This score asks your trumpet section to soar and your rhythm section to anchor a true shuffle groove, making it ideal for high school jazz bands at the state level and beyond, as well as community and college jazz ensembles.

• Establish the shuffle feel in your rhythm section first. The bongo and conga parts are essential to the groove; spend rehearsal time getting those drums seated alongside your piano and bass before layering the horns.
• Lock the ensemble hits and stabs together. With a piece this rhythmically driven, your section unity on the syncopated figures will either lock the audience in or lose them. Isolate those moments and drill them clean.
• Balance the solo space carefully. Five soloists means you need to establish who takes what solo, how long each runs, and where the ensemble comes in behind them. Clarity about the structure prevents meandering and keeps the energy focused.
• Shape the lead trumpet's range arc toward that final G. The climb to written high F and beyond demands endurance and confidence. Support your lead player through sectional work and consider the piece's placement in rehearsal schedules so fatigue doesn't sabotage the climax.

Program this as a centerpiece for a jazz concert or festival set where you want to showcase your ensemble's rhythmic tightness and individual soloists. Its recorded pedigree with the Big Phat Band makes it a natural fit alongside other contemporary jazz standards, and the upbeat character works beautifully as a set-closer that leaves audiences smiling.

• Shuffle groove pocket and feel
• Lead trumpet range extension (written high F and above)
• Solo transcription and improvisation over ensemble figures
• Section unity on syncopated rhythmic hits
• Percussion ensemble playing (bongos and congas)
• Balancing individual voices within a larger ensemble texture