The Cannonball Run: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Goodwin writes for college jazz ensembles with the same sophisticated voicing and harmonic language he uses for his Grammy-nominated big band recordings, which means your students get genuine professional-level arranging without condescension. The distributed solo opportunities across all five saxophones and rhythm section ensure that advanced players stay engaged while keeping the ensemble focused on the big picture sound.

Propulsive and sophisticated, this brisk samba explodes with kinetic energy while maintaining hip harmonic sophistication underneath. The writing feels cinematic and orchestral for a jazz ensemble, with the kind of detail and craft you hear in Goodwin's film work.

Advanced jazz ensemble directors programming college or high school jazz 1 groups with strong saxophonists who are ready for genuine professional arranging and solo responsibility. The Grade 5 difficulty assumes ensemble players who read chord changes fluently and can balance complex harmonic textures while maintaining the samba pocket.

• Establish the samba groove as your foundation before worrying about the tempo. At 240 BPM, the feel must lock in solidly, so spend early rehearsals with the rhythm section building the pocket together.
• Bring out the solo sections individually during sectional rehearsals. Each saxophonist needs time to own their changes without the full ensemble, then practice merging those voices back into the arrangement's texture.
• Layer your dynamics carefully around the sustained backgrounds. The chart writes many passages where saxes hold harmonic content beneath moving lines; these backgrounds must sit at the right level to support soloists without burying them.
• Use the full five minutes and fifty-five seconds to build momentum. This piece works best when each section feels like it's escalating toward the next peak rather than settling into a groove.

Schedule this as a centerpiece closer or mid-concert energy shift on a spring jazz concert where you want to demonstrate your ensemble's technical facility and rhythmic precision. Pair it with a ballad or swing tune to show range, or back-to-back with another Goodwin chart to highlight the composer's distinctive voice.

• Reading and executing chord changes over samba rhythms at brisk tempos
• Trading solos while maintaining ensemble cohesion and pocket
• Balancing harmonic backgrounds with featured solo lines
• Translating cinematic arranging concepts (dynamic peaks, harmonic color, orchestral voicing) to ensemble playing
• Listening for and executing complex rhythmic interplay between horn sections and rhythm section