Max's Big Band Arrangements

The phrase "big band" is usually used today to describe a popular music group made up of saxophones, brass, and percussion instruments. Such groups are often called "stage bands" or "dance bands". In the "Swing" era of the 1930's and '40's, there were many big bands that were making records. But the top bands were led by such notable musicians as Benny Goodman, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Glen Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, and Cab Calloway, just to name a few. Today there are not as many big bands that are as popular as those bands were- but there are some great ones playing and recording a lot new songs as well as the old standards.

Some of the best big bands of today are led by such fine musicians as Dave Grusin, Bill Elliot and Rob McConnell. Lee Ritenour, and Russ Freeman of "The Rippingtons," both lead bands that, while not your standard big band instrumentation, provide a wealth new musical material and reflect the great influence of rock and South American rhythms. They are very popular recording stars.

There are big bands that are touring today that play the arrangements of the great Swing era bands such as Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller. The US Air Force Band is a notable one. There is a fine big band that plays out of Raleigh, North Carolina. There are big bands in many cities, large and small, across the country. St. Louis, MO, has it's Gateway City Big Band. Around the New Bern area in eastern North Carolina there are the Al-Lu Band and The Stardust Big Band.

Usually the instrumentation of the big band is:

two e-flat alto saxes, two b-flat tenor saxes, one e-flat baritone sax,
three or four b-flat trumpets,
three or four tenor trombones (although often the lowest trombone part calls for a bass trombone),
a keyboard (such as piano or synthesizer),
a guitar (usually electric or amplified),
a bass (electric or acoustic),
and a set of drums.

Often there is an added male or female vocalist (sometimes both), and sometimes a vocal group of several singers.

Most of the arrangements Max has listed below are for 5 saxes, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, and 4 rhythm. However, some call for 4 trumpets and 4 trombones; they are listed separately.

Arrangements for a Big Band with Six Brass

Following is a list of songs that Max has arranged for a big band with six brass, i.e., 3 trumpets and three trombones:

"Amazing Grace" - instrumental - arranged for organ by George Shearing, using the hymn tune New Britain, and transcribed for big band by Max Myover.
"Can't I Get Lucky in Love" - words and music by Jim Symington. This arrangement was written for big band plus strings and vocal. Recorded at Premier Studios in St. Louis, MO, with Jim Symington singing his own song.
"Gone With the Wind" - instrumental, no vocal, features a trumpet solo (lyrics by Herb Magdison, music by Allie Wrubel)
"I'm Beginning to See the Light" - instrumental with featured vocal (music & lyrics by H. James, D. Ellington, J. Hodges, and D. George).
"Islands Medley" - instrumental, no vocal - includesone chorus each of: 1. "Blue Hawaii," 2. "Dreams of Old Hawaii," 3. "Sweet Leilani," 4. "Moonlight and Shadows," 5. "To You, Sweetheart, Aloha," and 6. "My Little Grass Shack."
"Jingle Bells Medley" - includes: 1. "Jingle Bells" (instrumental), 2. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (vocal), 3. "The First Snowfall of the Winter" (instrumental), and a vocal on 4. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting by an open fire)"
"Love Can Be" - instrumental, with vocal - arranged specially for The Blue Knights of St. Louis, MO, a big band of 5 saxes, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, vocalist, keyboard, bass, and drums (lyrics by Bob Dressler, music by Max Myover).
"Lover" - instrumental with vocal (lyrics by Lorenz Hart, music by Richard Rodgers).
"Once in Your Life" - instrumental with featured vocal (lyrics by Virginia Humphrey, music by Max Myover).
"Services on Parade" - instrumental march medley - includes: 1. the US Air Force song ("Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder"), 2. the US Cavalry song ("The Caissons Go Rolling Along"), 3. the US Navy song ("Anchors Aweigh"), and 4. the US Marine Corps song ("From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli").
"Society Dance Medley" - instrumental - includes: 1. "The Lady is a Tramp" (from "Babes in Arms" by Rodgers & Hart), 2. "The Gentleman is a Dope" (from "Allegro" by Rodgers & Hammerstein), 3. "Be Careful, It's My Heart" (from "Holiday Inn" by Irving Berlin), 4. "A Fine Romance" (from "Swing Time" by Fields & Kern), and 5. "Always True to You, Darling, in My Fashion" (from "Kiss Me, Kate" by Cole Porter).
"Solid Geometry" - instrumental with featured vocal (lyrics and music by Max Myover).
"Stardust" - instrumental - features a trumpet solo - 1 & 1/2 choruses (music & lyrics by Hoagy Carmichael).
"The Love I Long For" - instrumental
"The National Anthem (The Star Spangled Banner)" - instrumental - one chorus.
"The Rose of Tralee" - instrumental
"Waltz Favorites Medley" - instrumental, no vocal - includes one chorus each of: 1. "Always," 2. "Tenderly," 3. "The Boy Next Door," 4. "If You Were the Only Girl in the World," 5. "Moon River," and 6. "The Anniversary Waltz."

Arrangements for a Big Band with Eight Brass

Following is a list of songs that Max has arranged for a big band with eight brass, i.e., four trumpets and four trombones. Those containing one or more vocal choruses are indicated:

"A Man and a Woman" - instrumental, no vocal (music by Frances Lai).
"But Not For Me" - vocal with instrumental (from "Girl Crazy," lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by George Gershwin).
"Crazy Rhythm" - instrumental, no vocal.
"Feelings" - instrumental, no vocal (music by Morris Albert)
"Flag Raiser Medley" - instrumental with optional vocal - includes one chorus each of: 1. "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy," 2. "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," and 3. "You're a Grand Old Flag."
"Impossible Dream" - big band accompaniment for the Roy Ringwald choral arrangement orchestrated by Max Myover.
"Send in the Clowns" - instrumental, no vocal (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim).
"Stardust" - instrumental, no vocal (music & lyrics by Hoagy Carmichael).
"There Ain't Nobody Out There At All!" - instrumental with featured vocal (lyrics by Virginia Humphrey, music by Max Myover).
"The Way We Were" - instrumental, no vocal (lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, music by Marvin Hamlisch).
"This Can't Be Love" - instrumental, no vocal (from "The Boys From Syracuse," lyrics by Lorenz Hart, music by Richard Rodgers).
"To the Colors Fanfare" - instrumental - a big band arrangement of the bugle call "To the Colors."
"Volga Boatmen" - instrumental, no vocal - the Glenn Miller classic recording, recreated by Max Myover.
"Wichita Lineman" - this big band arrangement is the integral accompaniment for, and goes with Max's vocal arrangement of Wichita Lineman for mixed voice choir. Requires 1st Alto Sax to double on Flute, and 1st Tenor Sax to double on Clarinet.

Arrangements for Other Orchestral or Instrumental Combinations

Max has arranged music for other combinations orchestral of instruments that do not really fit in the big band categories listed above. The instrumentation of each of these arrangements is noted below.

For Flute, Oboe, 2 Alto Saxes, 2 Tenor saxes, 3 trumpets, 2 Trombones, Timpani, Drums, Piano, Violins A, B, an C, Violas, Cellos and Basses.

"Do I" - music and lyrics by Lloyd B. Norlin. Intro, chorus, verse, chorus, and extended ending. Arranged for the Northwestern University 1946 WAA-MU Show.

For 2 Alto Saxes, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano, Bass, and Drums.

"Everything's Comin' Up Roses" - Arrangement is for singer(s) and band. Intro, one chorus and extended ending.

For Flute, Tenor Sax (doubles on Clarinet), Trumpet, Trombone (doubles on French Horn), Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, and Drums:

"An Occasional Man" - Arrangement is for female singer and small band. Intro plus one and one-half choruses with an extended ending.
"Besame Mucho" - Arrangement is for soprano solo, male chorus, and small band. Intro, two and one-half choruses, plus extended ending.
"Carribean Caprice" - Arangement is an instrumental medley of four South American songs: 1.Perfidia (a rhumba), Perdido (a cha cha), En Trina (a mambo), and Chick Chicka Chonga (a merengue).
"Corcovado (Quiet Nights)" - Arrangement is for female singer and small band. Two choruses with and extended ending.
"Girl From Ipanema" - Arrangement is for male quartet and small band. Special verse, two choruses and a special ending.
"Hello Brother Lion" - Arrangement is for male chorus and small band.
"Hola Rio" - Arrangement is for mixed voices and small band.
"Limbo Rock" - Arrangement is for mixed voices and small band. Intro, four choruses, and ending.
"Manãna" - Arrangement is for female solo, mixed voices, and small band; five choruses with extended ending.
"Matilda" - Arrangement is for male quartet and small band; intro, multiple choruses with special ending.
"Two to Tango" - Arangement is for female solo and small small band; a medley of two vocal choruses of It Takes Two to Tango, with an instrumental chorus of Hernando's Hideaway in between each chorus.
"Yellow Bird" - Arrangement is for male chorus and small band. Two verses and two choruses with special ending.

For Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, and Drums:

"I've Got Spurs That Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" - Arrangement is for mixed voices and small band. A special intro, four choruses, a round, and a special ending.
"Lady From Twenty-nine Palms" - Arrangement is for male quartet and small band. Special intro, two and one-half choruses, with interlude, and special ending.
"Lichtensteiner Polka" - Arrangement is for male solo, male chorus, and small band. Intro, three choruses with verse and interlude. Calls for a solo tenor or baritone.
"Old Chuck Wagon" - music and lyrics by Max Myover. This two chorus arrangement of Max's rollicking song for male quartet, male choir, and small band includes one chorus of the western ballad Home on the Range.
"The Best Things in Life are Free" - Arrangement is for mixed voices and small band. Verse, two choruses and interlude with alternate extended endings.

For Flute, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Mixed Voices

"Kites are Fun" - Intro and two choruses with extended ending. This is a George Andrews vocal arrangement for which Max has created an orchestration.

Note: These arrangements for other instrumental combinations are compatible with the vocal arrangements of the same songs. For more vocal arrangements click on the following link:

Max's Vocal Arrangements

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If you are interested in learning more about these arrangements, please contact Max Myover.