Critical Factor, isolated horns and resurrected by Paul Morelli

Here's a jazz orchestra chart I played ONCE, while subbing in a rehearsal for a friend in college, but I enjoyed it so much that I remembered the title. Decades later, I found the hand-scribbled chart. It's never been published as far as I can tell, and was recorded only by a university jazz band back when it was written in the 80s, so not something that has been commercially released. This is a funky chart with adventurous harmonies, creative orchestration, and an irreverently cheerful vibe. I think it deserves to be heard and performed. Notes: I love the harmonies here - there are plenty of chords with foreign bass notes, inversions, and lines where the top note and bottom notes are working at interesting cross-purposes. For example, the first few notes: The top line is a descending scale while the bass is circling the circle of 5ths. One thing we are taught as arrangers for jazz orchestras is treating chords as basically two separate octaves, where the upper half makes a triad or 7th chord on its own in addition to being the extensions of the lower half. This is a great illustration of that idea. So many of the chords are gloriously satisfying, both to play and to hear. The parts are hand-written scribble and hard to read. Worse, the dynamics and articulations aren't consistent from part to part! I did my best and used my own judgement. The first statement of the melody is a wild unison between harmon mute trumpet, flugelhorn, soprano sax (all in same octave); flute (8va); and tenor sax (8vb). There is also a nice mute effect behind the tenor solo where the trumpets section is split between cup mutes and harmon mutes. Check out the shifting meters: It's mostly 4/4, but there is a phrase early on in 7/4 and a few phrases that are 3+3+2+2. There are even two spots near the end where it briefly shifts into a goofy waltz in 3/4. Composer: Dave Hansen Performer: Paul Morelli Instrumentation: Alto sax 1 and soprano sax Alto sax 2 Tenor sax 1 (solo) Tenor sax 2 and flute Baritone sax Trumpet 1 Trumpet 2 and flugelhorn Trumpet 3 Trumpet 4 Trumpet 5 Trombone 1 Trombone 2 Trombone 3 Bass trombone Electric piano Electric bass (played on bass sax)