Hi Friends!
Here’s my jazz arrangement of the 1950 Christmas pop tune composed by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins.
Click the title for a link to the download page …
FROSTY THE SNOW MAN
I do hope you find it infectious and that it puts a nice smile on your face… it was a lot of fun working on it! Of all the Christmas pop songs, this one doesn’t seem to show up on CD’s as frequently as others (The Beach Boys did a great Four Freshmen-ish rendition on their 60’s Christmas album). It’s a cute tune nonetheless!
I would like to dedicate this recording to Gary and Marianne and to all of YOU amazing musicians on this forum … I have loved listening to all your wonderful and varied music this year and look forward to many more years of it … this is a tremendous community! I've learned so much from you.
I wanted to record something up-beat, positive, and pleasant to get me in the holiday spirit, so I started this the week before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I ran out of time before I could finish the piano solo w/ band backgrounds that will eventually comprise the middle third of the arrangement.
I did pretty much complete the 1st and last thirds of it, so rather than wait until NEXT Christmas, I’m posting this abridged mix tonight. I cut out most of the left-hand piano comping that will be my roadmap for developing the middle section between the long fall-off and the beginning of the shout chorus … you’ll hear a little crossfade between these sections.
The band is that great jazz oxymoron … a small big-band (LOL). The instrumentation is similar to Gerry Mulligan’s classic 1960 Concert jazz Band. The reeds, trumpets, and trombones are 100% JABB. The piano and bass are Giga (Gigapiano II, Larry Seyer Bass), and the drums are Cakewalk’s TTS. It was recorded using Sonar 8.3.1
Here’s the instrumentation …
Reed 1 – Bb soprano sax;
Reed 2 – Alto flute, Eb alto sax;
Reed 3 – Flute, Bb tenor sax;
Reed 4 – Bb clarinet, Bb tenor sax;
Reed 5 – Bb bass clarinet, Eb baritone sax.
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2
Trumpet 3, flugelhorn.
Trombone 1
Trombone 2 (bass)
Piano, bass, drums
The chart starts out sort of Mancini-ish, but during the 1st bridge, the reed players put down their flutes and clarinets and pick up their saxes, and the horn players take out their mutes for some serious blowing!
Enjoy! … and MERRYCHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and a HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR to all!!
Regards,
Frank
(and as far as the missing middle section goes, like Frosty said: "... I'll be back a-gain some-day")
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