Watch It Now!: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Stitzel captures the essence of Count Basie's sound without overwhelming young players. The straightforward blues changes and clearly notated swing figures give students a genuine introduction to jazz language rather than a simplified approximation. Your beginning ensemble will sound like they're playing jazz, not a concert band playing jazz-flavored rhythms.

The classic Basie sound lives here: a relaxed, swinging blues with clear section figures that groove without complication. It feels like stepping into a small club where everyone knows the form and settles into the pocket together.

Directors introducing Grade 1 or 2 ensembles to swing style will find this chart essential. It works equally well for jazz combos looking to establish a strong rhythmic foundation or larger bands building their vocabulary for blues-based playing.

• Emphasize the laid-back feel of the swing eighth notes. Have your ensemble listen to Basie recordings to internalize the relaxation and groove that live in the rhythm section.
• Lock the walking bass line with the drummer's cymbal pattern first, before adding soloists. This creates the foundation that everything else rides on.
• Give soloists space to breathe and slightly behind the beat. Young improvisers often rush, so model how Basie-style phrasing sits comfortably in the pocket rather than pushing ahead.
• Balance the ensemble figures so they support rather than overshadow the soloist. These are call-and-response moments that work best when players listen as much as they play.

Open a jazz concert with this chart to set a confident, accessible tone for the audience and ease your ensemble into the performance. It pairs naturally with slightly more complex charts later in the set, showing growth in the band's command of the style.

• Reading and playing swing eighths with proper rhythmic subdivision
• Understanding 12-bar blues form and harmonic progression
• Responding to visual cues for ensemble figures and solos
• Listening and locking to the rhythm section
• Phrasing and articulation in a jazz context