Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Swing - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz Lines Publications

Few song titles have been more reflective of the artist performing it than Sixteen Men Swinging. Recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra for their 1954 album Dance Session, this Ernie Wilkins chart serves as a high-energy burner that brilliantly features soloists and ensemble alike.

Wasting no time, the ensemble bursts out of the gate at full volume and brisk tempo before the main theme enters at measure 9. The melody is handled both times by the sax section, with some brass accompaniment on the second pass. Following the melody is a 16 bar shout chorus that doesn't let up on the intensity in the slightest, with the band riffing hard and being driven along by Gus Johnson's volcanic drumming.

With the ensemble having had their say, the next several choruses are split up amongst three soloists. First up is tenor sax, then trombone, and finally trumpet, with a series of punchy backgrounds that shouldn't be played too shyly. Each soloist should set the stage for their successor, allowing for a sense of progression of intensity that ultimately culminates in a short high note display at the end of the trumpet solo. The final shout chorus makes up for its relative brevity with its hard-swinging enthusiasm, with the band tagging an ascending riff before coming to a thrilling all-out conclusion.

This publication was prepared from the original set of parts - this is not a transcription. The trombone 4 part is an added, optional part.

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets
4 Trombones (Trombone 4 Optional)
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set

Trumpet 1: D6 (opt. F6)
Trumpet 4: D6
Trombone 1: Ab4