Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal

Description: Swing - Medium Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Even the Chairman of the Board himself couldn't avoid getting in the Christmas spirit every now and then. Frank Sinatra's take on Santa Claus Is Coming to Town comes from his 1948 album "Christmas Songs by Sinatra," accompanied by a playfully swinging band arranged by George Siravo that will surely get both your musicians and the crowd in a festive mood.

A brief but ear-catching introduction sets the tone for Sinatra's entrance with the melody at measure 5. Siravo's backgrounds tend to be at least a bit reminiscent of the Basie band while still maintaining that classing 1940s Hollywood feel to them, especially whenever the entire band is playing together. Most importantly, there should be a relaxed sense of swing to the entire group's performance while supporting the vocalist.

A key change at measure 37 gives a brief bit of time for the band to shine, but they certainly take advantage of it. The eight bar shout chorus stays fairly close to the melody while putting in enough rhythmic and harmonic twists to keep things unique, in particular the dissonant honks in measures 43 and 44.

A brief tenor saxophone solo and a muted brass interlude give way to Sinatra coming back in for a melody re-statement at measure 55. The backgrounds during this chorus should dig in a bit harder than earlier, especially the swift ascending trumpet line in measures 69 and 70. The melody (and arrangement as a whole) ends on a surprisingly dissonant note, with a pyramid effect employed to create a crunchy wall of sound before resolving for the final chord.

 

Full Score
Vocal
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets (Trumpet 4 Optional)
4 Trombones (Trombone 4 Optional)
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Vocal Key: A modulating to Bb
Trumpet 1: C#6
Trombone 1: Bb4