# Best books/resources for jazz and big band study?



## MikeH (Aug 22, 2011)

Even though I've played in jazz bands in the past, I would love to get a better grasp on arranging/orchestrating in the jazz and big band style. Learning the chords, progressions, voicings, etc. What sort of resources (be they books or study scores) would you all recommend? I'm thinking more along the lines of the roaring 20's and 30's sound-- think Andre Previn's tunes in Thoroughly Modern Millie.


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## bryla (Aug 22, 2011)

There are quite a few good ones:

Henry Mancini: Sounds and Scores - a study of Henry Mancini's style

Sammy Nestico: The Complete Arranger - the ultimate study on arranging ranging from traditional big band to synthesizers. Best buy

Don Sebesky: The Contemporary Arranger - not very personal and lacking in audio examples but very precise on what differentiates the sound of one famous arranger from another and one decade from the other

Nelson Riddle: Arranged by... - A valuable inspirational book.

Inside The Score - full scores and analysis of modern big band classics. Audio CD is played by a school band so... but all the secrets are revealed!

If I were you I'ld pick Inside The Score and Nestico's book to get the basics down.

Another book that I haven't bought yet but looks good is William Russo's Composing for the Jazz Orchestra


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## bdr (Aug 22, 2011)

If you're looking for a historical overview of arranging there is a book by Fred Sturm that is excellent.

In regards to the Sebesky book -it's a great book for dealing with studio recording, different size ensembles. Very practical and I think I've learnt the most about what works in the studio from it. But no discussion of that particular era.

There's also books by Russell Garcia, Gordon Delamont, Bill Russo and some Berklee books on arranging. But if you want a free start, there's a course on NS by Chick Israels (Bill Evans old bassist).


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## wst3 (Aug 22, 2011)

The Chuck Israels course is awesome, I am still hopeful that he'll release it as a book!

Inside the socre is a wonderful series, but it's a bit nit-picky, at least it was for me. I enjoy them, but I'm not sure I gained much from them.

Mancini and Riddle are just great reads, and if you want the scoop on that genre they are wonderful text books as well.

My personal favorites, and this is after going through all of them more than once, are probably Sebesky, Russo, and Baker, the later being a very short-hand approach, but fun, and there is a lot in there, you just have to dig and experiment a lot.


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## David Story (Aug 22, 2011)

Arthur Lange wrote the textbook for 20's, pre-swing jazz. He also was MD for MGM.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Arr ... 27AAAAIAAJ

You can probably find it in a university library. 
The Film scoring class at USC has materials for scoring a 1920's style scene.
Authentic scores from that era a bit hard for me to find, best luck!


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## Jimbo 88 (Aug 22, 2011)

If you really want to do it up right, Check out Dick Grove's School Without Walls


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## MikeH (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks all! I very much appreciate it!


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## MichaelL (Aug 23, 2011)

bryla @ Mon Aug 22 said:


> Don Sebesky: The Contemporary Arranger - not very personal and lacking in audio examples but very precise on what differentiates the sound of one famous arranger from another and one decade from the other




I bought Sebeskey's book 25+ years ago. It came with audio examples on vinyl!

Cheers,

Michael


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## bryla (Aug 24, 2011)

Am I the only one to know of Nestico's book??


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## JJP (Aug 24, 2011)

bryla @ Wed Aug 24 said:


> Am I the only one to know of Nestico's book??



Nope. Sammy gave my wife and I a copy. Great book, but it does assume you already have a foundation in jazz harmony. The real power of the book comes from looking at his score examples (with audio) which often have just a brief explanation. He leaves it to the reader to study the examples in depth.


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## bryla (Aug 24, 2011)

Exactly! He gave you the first or second edition? I have the first, and the amount of music covered impressed me. I'd say it's the contemporary orchestras version of Adler.


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## JJP (Aug 24, 2011)

I think it's the second edition, revised 2006. I've referred to it on several occasions when writing for big band and thinking, "How would Sammy handle this?" It's a nice reference for ideas and textures.


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## jsaras (Sep 9, 2011)

I just picked up "Instrumental Jazz Arranging" by Mike Tomaro and John Wilson. Extremely comprehensive and practical. Infinitely superior to the Berklee books.


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## trumpoz (Sep 10, 2011)

The Sebesky book is great - it was a text when I was at uni.

The nestico and Riddle books need an understanding of jazz harmonies basic voicings for big band. I've been able to get some great stuff from the Nestico book. I can't remember if the Sebesky book goes through the classic voicings for different eras, but there are reources available everywhere.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Sep 10, 2011)

Doctor Norman David, a friend and colleague at the University of the Arts has written this excellent Jazz Arranging treatise:
http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Arranging-Norman-David/dp/1880157608
Check it out!


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## EastWest Lurker (Sep 10, 2011)

trumpoz @ Sat Sep 10 said:


> The Sebesky book is great - it was a text when I was at uni.
> 
> The nestico and Riddle books need an understanding of jazz harmonies basic voicings for big band. I've been able to get some great stuff from the Nestico book. I can't remember if the Sebesky book goes through the classic voicings for different eras, but there are reources available everywhere.



Yes, I came up with that one as well.


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## Andreas Moisa (Sep 11, 2011)

+1 for Nestico!


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## Peter Alexander (Sep 16, 2011)

Ted Pease was my arranging teacher at Berklee and he wrote two books that basically encompass the Berklee curriculum.

Jazz Composition: Theory and Practice
Arranging For Small and Medium Ensembles

There's also Dick Grove's Arranging Concepts and Dick Lowell's book on arranging. We have these listed here.

http://alexanderpublishing.com/Departments/Composing-and-Film-Scoring/Arranging.aspx?sortorder=2&page=1 (http://alexanderpublishing.com/Departme ... r=2&amp;page=1)

Basically, you can order most of the Berklee arranging curriculum for under $100.


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