Walter The Ferret by Rich Willey arranged by Gordon Goodwin

Description

Here’s a fun and funky chart that has Gordon Goodwin’s Midas Touch all over it. After an attention-grabbing intro, Gordon shows off all the horns in a smooth chorale-like presentation of the melody before finding the pocket with a nice smooth-jazz type groove. The bridge has some Coltrane chord changes and the band has some cool ensemble things before the solo sections which are open for several soloists if desired. There is also a place to feature the drums before going into yet another beautiful treatment of the bridge on out.

Written for five saxophones, five trumpets (solo 5th trumpet part can be played on trumpet, flugelhorn as Rich did in the recording below or bass trumpet), four trombones, piano, guitar, bass, drums and added percussionist. The only doubling in this chart is ▪ baritone sax also plays bass clarinet.

The lead trumpet part goes up to a three leger-line E. This tune lies somewhere between Grade 5 and Grade 5.5. Chart length is 107 written bars, tempo is ♩ = 100 and the score is 14 pages.

Our big band charts are now available only as PDF files for you to print out yourself (at half the price that we used to charge for printed parts).

Upon completion of your order you will receive a download link via an email receipt for your purchase.

Here is how this chart sounds as played by Rich Willey’s Boptism Big Band:

Personnel:

Dan Higgins — 1st Alto Saxophone
Brian Scanlon — 2nd Alto Saxophone
Bob Sheppard — 1st Tenor Saxophone
Jeff Driskill — 2nd Tenor Saxophone
Jay Mason — Baritone Saxophone

Wayne Bergeron — Lead Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Dan Fornero — 2nd Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Rob Schaer — 3rd Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Tony Bonsera — 4th Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Alex Iles — Lead Trombone
Andy Martin — 2nd Trombone
Steve Holtman — 3rd Trombone
Bill Reichenbach — Bass Trombone

Wally Minko — Keyboards
Andrew Synowiec — Guitar
Edwin Livingston — Bass
Peter Erskine — Drums
Joey DeLeon — Percussion

Recorded January 3rd, 2019, Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA, engineered by Tommy Vicari

Gordon Goodwin & Rich Willey

Photo by Angela Fornero