New For 2016-17

Spitfire

Vocal Jazz

Jazz

The old standard is updated in a fun Take-6-style swinging a cappella arrangement.  

Give Me The Simple Life - SSATBaB Level 5

More of an adaptation than an original arrangement, this chart takes its principal ideas from the Becca Stevens Band cover of the Seal hit from the 90s, setting the tune into 4/4 instead of 3/4, using more moments of sparse orchestration, and somehow adding more drama to an already richly dramatic composition.

Kiss From a Rose - SSATB - Level 4

For those who love Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek", this piece captures a similar sound and emotional push. Vienna Teng's composition for herself with vocoder is a protest against government surveillance and corporate dominance, and it has a wide dynamic range and a powerful effect.

Hymn of Acxiom - SSAAATBaB - Level 4

Laura Mvula's bouncy, uplifting, soulful song from her album "Sing To the Moon" is arranged for vocal jazz ensemble, using unconventional rhythm section instrumentation and clapping to produce an interesting and beautiful texture and setting a vibrant scene in the mind of the listener. Great solo feature for an alto who can tell a story.

Green Garden - SSATB - Level 3

Fans of "Woods" take note! Bon Iver's 2011 hit is arranged for choir with piano only, creating a unique and beautiful sonic texture. This arrangement serves as a crossover chart, working well with both traditional choirs as a "special" piece in the program and with vocal jazz ensembles as a ballad in the set. A deeply poetic lyric, a circular and unusual three-part form with time signature changes, and lush harmony writing in the arrangement all serve to create a powerful mood and an emotional build at the end. 

Holocene - SSATB with piano - Level 4

For advanced women's groups! This setting of Julia Dollison's "derangement" of the classic standard pulls no punches, and is meant for top-level high school and college treble vocal jazz ensembles. With challenging harmony for the singers and complex modern conceptual playing for the rhythm section, this chart will push your group to a new level and serve as a deeply artistic take on a familiar song. 

All the Things You Are (SSAA - L4.5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

From "Recollection#1" (only availible at The Real Groups concerts)


Count Basie Medley (Unreleased)

A lightly grooving a cappella jazz arrangement of the 80's hit by Cyndi Lauper, arranged for Groove For Thought, the fabulous vocal powerhouse group from the Pacific Northwest featured on NBC's "The Sing Off". Kelly Kunz and Amanda Taylor Kunz teamed up on this chart, which gently reharmonizes the original while still capturing the sweet spirit of Lauper's version. 

True Colors (SSAATBaB L5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

Arranged by Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh, this chart on the uplifting Steve Winwood classic pop song was written a a set closer for The University of Northern Colorado's Vocal Lab to perform at the 2016 Jazz Education Network conference. Opening with an a cappella vamp against the first verse, the rhythm section entrance begins the process of building the texture that will take place throughout the arrangement until it comes to an exciting and fulfilling conclusion, hopefully bringing your audience to their feet!

Back in the High Life Again (SSATBaB - L4.5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

Here's a chart in which the vocalists take on the role of the horns in a big band sound.  Based loosely on the arrangement sung by Michael Bublé, this super-swinging chart on the standard features a baritone soloist, improv solo space for a singer or instrumentalist, a big soli/shout section and a cute ending that may make it a stronger opener than a closer, but it will serve in any role in a vocal jazz set.

Nice N Easy - (SSATB Level 4)

A deeply inspiring pop song from Sara Bareilles is adapted for treble vocal jazz ensemble. A soloist is featured singing lyrics, and the notated rhythm section parts are driving and supportive. Powerful open voicings encourage the singers to unify a strong, bright sound in several key spots. 

Chasing The Sun - (SSAA Level 3)

The almost-self-titled song from The Bird and the Bee is a surprising but effective vocal jazz ensemble feature. The song features unusual...just about everything...and works especially well if an Rhodes sound is available in performance, but it's all done within the context of a lilting, swinging waltz feel. A brief female soloist is featured. 

Birds and the Bees (SATB - L3) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

Julia Dollison's 1996 samba arrangement of the Kern/Hammerstein standard is given a serious re-working here, and emerges fresh and exciting, with a taste of contemporary reharmonization added, soli section reinvented, solo backgrounds added and a male/female duet is added for texture contrast and the rhythm section parts have been fully written out. The samba groove feels greats on this chart, and the lyric is carefully set to make it accessible and highly effective for solid school groups. 

The Song Is You (2016 Revision, arr. Julia Dollison/Kerry Marsh) (SSATB Level 3.5)

Blossom Dearie was one of the few singers to record this swinging, fun jazz tune, and this arrangement borrows the vibe and harmony of her performance while expanding and opening up the possibilities for the ensemble vocal jazz setting. A few sneaky quotes in the backgrounds and soli/shout sections provide some Easter eggs for your audience (and singers), and solo space is included for improvising singers or players. 

Comment Allez Vous (SSATB Level 4)

This is an arrangement demo of Simon Åkesson's arrangement the J.S. Bach composition "Air on a G String", as performed by the international a cappella group Accent. 

This arrangement is like a vocal jazz "vignette"...a brief but very effective swinging, heavily reharmonized take on a ubiquitous melody by J.S. Bach. 

Lowest regularly occurring bass notes is D, and the lower notes written (as low as B in a couple spots) are singable up an octave to good effect if necessary. 

Air on a G String (SSATBaB - L5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

This is an arrangement demo of Simon Åkesson's arrangement of his composition (with lyrics by Petter Sandström) "Song For Gene", as performed by the international a cappella group Accent. 

This touching a cappella original composition is a tribute to none other than the most important figure in the history of vocal jazz music, the great Gene Puerling. In the spirit of Puerling, the harmony is lush and adventuresome with careful orchestration and texture changes as just the right moments. 

Lowest bass note that would be difficult to reassign up an octave is a D-flat in the second half of the song, and a single later low C is singable up an octave to good effect if necessary. 

Song For Gene (SSATBaB L5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

This is an arrangement demo of James Rose's arrangement of the traditional spiritual "Good News", as performed by the international a cappella group Accent. 

Borrowing the harmonic and grooving essence of Take 6 for this arrangement, James Rose sets the traditional spiritual "Good News" with joy and a number of great musical surprises, offering advanced-level vocal groups the opportunity to really dig into solid jazz harmony and wow their audiences. Brief bass vocalist solos on the verses are followed by a vamping section with lyric improv to showcase singers with soul and melismatic chops. Notated for mixed vocal jazz ensemble. 

Lowest regularly occurring bass notes is D, and the lower notes written (as low as B in a couple spots) are singable up an octave to good effect if necessary. 

Good News (SSATBaB - L5) - KerryMarsh.com Demo

KerryMarsh.com's VoicesBeyond series features this devastatingly beautiful contemporary a cappella arrangement of Laura Mvula's "She", from her album "Sing To the Moon". A soloist is featured through most of the tune, and a vocal percussionist helps define the often shifting groove and pushes the tune toward its climax. Plenty of repeated phrases make this secrely a very approachable chart that will make your vocal jazz or a cappella group sound great and let your singers tell a deep and moving story. 

She - Arranged by Brad Rees (SSATB w/ vocal percussion, Lv 3) KerryMarsh.com

NEW VOICING FOR FALL 2016! Bob Dorough's classic jazz standard is arranged in a swinging style for mixed vocal jazz ensemble, including a singable but impressive soli section. No improv section written into this chart, though it could be easily added if solos are desired. An extended coda figure brings the chart to a strong conclusion, helping it serve as a good opener or closer.