"2 Dave K" was inspired by the modern Jazz sounds out of New York and pianist Dave Kikoski. This burning Jazz tune is the first track off the "Composer's Collective Big Band" self titled record and features piano, trombone, and trumpet along with an athletic sax soli in the middle. This challenging tune is great for a year long project and would be a great selection for competition repertoire.

"A Kingdom’s Last Hope" a story telling tune. The first section is the pleading villagers, followed by a gallant hero called to action, and then to monster section and eventual heroic victory. See if you can hear the imagery. This track was featured on the "Composer's Collective Big Band" self titled record. It features the saxophone section doubling on clarinet and flute. Also featured are some evil plunger trombones and a Brass fanfare finale.

Other features:

• Sax section is: Soprano/flute, Alto/flute, 2 Tenor/clarinets, Bari/Bass Clarinet
• There is no Guitar part

"10:41AM" is a melodic modern Jazz tune emulating the style of the great Kenny Wheeler. The dreamy changes and twin melodies make for a romantic, searching type of feel. It features the trombone and tenor sax on the main melody and in the improvising section. It also has some space for the drums at the end. This chart is a good opportunity to teach your students about a broken Jazz 2 feel and how it’s different than a 4 feel or from a 2 feel in the early days of Jazz.

"Wood & Shadow" is a spooky selection as recorded by the "Composer's Collective Big Band" on their self titled release. This tune is a feature vehicle for the soprano saxophone, and also features the melody played by Bass Clarinet, Bass and Bass trombone creating a unique sound. It’s a nice change from the standard big band repertoire and will be a good work out for your woodwind section if they are saxophone players looking to double.

Other features:

• Woodwinds are: Soprano Sax, Flute, 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet

"Electro’s Next Plot" is a fun romp through the comic book cartoon genre. It switches between a blistering minor blues and a slow and dirty shuffle. This tune features the guitar and Baritone Sax and also has some great section playing for the saxophones. This one is great for bringing down the house at the end of your set.

Josh says: "This tune, written in honour of my nephew, Chazz, features solo flugel horn, alto sax and guitar, and starts in a comfortablesamba groove. A medium tempo and relatively straightforward lines should make it accessible to senior high school ensembles."

Other features:

• 4 trumpet parts, and separate Solo Flugelhorn part
• Sax section is Soprano, Alto, 2 Tenors, Bari Sax

This arrangement of the popular spiritual is an excellent showcase for solo alto saxophone. The straightforward chord progression and simple melody allow ample opportunity for experimentation and improvisation. Reasonable ranges and lots of resting time means this piece should be accessible to a variety of bands.

This original composition takes the band through a variety of grooves. Some tricky rhythm section and horn lines, and the feel requires a more mature band; a strong lead trumpet is also required.

Andy says: "This composition is a loving homage to the great Canadian trombonist/arranger/composer Ron Collier. The title is from an impassioned speech Ron once gave to a first-year jazz ensemble at Humber college warning of what their fate would be in the music business if they didn’t practice and get their “stuff” together. And yes, I was in that ensemble. The Phone Don’t Ring Jack is a feature for trombone, with a trumpet solo on the double-time section. The trumpet solo could just as effectively be taken by one of the saxophones in the band. The difficulty level is advanced, with a challenging lead trumpet part (up to Eb) and fairly complex rhythms."

"First X’s Free" goes from a mysterious driving straight 8th's feel to a groovy half time funk feel. It’s a high energy tune that will keep your band wanting to play week after week. It features the Soprano Saxophone and the Trombone. It also features some muted work by the brass and a chance to let your rhythm section let loose!

Other Features:

• Woodwind section is Soprano, Alto 2 Tenors and Bari

Michael says: "Funk Out is fun tune based on the early funk sounds of the 1960’s and ‘70’s. It features the lead alto sax in the rubato ballad opening section and gives the lead alto the opportunity to improvise over the chord changes at letter D. Check out the challenging syncopated sections which feature the horns trading rhythms reminiscent of Tower of Power."

Other features:

• Lead trumpet to high D
• Alto sax feature
• Challenging horn sectional parts

Andy says: "I wrote most of 'Vista' while on a summer vacation with my family near Banff Alberta, and I'm sure the breath-taking mountain scenery had an affect on the outcome. Overall I was going for a feeling of space or openness with this composition. The 6/8 feel with eighth notes grouped in two's is obviously African-influenced, and was in fact inspired by a piece from Mauritius that I happened to hear on the radio."

Other Features:

• Solo space for baritone sax and drums
• 6/8 feel and 3/4 feel

Andy Says: This is my homage to legendary producer George Martin, who is often referred to as "the fifth Beatle" because of his impact on the classic recordings of the Fab Four. It's basically a pop tune with a few surprises, most notably the 7/4 time signature. There are also some polytonal chords inspired by the tape-looping on "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Elements of Beatles melodies and George Martin's instrumental arrangements crop up throughout.

Other Features:

• 7/4 time signature
• Mutes for brass

This But's For You is a great reharm by legendary Canadian vetran Terry Promane. This tune is a great project for an advanced group to really sink their teeth into and get some fantastic results.

Other Features:

• Solo written for trumpet
• Great sectional passages
• Horns only devlopment section

"Surface Tension" is an original by long time educator and trumpet player Jim Lewis. This tune is a great way to introduce your band to modern professional level big band matrerial at a tempo you can handle.

Other Features:

• Solos for piano and tenor sax
• A lot of independent playing

This is another Jason Logue. It’s a driving rock tune harmonically inspired by the Miles Davis classic So What. The melodies and solis slither through some tasty harmonic ideas and is balanced by being rhythmically simple. It features solos for any sax and any brass player and the improvisation is only over two chords so it’s great for any level of soloist.

Epitaph is a reflective modern composition dedicated to a remarkable young musician who sadly left us too soon. The simple expressive melody is contrasted with a dense pan-diatonic harmonic pallet. While the technical demands are not extreme, this piece offers many challenges in terms of blend and rhythmic complexity. In addition to a strong tenor saxophone soloist with good harmonic knowledge, the rhythm section must be confident and sensitive to the soloist throughout.

"Song for L" is a highly dynamic composition with a large dramatic arc. I wrote this piece to commemorate the accomplishments of a close family member. The melody begins as an exposed trombone feature, with minimal rhythm section support and builds to a triumphant conclusion highlighting the entire ensemble. There is an extended trumpet solo over a set of chord changes that weave in and out of the Eb / C minor tonality.

"State of Mind" depicts the pause being taken at the fork in the road, as one faces a tough life-changing decision, and does not use the guitar, bass, or drums. It is meant to be pretty and hopeful, and even the fastest lines should be fluid in execution.

"State of Mind (reprise)" is the counterpart to "State of Mind" and also does not use guitar, bass or drums. The life-changing decision has now been made, and this is the point where one moves on with their life - hence the uplifting resolution at the end of the piece.

"River" is about reflecting on one's troubles in the midst of the peace, calm, and strength of the eponymous river. The phrases here should be smoothly articulated throughout, and the brass should be regal sounding wherever possible.

"Julia" is inspired by a long-lost friend, someone who was incredibly important at one point and then just fell off the map. This piece features lush ensemble passages, a challenging soprano sax feature, and a modulation into and out of double-time.

"Thinking In Circles" is about negative thought spirals and inner conflict. This features an extended section without the drums and a slow-down/speed-up much like a wind-up toy.

"Ambleside" embodies the peace and stillness of a quiet afternoon near the Guardian at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver...but an Ambleside surrounded by orange clouds and purple skies - closer to a Jovian moon.

Inspired by a day of terrible commuting, "Intransitory" embodies all of the feelings of being a long-distance commuter - constantly in motion, often exhausted.

Picture your six-year-old self, in onesie pajamas (or whatever you wore when you were six), falling through a purple sky with orange clouds. Until you land, in a carnival – broken, tilted Ferris wheel on one side, dusty, abandoned carousel, chipped paint, fading, on the other. You see the gates open, and the buttons for the carousel are exposed in front of you, so you approach, teddy bear in one hand, the other outstretched to turn on the machine – when grey, translucent spirits, begin to swirl around your head.

After the worst day of your life, you end up running into the person you least wanted to see...and try to impress them into coming back into your life. It's not as excellent a start as you were hoping, to say the least

A follow up to "Smooth", this piece begins as a Broadway style playoff and takes a moody turn into the dark side of your mind, coming to an unsteady resolution as your walk takes you home and into bed.

Based on the Six Theme from Battlestar: Galactica, and the plot from season 3, episode 4 of that show, this piece envisions an epic battle in space, from start to finish.

Imagine yourself 30 years older than you are, with friends you've known for decades, gossiping around a campfire or a dinner table. When you look back on your experiences, will you be proud of them? Or will you think of yourselves as foolish?

You are asleep, in a dimension that does not belong to you, and your faithful friend and guide has led you to the end of the road. It's time for you to wake up and return home, but first, you get a chance to say goodbye.

s the partner to "Ambleside", this reprise should be brighter and more resolute, and can move a little more quickly in tempo. This is the denouement of the story; the listener should feel like they've been on a long journey with a successful conclusion.

This is a celebratory piece - about all things that are good about love, and friends, and a solid groove. "Something Simple" was written to close a concert on my 21st birthday, and we've used it to close every show since.

This jazz fusion inspired tune has a great mood and feel that your students will grab onto. A great reward for mature sounding bands! It features the trumpet and soprano sax.

This down and dirty blues from Jason Logue is a fun romp through a 12 bar form. It’s a great feature for your great guitarist.

This swinging tune from Jason Logue has a real swagger to it. It’s a great opportunity to get your rhythm section digging in and is an easy blowing tune for the horns. Check out the great soli section in the middle as well.

This is a fun, upbeat tune which celebrates children (two in particular) – the goal here is to capture the joy that young people can create. It needn’t be fast; everything should feel nice and relaxed throughout.

This arrangement of Dear Prudence is based on Brad Mehldau’s performance of the same tune on his recording Largo. It’s got a great groove and features 2 trombone solos.

This suite in four movements was written to celebrate the 90th birthday of Phil Nimmons, called the Dean of Canadian Jazz. The suite is based loosely on Phil’s Atlantic Suite, and borrows certain sounds and techniques from a number of Nimmons compositions.

“Reflection” is a beautiful and challenging ballad which requires controlled playing from each member of the ensemble. It’s really rewarding musically when played well.

“The Blob” is a rowdy rocker with some really killer bluesy moments. A fun showcase for your great Band and high energy soloists.

This arrangement of Christmas classic “Little Drummer Boy” is a great modern twist. It’s goes by quick but has a lot of unison parts to keep your sections sounding confident.

“Longhorn” is an exciting epic modal tune from Jason Logue. It’s got great parts for your saxophones and solo spots for alto and bari sax as well as trumpet. The repetitive nature of the melody and background shots as well as the simple chord changes make this up tempo tune playable by young bands.

This original from saxophonist Tara Davidson is arranged for big band by stellar arranger Ernesto Cervini. It’s a tune of longing inspired by Tara’s favourite characters from the hit TV show “The Wire”

This stunning ballad by Ernesto Cervini is a great project piece for your experienced band. It features a beautiful chorale off the top and lots of room to showcase your pianist.