Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Ballad - Difficult

Publisher: Jazz at Lincoln Center

Melba Liston (1926-1999) was a jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger who broke barriers for women in music. She began playing trombone at age seven and was playing solos on the radio by age eight. Although a formidable jazz trombonist, Melba Liston was primarily known for her arrangements with big bands of the time, influenced by the style of the Ellington and Basie bands. Some of her first work as an arranger and composer was with bandleader Gerald Wilson and tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. In the 1940s and 1950s she worked with many popular big bands including those led by Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Quincy Jones and Randy Weston, among others.

Billy Reid's The Gypsy tells the story of someone visiting a fortune teller, hoping to be reassured that their partner is faithful, although both know it is not true. The song was a hit for The Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, and Sammy Kaye’s Orchestra. Melba Liston arranged it as a ballad feature for the great alto saxophonist Phil Woods with the Quincy Jones Big Band

The Gypsy is a difficult piece that requires a strong alto sax soloist. The band should command strong time, sound, and blend. Ballads may appear easy, but the deception lies in how mature the band sounds in terms of balance with strong pitch and air support throughout each phrase. Liston's rich harmonic sense prevails, giving ample room for the alto sax soloist to express the melody along with broad strokes of improvisation. The climax of the ballad leads up to a magnificent alto sax cadenza.

Part of the 2026 Essentially Ellington Competition.

 

 

Full Score
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone
4 Trumpets/Flugelhorns
Horn in F
3 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set

Trumpet 1: A#5
Trombone 1: A4