The "In" Crowd: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Peter Blair's arrangement captures every ounce of the original's infectious energy while keeping the writing playable for developing ensembles. The multiple trumpet solo options mean you can feature different soloists across performances or let students choose based on their strengths, and at grade 2, the chart moves without feeling like a slog.

Walking into a 1960s soul-jazz club where the groove is tight, the trumpet section is cooking, and everybody in the room knows they're hearing something good. It's groovy without being complicated, swinging without demanding a PhD in bebop theory.

Jazz ensembles at the high school or strong middle school level looking for a crowd-pleaser that doesn't require advanced harmonic reading or complex ensemble technique. Directors working with groups that need a confidence-builder before tackling more demanding charts will find this particularly valuable.

• Lock the groove first. Get the rhythm section tight on the shuffle feel before layering in the horn parts; everything else depends on that pocket being solid.
• Don't play it safe with the dynamics. The chart thrives on contrast between the head and solo sections, so let the volume rise and fall naturally with the energy of each moment.
• Work the trumpet solos in sectionals. Even though they're provided, encourage your players to add their own phrasing and articulation choices within the melodic framework.
• Front-load the rehearsal time on cut-time accuracy and section entrances. The groove is fun, but if entries drift, the whole thing unravels.

Build a spring concert around accessible soul-jazz standards, or use this as the opening number to immediately put an audience in a good mood. It's also the perfect vehicle for a fundraiser or community event where you want the ensemble to sound polished and energetic without revealing that they've only had six weeks to learn it.

• Shuffle rhythm feel and shuffle articulation
• Reading and executing trumpet range to high G
• Balancing ensemble sound while featuring a solo voice
• Responding to groove-based rhythm section cues
• Phrasing in a jazz context