The Boy From New York City: SATB Choral Octavo

Greg Jasperse has crafted an arrangement that captures the infectious groove of the Manhattan Transfer recording while remaining genuinely singable for mixed ensembles. The 14-page score gives you room to work with dynamics, blend, and rhythmic precision without overwhelming singers who are building jazz vocabulary.

Urban energy wrapped in smooth harmonies. The piece moves with the confidence of a New York street corner transformed into a concert hall, anchored by a rhythm that feels as natural as breathing once your choir finds the pocket.

Directors working with intermediate to advanced choirs who want to program something with genuine jazz credibility and immediate recognition. Your singers will connect with the tune instantly, and audiences consistently respond to this one.

• Lock the rhythm section into a steady, relaxed swing feel from the first rehearsal. Even if your singers aren't counting in swing eighths, they'll absorb the pocket through repetition and listening to the recorded version.
• Pay attention to the articulation markings in the saxophone and trumpet sections; have your singers mouth these same consonants to develop rhythmic sharpness that matches the horns.
• Build space between each phrase by pulling back slightly on the cutoffs. This arrangement thrives on the air between musical ideas, not on pushing through every bar.

Use this as a crowd-pleasing centerpiece in a concert built around jazz standards or as a bridge between classical and contemporary programming. It works equally well as a season opener or as the piece that sends your audience home smiling.

• Singing jazz articulation and phrasing in SATB texture
• Listening to and locking in with a steady swing eighth-note feel
• Balancing rhythmic precision with melodic expression across multiple voice parts
• Reading chord symbols in jazz context
• Blending within a jazz idiom while maintaining individual voice independence