Pro-College level charts
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Theme From Star Trek
Written for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and featured on thier album, "Live From Space"
Jade
Written for the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jon Faddis and premiered at the Chicago Jazz Festival 2005. Here is my band playing "Jade" at Hey Nonny, Arlington Heights, IL in 2019
Lockdown Shuffle
"Lockdown Shuffle" was written for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra in 2020 in response to the pandemic. It was first written for a jazz sextet, and then re-orchestrated for big band. Here is a a video of the CJO sextet playing this tune, below:
Heads Up
mp3 Pro-Advanced College Level. Fast swinging arrangement that features complex dialogue between brass, saxes and rhythm. Very challenging! Lickety Split
mp3 Pro-Advanced College level. Medium up swing with exciting counterlines and pyramids. Tenor soloist or Alto soloist versions available. Commissioned by The Commission Project, Rochester, NY. |
Daahoud
Written for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and featured on thier album, "Live From Space"
Milestones
This Chart was first featured on Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Album, "One More Trip To Birdland" in the 90's, and now it's re-orchestrated for big band. Listen to Maynard's version Below:
Tres Amigos
This piece was written for the Pete Ellman Big Band and premiered as the closing number at the Naperville Jazz Festival some years back, featuring the greats, John Fedchock on trombone, Eric Myashiro on trumpet, and Jeff Coffin on tenor sax. Here is a Finale Mock Up of "Tres Amigos", below:
Listen Knee Deep In Rio
mp3 Pro-Advanced College Level. Originally written for Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau band, and recently expanded for big band. Exciting piece in a Brazilian Samba style. This piece requires at least two great lead trumpet players in the band. Audiences and players alike are always thrilled to hear and play this piece. You can hear this on Maynard's album, "Brass Attitude" You Got It
mp3 Advanced High School-College Level. This piece is the opening tune on Maynard Ferguson's "These Cats can Swing." Up-Tempo Blues with an exciting head. The development section features the horns without rhythm section, and a drum solo landscaped over stop time hits that give you an exciting element of surprise. |
Ahmad's Blues
Written for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and featured on thier album, "Live From Space"
My Royal Things
This was written for the Chicago Jazz Orchestra as a tribute to the great Roy Hargrove who passed away too young in 2018. It was premeired in 2019 at a CJO concert at the Studebaker Theatre, Chicago, featuring the great Marquis Hill.
Summon The Elders
This is a composition by tenor saxophonist extraordinaire, John Wojciechowski, and premiered on his album, "Focus". Here is a Finale Mock-up of "Summon The Elders" for big band, below:
Listen Outside In
mp3 Influenced by the music of Weather Report, this piece tests the conventional styles of Big Band writing with powerful rhythmic and melodic counterpoint. The most advanced players will find it to be challenging and fun to play. Metamorphosis
mp3 Advanced High School-College level. Commissioned by The Commission Project for the CCPA Jazz Orchestra. The second in what I call the "Butterfly Suite". "Sedentary Motion" is the first of the two (Below in "HIgh School-Middle School level charts"). Medium fast swing tempo that starts off frantic and settles in with a modern sounding melody. As the piece develops, you start to hear rich modern harmonic landscapes, and hip interweaving rhythmic counterpoint after the solo section. Two Different Days
mp3 Advanced High School-College level. Exciting Up Tempo Piece w/Woody Shaw-Chick Corea-type head. The middle section has interweaving lines that build to a thrilling climax that has been pleasing audiences and players alike! Commissioned by the Commission Project, Rochester, NY. This is the title track on Rob Parton's album, "Two Different Days". |
High School-Middle school level charts
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One For Dex Commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for education outreach. This High School level chart- Dedicated to Dexter Gordon-is a contrafact of "Blue Bossa", a staple standard tune in High School jazz education. This One's For Sturm
Dedicated to good friend and wonderful musician, composer and educator, Fred Sturm, who passed away recently. RIP Fred! A.C.'s Tune
mp3 Medium-Advanced High School level. This original piece was written as a tribute to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Slow Brazilian Samba-Bossa. Easy and relaxing melody with some chord changes that will challenge your tenor soloist to play II-V-I lines in many keys. Legitimate Itch
mp3 Medium-Advanced High School Level. This chart is a medium swing minor blues that features the trombone section with bass in the development section. The chart was commissioned by The Commission Project, Rochester, NY. Watch a video of the University of Memphis Jazz ensemble perform this piece on You Tube HERE. What's the Meaning of This
mp3 Advanced High School-College level. Swing Shuffle that features Trumpet Tenor and Bone in a small group style, complimented by the big band in a laid back swing Basie style. Requires a good lead-solo trombonist. |
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In The Pocket Written for the Iowa All-State Jazz Band. A modern beginning leads to a swinging melody and fun solo changes. Here is a Finale Mock up: Listen Big Mac Daddy
Commissioned by the Neuqua Valley High School Jazz Band for their tour of China, 2006. A Funky Tune that's fun to play for all levels. Listen Coda
mp3 This piece has received great feedback from audience and musicians alike! Through-composed-straight 8th piece with a light, ethereal intro, interweaving lines and sections that build incessantly. Watch a You Tube clip of Rob Partons Big Band playing this piece. Two Base Hit Medium swing "Rhythm Changes" style chart enjoyed by middle level bands.
Baron Stomp Commissioned by the DeKalb High School Jazz Band, the Dekalb HS Barons, Indiana Then One Day I Had the Blues
mp3 High School Level. This piece is fun to play by colleges and pros as well. This is a medium swing blues/shuffle in the Basie Style. Swings hard! This chart was commissioned by The Commission Project, Rochester, NY. |
A Flower is a Lovesome Thing Commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for a concert at Millenium Park featuring the music of Billy Strayhorn. This chart requires doubles in the saxes (2 fl./2 clar./bs clar.)
Fat Chance
Blues For Bronco Comissioned by my alma mater,the Barrington High School Jazz Band, Rithum Machine (The Barrington Broncos), IL Sedentary Motion
mp3 High School Level-This is the first part of what I call the "Butterfly Suite". Metamorphasis is the second in the suite. I used a certain 4-note line as the basis for each composition. Written for the "Caterpillar" stage, hence the name. Straight 8th meduim tempo with an easy feel, and an interesting developmental section as the piece progresses to the end. Song For A.E.G.
mp3 Medium High School Level. "This modern straight eighth note feel composition for proficient groups is inspired by the music of Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer. Set in a medium tempo, the broad harmonic and melodic landscapes give the players sufficient freedom to express themselves through interaction with one another. A quick study of the score reveals a style of orchestration that doesn’t conform to the norm. Thematic material is often stated by instrument groupings of two and three players, versus dividing into sections (sax, trumpet, trombone)." Duration 10:00. |
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Published scores on Kendor Music
And Another Thing
mp3 Medium Advanced High School level. Commissioned by the Illinois Music Educator’s Association for the 2008 Illinois All-State Jazz Ensemble. "The straight 8th Latin jazz feel provides a perfect setting for Tom’s inventive melodic lines and refreshing voicings." Duration 6:40. Sedentary Motion mp3 High School Level-This is the first part of what I call the "Butterfly Suite". Metamorphasis is the second in the suite. I used a certain 4-note line as the basis for each composition. Written for the "Caterpillar" stage, hence the name. Straight 8th meduim tempo with an easy feel, and an interesting developmental section as the piece progresses to the end. Morning Story With an infectious bossa-rock groove, hip voicings and a strong melody, this chart is sure to be a hit on any concert. The open solo section (written or ad lib) for Alto Sax and Trumpet provides plenty of space to stretch. What's the Meaning of This mp3 Advanced High School-College level. Swing Shuffle that features Trumpet Tenor and Bone in a small group style, complimented by the big band in a laid back swing Basie style. Requires a good lead-solo trombonist. |
Other Available Scores
These arrangements are not in PDF or Finale format yet. Please contact Tom for more information at:
[email protected] The Crook
Medium College level. Thad Jones style shuffle. Not in Finale or PDF format yet. Please contact Tom for more information. Outskirts Pro-Advance College Level. Arrangement of a great tune by Gary Willis of Tribal Tech. The Vibe mp3 Written for Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau band and released on the album "One More Trip to Birdland". |