Swinging Christmas Songs for Big Band

The opening cut from the Mingus Big Band CD Gunslinging Birds is this raucous and blistering jazz waltz. Mingus wrote this piece as a tribute to Charlie Bird Parker with the subtitle If Charlie Parker...

Miles Davis left a legacy of innovative playing and enduring compositions. Here is one of his best tunes in a swinging medium up-tempo arrangement for young bands by Mark Taylor.

Of Stevie Wonder's many hits in the early '70s, this is one of his most distinctive and tuneful. Written in a light rock style, this excellent arrangement features soaring melodies and strong ensemble...

Required literature for the noble study of Monk, this arrangement of a jazz classic will delight young bands as well as experienced groups. You can play it as fast or slow as you like, and it will sou...

Definitely the flag ship of the current jump swing style, this tune was made famous again by Brian Setzer on his popular The Dirty Boogie big band CD. Mark Taylor takes it one step further in this smo...

This wonderful standard from the '40s receives a sensitive and beautifully orchestrated setting by Mark Taylor featuring tenor sax. In the double time swing section, the soloing changes are spaced far...

From the premier jump swing band in the land, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, here is their most requested tune. The tempo is bright swing, and the riffs are hot and sassy. Solos for alto and trumpet can be pla...

From the Mingus Big Band CD Blues and Politics!, this intense minor blues opens with a bass solo then gradually unfolds layer by layer until the entire ensemble is screaming. Includes plenty of solo s...

Classic Ellington swinger! Gordon's medium tempo chart features the saxes at the start and them lets the ensemble carry it and build to the Alto solo. This one goes down smooth.

Many jazz artists (recently includiing Diana Krall) have recorded this bluesy gem. George's skillfully paced version opens with a hard-hitting intro followed by the saxes on the slow and evocativee me...

Made famous by Frank Sinatra, this is one of the most recorded and well-known standards ever written. John Berry's medium swing arrangement for young players features nice ensemble writing under those...

The sax section gets a turn in the spotlight on this enjoyable chart of Lester Young's jazz classic. This medium up-tempo chart features a great swing feel and a flexible solo section with ensemble ba...

This swingin' Basie-style shuffle starts out with a piano chorus followed by the saxes and finally a roaring brass section. Also featured are solos for tenor and trumpet and a fabulous shout chorus th...

Here is a marvelous medium swing arrangement of this Rodgers and Hart classic that features solos for trumpet and alto, and also a unique sax soli section with a trumpet lead. Big band swing writing a...

The genius of Cole Porter shines through in this familiar standard. Roger's medium tempo chart is a swinger that goes together easily. Great sounds!

Monk tunes are always creative and a bit out of the ordinary. Also out of the GRP All-Star Big Band book, this marvelous orchestration explores a variety of dissonances, textures, and styles. The temp...

Frank Mantooth is one of today's most creative arrangers for jazz ensemble and he treats us here to a marvelously unique take on this well-known standard. The style is straight-ahead swing but the har...

In this Ellington favorite, John Berry stays true to the original medium slow swing in a well crafted arrangement that is very playable by inexperienced bands. Alto sax is featured at the top and late...

Available now in a very easy version, this Miles Davis classic is a must for bands just starting out. The modal structure teaches the dorian scale and students are introduced to one of the legends of...

From the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra CD Shout Me Out!, the title cut features a medium slow shout chorus surrounded by solo choruses. Hard-hitting swing at its best! Recording courtesy of Fable Re...

John's arrangement of this jazz classic was written specifically to feature Milt Jackson with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra; however, just about any instrument can play the head at the beginning...

Written in a very slow swing style, this is a marvelous study in ensemble playing with balance and blend. With plenty of tutti rhythms and very effective use of dynamics this beautifully scored arrang...

One of the classic blues tunes of all time, here is vibes giant Milt Jackson's familiar riff tune in a playable swing arrangement from Mark Taylor. Trumpet and tenor (along with vibes and guitar) take...