Christmas Big Band Gordon Goodwin MP3

Every year I make it a point to arrange a Christmas tune for big band, and every year seems to go by and I never get around to doing it.  Just too busy usually and with my wife being a church musician it really gets busy in December.  After listening to the chart below, I’ve now been inspired for doing something for next year!!

 

Here is an outstanding chart on Oh Christmas Tree that you will definitely want to download and purchase if it is available.  The chart was done by Gordon Goodwin, one of the best and hippest writers around today.  I have always admired people who can take a simple thing and make something extremely hip out of it (best example is Bach’s Art of the Fugue!), and Gordon has done just that.  I’m sure he could make a hip chart out of an ascending C major scale.

 

Match up a magnificent chart with some of the best players on the west coast and you’ve got a killer performance.

 

Here is the link:  GET MP3 HERE

 

It’s a zip file with the mp3 inside.  Enjoy and have a terrific holiday, and buy something from Gordon’s website while you are at it!

Small Band Charts Now Available

I’ve just got finished with uploading the small band charts to the website.  These are charts that were commissioned of me by Rick Holland, jazz director at the State University of New York at Potsdam.   The instrumentation of these charts is about that of half a big band, although you could just double these up if you have a larger ensemble.   2 trumpets, 2 bones, Alto, Tenor, Bari saxes, and piano, bass and drums.

 

These are fun to play and definitely not “easy readers”.  They will take some work rehearsing.  Go to the small big band chart page here….