The Best Is Yet to Come: Vocal Solo with Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

This Scott Ragsdale arrangement captures everything that makes the standard work: a confident, groove-centered setting that lets the vocalist shine without overshadowing the ensemble. The chart swings hard enough to engage jazz students while staying accessible at Grade 3, making it ideal for programs that need a vocalist feature with real musical substance.

A bright, optimistic swinger with the kind of polish you hear in classic American songbook recordings. The ensemble settles into a comfortable groove while the vocalist rides the changes over a harmonic landscape that's sophisticated enough to keep musicians engaged. There's swagger and sophistication here, but nothing pretentious.

Jazz ensemble programs looking for a credible vocalist feature at an accessible level, and vocalists who want to explore jazz standards with professional-sounding ensemble support. Directors building a jazz vocal series or programming a concert that balances instrumental showcase pieces with vocal features will find this straightforward to teach and rewarding to perform.

• Establish the groove in the rhythm section before rehearsing with the vocalist. Once the feel is locked, the vocal line will sit naturally over the pocket.
• Keep the lead trumpet's written A above the staff clear and bright. This voice cuts the ensemble during high sections and needs to pop without forcing.
• Work the vocalist on phrasing and placement. Jazz standards live in the space between strict time and rubato; help them find where the melody sits relative to the beat on key phrases.
• Balance the ensemble voicings so the vocal melody stays in front. At Grade 3, sections often play with equal weight; a few minutes of mix work pays dividends.

Program this as a standalone feature during a jazz showcase or mixed concert where a vocalist needs ensemble support. It works equally well as an opening number (the energy and confidence set a positive tone) or as a mid-set refresher after instrumental features. The 16-page score is substantial enough to anchor a vocal-focused set.

• Swinging eighth-note feel with consistent pocket
• Comping and section interplay in a jazz rhythm section
• Phrasing and placement against a walking tempo
• Ensemble balance when accompanying a soloist
• Reading jazz chord changes and standard lead sheet notation