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Bart Marantz NPR/KERA Jazz Education Interview    Click below to listen to the interview  Click below to read the article 
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 Reviews "When Sunny Gets Blue" Lyrics By: Jack Segal Music By: Marvin Fisher Instrumentation: Big Band Publisher: Hal Leonard Corp. Grade: 5 Swing Shuffle and Samba = 108 = 108 $45.00 Frank Mantooth has penned a winner which was commissioned by Steve Sveum, Director of Jazz Studies at Sun Paririe High School. Taking the standard “When Sunny gets Blue” into a shuffle feel was surprising to me until I got to measure 23 where the chart takes off and flies us to Central America for the exciting Latin feel of a samba. The arrangement is slated in the professional series from Hal Leonard mainly because of the Samba which is very intense in time and rhythmic lines. It also requires an experienced rhythm section to carry this demanding Latin feel out to its full potential. Frank Mantooth is one of those gifted arrangers who is well known in the world of chart writing as a musician who can put some excellent comment on any piece of music he is asked to arrange, whether it’s one of his originals or a standard like this one. This is just another one of Frank’s outstanding efforts and takes the big band to some areas it best be ready for. With a very fast tempo in the Latin samba and an up tempo swing feel for most of the arrangement the band must have a very solid rhythm section. Also the tempo will be a very important consideration when the changes are performed in the solo section at letter 99, which are challenging at any tempo! The chart is well written and with concentrated effort can be played by most “good” high school big bands and certainly most college/university ensemble. It will take some extra rehearsals though for both levels to get from the rehearsal hall to the concert stage and make it believable. Try “When Sunny Gets Blue” arranged by Frank Mantooth and I’m sure you will be happy with the final results. Top note for trumpet is written D above high C. Bart Marantz
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