Close To You (D.Wolpe)

Dave Wolpe's celebrated big band arrangement of Burt Bacharach's timeless jazz standard "Close To You" is an essential addition to any professional or advanced educational ensemble's repertoire. This meticulously crafted chart, designed for a standard big band instrumentation including five saxophones (two alto, two tenor, one baritone), four trumpets, four trombones (three tenor, one bass), and a full rhythm section (guitar, piano, bass, drums), delivers a sophisticated and engaging performance experience. The arrangement skillfully captures the song's inherent melodic beauty, presenting it with lush, contemporary jazz harmonies and a relaxed, medium-swing tempo feel that is both accessible and musically rewarding. Wolpe's scoring emphasizes dynamic contrasts, moving seamlessly between full ensemble voicings and more intimate, layered textures. This arrangement of "Close To You" is particularly well-suited for a variety of performance contexts, from concert hall performances and jazz festivals to school concerts and professional gigs requiring a touch of elegance.