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As usual, the score is laid out just as any conductor or arranger would see it, but with musical instruments instead of musical notes to show what goes on.
The key to the sound lies in the unusual disposition of the wind
instruments. As far as the rhythm section and vocal departments go the
9:20's are pretty standard. The De-Luxe bit works thus -
You can see at the far left in the in the treble or upper stave a pair
of trumpets. Most small rhythm bands today only use the one horn, leaving the ear to hear a saxophone or trombone as the next voice down in the front line. The human ear is a discerning thing, and it can easily pick up this sound and send it down to the brain with the message "Combo! Combo! Cheap! Cheap!". With the 9:20's, the second voice down is another trumpet, fooling the ear and sending the message "Big Orchestra" down the hammer and around the
anvil. In the U.S, Illinois Jacquet's small group is currently the only other employing the two-trump-trick. Directly below the trumpets on the De-Luxe score, you get to the
trombone, nestled up next to the sax in the top of the bass or lower
clef. The trombone is immensely versatile, sometimes working with
the trumlpet's, a la Ellingion pep section, blendling with the reeds,
or just playing good old fashioned slide jazz!
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Regular readers of this column will be intrigued to see a symbol
on the score next to the trumpets normally reserved for the world of
symphonic music, for the 9:20 De-Luxe is currently the only
rhythm group which boasts a Cor Anglais. The reasons for this are
twofold; firstly, it's that old "tricking the ear" thing again. You
only really get to hear this exotic beast in very large Hollywood
slyle aggregations, and so when you hear it on an intro or stating a
melody, the flavour of such an orchestra is evoked. Secondly, the
'Cor' as we call it in the business blends much better with brass
than does a saxophone or clarinet and is equally more at home in
the reeds than the trumpet or trombone. Once again, it is an
example of maximum results from minimum materials.
Above and to the right. of the 'Cor' in the top stave you will see a
flute, operated by the saxophone player ( also the
bandleader ). Directly below the flute is a large curly instrument
known as a bass clarinet, also owned and operated by the
saxophonist. These are rarely heard woodwinds in the jazz of
today, and work alongside the Cor to preserve the aura of Luxury in
the arranging for this group.
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