Route 66 little big band with vocal arrangement by Bill Fulton

Description

The classic blues tune Route 66 arranged for little big band with vocal in a New Orleans cajun second-line style. Arrangement by Bill Fulton. Vocal part pending.

This Route 66 arrangement by Bill Fulton gives the classic song a lively little big band treatment with vocal. Instead of taking a conventional swing approach, the chart uses a New Orleans Cajun second-line style. The result combines jazz, blues, and an infectious street-parade feel.

Written for four horns plus rhythm section, the arrangement creates a full ensemble sound without requiring a standard big band. Alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, and trombone form the horn section. Guitar, piano or keyboard, bass, and drums provide the rhythm section behind the vocalist.

Route 66 arrangement for little big band

The compact instrumentation makes this chart suitable for a little big band that wants the energy of a horn-driven arrangement with fewer players. Bill Fulton uses the four horns as a unified section while allowing the rhythm section to establish the distinctive second-line groove.

The familiar blues character of “Route 66” works naturally with this New Orleans-inspired approach. As a result, the chart offers a different alternative to the many traditional swing versions of the song. The arrangement retains the recognizable character of the tune while placing it in a fresh rhythmic setting.

Instrumentation

• Male vocal
• Alto sax
• Tenor sax
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Guitar
• Piano/Keyboard
• Bass
• Drums

New Orleans style Route 66 arrangement

This Route 66 arrangement emphasizes a Cajun and New Orleans second-line character rather than a straight-ahead big band feel. That rhythmic approach gives the familiar standard a more relaxed, earthy personality while still leaving plenty of room for the horn section to make an impact.

Songwriter Bobby Troup wrote “Route 66” in 1946 after traveling west toward California. The King Cole Trio recorded the song that year, helping turn it into an American popular-music standard. You can read more about the song and its connection with the historic highway at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Little big band writing by Bill Fulton

The four-horn format gives ensembles a practical middle ground between a small combo and a full big band. Saxophones, brass, and rhythm section can produce strong ensemble textures while keeping the instrumentation compact.

For more music written for this type of ensemble, browse Bill Fulton’s little big band arrangements and charts.

Genre: Jazz, Cajun

Vocal: Male vocal. Vocal part pending.

Instrumentation:

• Vocal
• Alto sax
• Tenor sax
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Guitar
• Piano/Keyboard
• Bass
• Drums

Genre: jazz, cajun