Whodunnit?: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Goodwin's ear for what makes a shout chorus soar is unmatched, and Whodunnit? delivers the kind of ensemble moment that energizes a concert and builds festival credentials. The scoring respects your saxophone section by asking them to carry genuine weight in a blues-swing framework while still keeping trumpet and trombone parts rewarding. Optional percussion and flute parts mean you can program this whether your instrumentation is lean or fully loaded.

A bluesy, groove-oriented chart with swagger and momentum that builds toward a jubilant shout chorus. The sound sits somewhere between classic big band punch and contemporary jazz energy, with enough groove to make audiences move and enough sophistication to satisfy serious players.

Advanced high school jazz ensembles and serious college jazz groups with strong saxophonists and rhythmic maturity. The Grade 5 difficulty demands secure players across all sections who can lock into a swing feel and execute ensemble articulation with precision.

• Give the sax section aggressive rehearsal time on their blues phrasing and intonation tuning. The shout chorus depends on their unified tone and rhythmic precision in the swing feel.
• Lock the rhythm section's swing interpretation early. The drummer and pianist need to establish the bluesy pocket before horns add their weight.
• Shape the dynamic arc into the shout chorus carefully. Don't arrive at full fortissimo immediately; let the tension build measure by measure so the final section lands with impact.
• Balance the optional parts strategically. The vibraphone/xylophone adds color and definition to certain phrases, while the second alto's flute option opens different textural possibilities depending on your available players.

Program Whodunnit? as a crowd-pleaser on a mixed repertoire concert, especially in the second half where its infectious swing feel contrasts well with a ballad or modal piece. The significant shout chorus also makes it a strong closer or near-closer that leaves the audience energized.

• Blues phrasing and intonation in a swing ensemble setting
• Section unity and voicing articulation in ensemble passages
• Dynamics control and shaping of extended crescendo into a climactic ensemble moment
• Reading and executing optional instrumentation (vibraphone, xylophone, flute doublings)