You Don't Know What Love Is: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Arranged by Mike Tomaro
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00276686
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Description
Composed in the 1940s, here is a magnificent rhapsodic treatment of this classic jazz ballad. Mike skillfully features all sections of the band in this lush and flowing arrangement.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00276686
More about this title
About the Arranger: Mike Tomaro
Mike Tomaro has established himself as one of the most prolific and respected jazz arrangers in music education. His work for jazz ensembles spans decades, earning consistent recognition for arrangements that balance accessibility with musical sophistication. Tomaro understands what student musicians need: clear voice leading, idiomatic writing, and moments that allow individual sections to shine without overwhelming performers at intermediate levels.
His arrangements have become standards in jazz programs across the country. Teachers choose his work because it teaches arranging principles through listening and performance, giving students insight into how skilled composers voice chords, voice lead smoothly, and craft compelling orchestrations.
Why we love this
Tomaro takes a ballad that could easily become saccharine and crafts something with real architecture. The arrangement distributes compelling material across all sections, which means your saxophones, trombones, and rhythm section all have moments to deliver something musically substantial. This keeps energy engaged across the full ensemble during what is fundamentally a slower piece.
What to expect
Rich, unrushed, and emotionally grounded. The arrangement unfolds like a conversation between sections, with harmonies that breathe and resonate. You feel the weight of a classic jazz standard rendered with care and accessibility.
Who it's for
Jazz directors programming a slow ballad for intermediate ensembles need material with substance. This suits groups that have solid fundamentals in voicing, section blend, and reading but are still building confidence in sustained lyrical playing. Conductors teaching orchestration concepts through repertoire will find Tomaro's voice leading instructive.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the opening texture with transparent voicings. The rhapsodic character depends on hearing individual voices and harmonic movement, not thickness. Resist letting the ensemble play too loud in early choruses.
- Shape rubato passages together before locking with the rhythm section. Communicate with your bassist and drummer about how much flexibility you're taking in phrases marked more freely.
- Highlight the sectional features Tomaro has written. When horns or reeds trade material, bring out the color shift. These moments are the heart of the arrangement's journey.
- Work dynamics as a band, not section by section. The lush quality comes from coordinated crescendos and diminuendos, especially when multiple sections are moving together.
How to use it
Pair this with up-tempo standards to create contrast on a jazz concert. The ballad format makes it ideal for a program opener that establishes an intimate sound, or as a bridge between high-energy charts. It works especially well when you're emphasizing musicianship and listening skills alongside repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing sectional voicings in four-part harmony
- Reading and responding to rubato and flexible tempos
- Executing smooth harmonic voice leading across chord changes
- Blending sustained tones with dynamic control
- Trading melodic lines and responding to sectional cues