jazz Fear No Fifth

I've just finished a new song for large jazz ensemble called "Fear No Fifth." After mucking about in the 1950s/early 60s for my last couple of songs, I think I've finally graduated into the mid-1970s with a Tower of Power-type big-band something-or-other. I guess it's basically a blues with an extended vamp during the solos, the type of song that Count Basie or Duke Ellington could have knocked off in about a day and a half; I've been working on it since March.

Anyway, I hope you like it. I can post the score if anyone's interested.

Hi Glenn;

It's really quite nice.. I'd love to see the score. It does sound pretty authentic to me (but jazz is an interest, not my particular area.. I might have liked the bass to 'wander' or walk more. All the solos and other parts, are really great..  The bass does get down to 'working it' toward 3:30.  If it's pacing if there was more variety in the pattern, and rhythm it played,  might be interesting..  (that's a minor point). 

I look forward to hearing more.. I would like to see the score, if it's not extra work. Especially in a piece like this, there is much to learn listening and following the score. 

Thanks, markstyles. I'll try to post the score when I get home tonight.

I've attached the score. Before all you trumpeters and trombonists start attacking me, allow me to explain something.

I've tried for years, mostly unsuccessfully, to get people to perform my music. Eventually, I got tired of writing music that no one will ever hear. So a couple of years ago I gave up worrying about all the nuances of making a piece playable and decided to concentrate on just getting the best-sounding electronic example of the piece possible (using the fairly limited electronic resources that I had at my disposal). This way, I could at least post them to the internet.

The synth solo, for example, was originally a trombone solo. I changed it to synth because the trombone sounds on Sibelius are not very good. And yes, I know that the trumpet and trombone parts would be pretty annoying to have to play, and I would never write parts like that if I thought anyone would ever have to perform them. But since I no longer worry about people having to play these parts, I just write what I think sounds good coming over the speakers and don't worry about the musicians. Lame, yes. But if no one has to play them then there's no harm done. I hope.

Also, you'll notice that I write each element of the drum set separately. That's so that I can get a better balance during the mix down.

All that said, here's a pdf of the score.

Thanx Glenn:

I appreciate following the score. Reading scores is an invaluable teacher.  A trick I used in Logic Pro was to create 'dummy tracks' that are for display only.. I might have the horns on two or horn three tracks, but a copy them all to a fourth track, that is for display, and not actually heard. Same with the drums, I might use 2 or more drum plug-ins, but copy all those tracks into one, just to see on score - this track is not attached to any virtual instrument. 

Sometimes I clean up slight 'smudge notes' (Hitting a note, and it's 2nd note for just a 1/64 note, for a more realistic sound). I copy that midi track to a nonsounding track, which is what I use for the score.. 

That's a great idea. Maybe I'll go back and try combining the different instruments on 1 or 2 tracks (and squashing the drums down to one track) to improve readability.

I tried combining the winds and horns in pairs and squashed the drums. Hopefully it will be easier to read now.