S’Wonderful
Photo by Sean McClean
S’Wonderful dances atop a Cuban rumba groove in this arrangement, which we think of as “Ella with Strings and Cuban brass and percussion.”
Title: S’Wonderful
Composers: George and Ira Gershwin. Arranged by Tim Berens.
Description: The vocalist sings a long, flowing melody over the top of a high-energy rumba groove created by the rhythm and percussion sections, with as many percussionists as are available. The more the merrier in a rumba.
The arrangement opens with an Arturo Sandoval inspired trumpet lick accompanied by a groove in the guiro and cow bell. If you are lucky, you will have the privilege of asking for more cowbell at the first rehearsal.
A whole tone lick in the strings calms the heat from the brass, and then begins a full rumba groove with the entire rhythm and percussion sections. Lush string pads provide the perfect cushion between the rumba and the long flowing melody from the singer.
The second chorus features an improvised solo. Chord changes are provided in several instruments, and a fully notated solo is included in the Trumpet 1 part if there are no improvisers among your musicians.
In the third chorus, the orchestra takes a ride on the changes. A “solo” is fully notated for them, featuring the strings, woodwinds, brass, then tutti. Players love this soli passage.
The Sandoval trumpet lick returns to act as a transition, and as an outline for trading of solos between the timbales and the drums. The whole tone lick in the strings leads back to the final chorus, sung by the vocalist atop the same lush string pad from the first chorus.
It ends hot.
Instrumentation: 2222/4331/Timp+2 (or more, if available)/Drum Set/Electric Bass/Guitar/Harp/Piano/Vocal Soloist/Strings
Length: 4:00
Rental Fee: $225.00 first performance. $75.00 per subsequent performance.
Delivery Formats: Available in printed parts and scores, or PDF parts and scores, or both. An additional $100.00 fee applies for delivery in both printed and PDF formats.
Video and Audio Recording by:
The Ohio Valley Symphony
Mandy Gaines, Vocals
Tim Berens, Conductor