This Is For Albert (arr. Mark Taylor): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
By Wayne Shorter / Arranged by Mark Taylor
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK01119599
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Description
Here's a great tune from the creative mind of Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1962 by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Arranged in a medium swing style, Mark's chart features a nice variety of textures plus solos for alto sax and trumpet.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01119599
More about this title
About the Composer: Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter stands as one of jazz's most inventive composers and saxophonists, bringing harmonic sophistication and lyrical depth to everything he touched. His work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers during the late 1950s and early 1960s helped define the hard bop sound, and his compositions remain teaching tools for understanding how melody, harmony, and form can work together in jazz contexts.
Shorter's writing emphasizes accessible melodic hooks built over harmonies with real substance. Teachers and students who study his work learn that jazz composition doesn't require complexity for its own sake; instead, strong musical ideas speak clearly within well-chosen harmonic frameworks.
Why we love this
Mark Taylor's medium swing groove sits perfectly at this grade level, giving students real jazz phrasing to master without overwhelming technical demands. The arrangement's texture variety keeps ensemble interest high, and the alto and trumpet solo opportunities provide valuable improvisation platforms for players ready to step into the spotlight.
What to expect
This tune carries the soulful, sophisticated energy of early 1960s hard bop. The melody lands with warmth and intention, supported by Taylor's clever reharmonizations that nod to Shorter's original while keeping the arrangement accessible for student musicians.
Who it's for
Jazz ensembles at the intermediate to advancing high school level will find this an excellent addition to their library. Students who have developed basic jazz articulation and rhythm section independence are ready to tackle the ensemble demands and solo responsibilities here.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the swing feel in the rhythm section first. Establish a comfortable medium tempo that lets the ensemble breathe without rushing the eighth-note subdivision.
- Shape the melody with the sectional voicings that Taylor writes. These aren't just harmonic padding; they're part of how the tune breathes.
- Build the solo sections with clear call-and-response energy between the soloist and the ensemble. This keeps audiences engaged and reminds students that jazz is a conversation.
- Balance the textural shifts throughout. When the arrangement strips down to smaller combinations, resist the urge to rush forward; let the space work.
How to use it
Feature this on a jazz or contemporary music concert where you want to showcase student soloists in a setting with strong ensemble support. Its medium tempo and approachable groove make it an excellent opening number for a set, and pairing it with other Wayne Shorter compositions or mid-century hard bop standards creates a thematic programming arc.
Skills your students will build
- Medium swing groove interpretation and articulation
- Jazz phrasing within ensemble voicings
- Solo construction over chord changes
- Listening and responding to ensemble texture shifts
- Interpreting jazz articulation markings and style indications