Arranging For Large Jazz Ensemble

Create horn arrangements with texture and style!

It's high time that someone published a complete guide to arranging for large horn sections. Now, for the first time, learn the same jazz ensemble arranging techniques taught by renowned Berklee College of Music faculty, and studied by the best and brightest arrangers working today.

While the book focuses on classic big band and jazz styles, the core information about horn harmony and arranging can be used for any style, from hip-hop to ska. Arranging for the Large Jazz Ensemble includes all the information you need when creating horn charts, fueling and inspiring you with the written charts of Berklee legends Jeff Friedman, Ted Pease, Scott Free, Greg Hopkins, and Bill Scism.

The play-along CD is a powerful tool for learning. It's also great for just listening and enjoying. It includes more than 60 demo tracks and arrangements written in the style of the masters like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Gil Evans, all performed by Berklee faculty.

Inside you'll learn:

• Writing techniques: From simple unison- and octave-writing strategies to line writing, background writing and short chorus writing
• Voicing techniques: Mechanical voicings, spreads, voicings in fourths, clusters, and upper structure triads
• Soli, background and shout choruses: Analyze and create these trademark elements for sax and brass
• Special effects: A catalog of stylistically appropriate special effects like rips and doits will give you creative tools for adding texture to your horn arrangements
• Style: Create your own, while listening to the best! Listen to several arrangements of the "Birthday Song" on the included CD—know instantly whether you're celebrating in the arranging style of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bill Holman, or Gil Evans
• Analysis of a complete arrangement: Study an annotated score composed and arranged by the authors as you listen to the performance on the included CD

About the Authors

Dick Lowell, Associate Professor of Jazz Composition, has been a jazz pioneer at Berklee College of Music for over thirty years. As composer, arranger, and trumpeter, he has written for and recorded with jazz luminaries like Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, Shirley Bassey and Mel Tormé.

Ken Pullig is Chair of the Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music. He was awarded Massachusetts Council of the Arts Fellowship for his extended jazz composition "Suite No. 2 for Small Jazz Ensemble." The greats he has performed with include Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, and Dionne Warwick.

BUZZ

"I highly recommend this intelligent and easily understandable book. I especially liked the inclusion of topics addressing score preparation, background writing and shout choruses. The CD examples are extremely helpful."

- Michael Abene, composer, arranger, educator

"An extraordinary and up-to-date document on composing and arranging for the large jazz ensemble - succinctly and entertainingly written, with hip sounding examples - that I'll definitely be using in my own workshops and seminars."

- Mike Gibbs, Jazz composer/arranger

"This is the definitive study for the aspiring big band arranger. The book and accompanying CD provide the most comprehensive information I've ever read and it is an indispensable guide for both student and professional alike." - Alan Broadbent, Composer, arranger, pianist

- Alan Broadbent, Composer, arranger, pianist

"This is the most thorough, comprehensive book on big band arranging that I have seen up to this time. The most wonderful thing about the book is that it serves the purpose of inspiring and opening up the students' thinking, resulting in the creation of real music."

- Jack Walrath, composer, arranger, trumpet artist

"I'm very impressed with this book. It is valuable not only for composers and arrangers, but also for directors, teachers and players. The clear explanations and examples of the accompanying CD make this the most practical, flexible and diverse arranging, composing analysis of large ensemble writing available today."

- Tom Everett, Director of Bands, Jazz Programs, Harvard University

Also by Ken Pullig

Modern Jazz Voicings: Arranging for Small and Medium Ensembles