Briar Rose for Big Band
Jazz Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

Jazz Ensemble Jazz Ensemble - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1273503

Composed by Tchaikovsky, Peter. Arranged by Thingvall, Jon. Film/TV,Jazz. Score and Parts. 88 pages. Jon Thingvall #865640. Published by Jon Thingvall (A0.1273503).

Briar Rose was the name of an early version of Sleeping Beauty.  Here, Tchaikovsky’s famous Sleeping Beauty Waltz is perked up a little, and re-imagined for a standard junior high/early high school, jazz big band (5,4,4), and played in 4/4 time.

Difficulty:  junior high to early high school band.

Designed to help students learn jazz.

Key:  F (original ballet key is B-flat)

Highest lead trumpet note: concert E (last note), in the treble clef.

There are no solos.  Exposed parts have at least two players.

The rhythms swing, but are kept predictable, without too much variety.

Rhythm section play-along here:  https://youtu.be/rhlifLTzHC8

Additional Parts Included:

                Score, transposed

                Score, concert pitch

                Piano/Guitar showing Bass in L.H.

                Piano/Guitar only, no Bass

                Piano with jazz ideas/options written out

                Drum set notation

                Drum set kicksheet

Measure 71 (at approx. 1:51) could serve as an Optional Ending, and the director will be able to edit the measure as desired—beef up the “& of two” if desired, and/or add horns on beat 4, etc.  If done in class, as my teachers occasionally did, it can show the students the process of arranging, and might encourage some in that direction.

As a classical-turned-jazz pianist, my best memories are of those who helped me bridge the gap from verbatim part-playing to the concepts of learning jazz harmonies and its own unique form of counterpoint.  Writers' suggestions--like Sammy Nestico's, who occasionally specified voicings--were invaluable.  So, for classically-trained pianists who are interested in jazz, I’ve included a couple versions of the piano part—a fairly standard “lead sheet”, but also one with ideas for voicings, especially quartal, which the classical artist might not have considered.  Further study on YouTube and other Internet sites will help them hear and visualize the difference between jazz and classical.

The Bass part gives the student the option of playing the changes, or the written notes.

I’ve also included two kinds of drum parts—one with notation for those just starting out, and another “kick sheet” for those with more experience.

Manuscript made with Finale v26

Sounds from Finale and Garritan “JABB3” (Jazz And Big Band)

MP3 courtesy of OnlineAudioConverter.com.