Woodchopper's Ball

Woody Herman's classic is done up here in a contemporary style for the more experienced band. A nice change-of-pace chart for concerts and festivals, this vintage swing tune's arrangement has been given the elixir of new life by Mike Carubia's clever combination of musical generations. He starts with a tom-tom pattern a la "Sing, Sing, Sing" and gradually injects some hip bebop lines as each chorus gets gradually more modern. Your saxes will have a "ball" with the extended sax soli and fun unison lines as the brass section plays the traditional kicks. The open solo section gives you options for alto, tenor, trumpet, and trombone with backgrounds cued as desired. Reasonable range and great modulations make this one perfect for your band. Great tune, great chart!