I wrote a sax soli for my arranging class last semester. The assignment was to write a lead bebop-style melody line over 16 bars of standard chord changes, then harmonize every note in four parts, then provide parts for five saxophones and rhythm section for the big band to record.

I chose the second half of "Just Friends" as my standard chord progression. I had been working on the tune in my lessons with Bob Magnusson, and I had just started a transcription of Pat Martino's solo on it from El Hombre.

I'll write later about all the harmonizing rules we learned for spreading bebop lines across a group of horns. (It's really cool, and deserves its own post.) For now, have a listen. They were sight-reading, so be nice.

Here's the concert score.

Here's the recording, courtesy of the Fall 2010 SDSU Jazz Ensemble.

»
Random Post
«