Swinging Christmas Songs for Big Band

The Benny Goodman Orchestra performed a similar version of this chart at the Carnegie Hall concert, with Martha Tilton the featured vocalist. This is an easy but effective arrangement, opening after a...

Bobby Darin had a big hit with this tune, and other singers hae also covered it very successfully, the latest being Robbie Williams on his Swing when your Winning album with a version very similar to...

A fine Sy Oliver composition for the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, Yes Indeed is a 'swing spiritual' which Sy Oliver originally sang with the band. Dorsey recorded the chart a few times in a couple of keys,...

This is the original Helen O'Connell version of 'Just You, Just Me', from her album 'Here's Helen', as recorded with the Marion Evans Orchestra. It is not a transcription. The chart is an up tempo swi...

Transcribed from Peggy Lee's 1959 'Jump for Joy' album, this beautifully crafted Nelson Riddle chart swings hard from start to finish. The band writing is sublime and always gives perfect support to t...

Manhattan was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald in 1957, for the Verve album 'Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook'. The original Buddy Bregman arrangement was scored for strings, and orchestra...

Daddy was written in 1941 by Bobby Troup (of Route 66 fame) and it was his first musical success. The song was recorded by a number of artists in that same year, including Glenn Miller, The Andrews Si...

Here is our take on Nelson Riddle's chart written for Ella Fitzgerald for her 'Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson' album. We have adapted this chart by removing the strings, to make it playable with a r...

Here is our take on Doris Day's charming vocal chart for the Les Brown Orchestra, not to be confused with her 1955 show version with Percy Faith. The chart opens with an instrumental half-chorus, modu...

Transcribed from her album 'Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook', this version was performed as a duet between Ms Midler and Barry Manilow (who also played the Piano on the track), and it...

This chart has been transcribed from the Nelson Riddle arrangement on Sinatra's album 'Sinatra's Swingin' Session'. It is a 'builder', and it builds up with style too. Nelson Riddle took this simple c...

Too Darn Hot was written by Cole Porter for the 1948 musical 'Kiss Me Kate' and was featured by Ella Fitzgerald on her Cole Porter Songbook album, with the original arrangement by Buddy Bregman. We ha...

Adapted from Ella Fitzgerald's Cole Porter Songbook recording, this chart is laid back, relaxed and easy to play. It would make a good 'change-of-pace chart' for a concert setting or live gig. The arr...

Let's Face The Music is another priceless Ella chart, transcribed from her Irving Berlin Songbook album. The original arrangement was by Paul Weston, and calls for Flute and Clarinet doubles in the re...

Transcribed from her Harold Arlen songbook album, this fabulous Ella chart was originally arranged by the late, great Billy May and it swings like crazy from start to finish. His use of the unison sax...

Transcribed from Natalie Cole's 'Still Unforgettable' album, this chart is a really clever fusion of old and new, as it combines elements of Nat King Cole's original recording along with his daughters...

This version of Ain't We Got Fun was recorded by Doris Day, with the Paul Weston Orchestra accompanied by the Norman Luboff Choir. The original arrangement was by Paul Weston. Our transcription closel...

This chart was originally recorded by Ella Mae Morse with the Freddie Slack Orchestra in July 1942 (on Capitol 115). The title itself refers to Jimmy Rushing, Count Basie's vocalist from 1935-48. The...

Recorded by Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw band, this is an accurate transcription of the original Jerry Gray concept, complete with the intro Piano solo and Shaw's silky first chorus solo line. We...

From the album 'Buddy Rich at Ronnie Scott's'. This Ellington standard is always a great vehicle for solos. The chart has very playable written out solos for Tenor Sax and Trumpet and also includes dr...

The Quincy Jones / Count Basie version. Great section writing, plus written out tenor and piano solos. A superb swing number. Key C minor.

Sammy Nestico, who wrote many fine scores for the Count Basie Band, has provided this laid-back Basie-style arrangement, starting with the piano and rhythm section, and then gradually building right t...

8 brass, 5 saxes and 4 rhythm, plus 3 optional flutes, 2 Bb clarinets and horn in F. Swing band girl vocal. The all time favourite ballad, featured in the 1942 film Casablanca. A full band intro leads...

The Bobby Darin version which really swings right from the start. The first four bars can easily be repeated for a great opener. Take a look at the TV recording on YouTube to see how this works-brilli...