What Is This Thing Called Love?: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Paul Baker's arrangement respects the tune's elegance while building genuine ensemble texture around the solo opportunities. The writing stays accessible at 2.5 level but never sounds thin; the scoring invites your whole section to participate, whether they're supporting a trumpet solo or trading eights with the saxes.

Urbane and conversational, with a gentle swing that invites rather than demands. The melody carries Cole Porter's characteristic sophistication, but the arrangement wraps it in an approachable swing context where soloists can stretch without the piece becoming unwieldy.

Jazz ensembles at the early-intermediate level who want a authentic standard with real solo opportunities for developing improvisers. Works equally well for contest preparation or a program that needs a straightforward, audience-friendly swinger.

• Keep the swing feel loose and conversational at 160 BPM rather than mechanically strict; the melody breathes better when rhythms feel slightly behind the beat.
• Balance the saxophone soli carefully against the rhythm section so soloists are heard but not separated from the ensemble texture.
• Use the trumpet's written range to G as a ceiling, not a constant target; most phrases sit lower and give you room to voice the upper harmony without strain.
• Shape the optional parts (flute, clarinet, vibes) as color layers rather than essential voices; their presence should feel like enhancement, not necessity.

Pair this with other Baker arrangements for a cohesive section, or slot it into a mixed jazz concert where you want something polished but not heavy. It works beautifully as a closer on a spring concert because audiences recognize the melody immediately.

• Swing articulation and phrasing in section play
• Leading and supporting solo features across all instrumental sections
• Balancing melody awareness with harmonic independence
• Reading and executing suggested improvisation frameworks
• Blend and intonation across optional instrumentation