Sweet Lorraine

A classic and under-covered standard from the Swing Era, Lowell Martin's treatment of Sweet Lorraine for Frank Sinatra does a good job of hitting all the right notes without adding in any unnecessary ones. Its classic dance band sound, augmented by a small choir and string section, provides a lovely backdrop for Sinatra's timeless vocal style. This arrangement was written in 1944 for Sinatra's July 22nd appearance on Your Hit Parade. Sinatra performed this arrangement several more times over the coming years on various radio shows. A short wah-wah figure in the brass establishes the tempo before Sinatra's entrance. Most of the backgrounds underneath Sinatra's vocals consist of lush textures from the woodwinds, strings, and choir, but the figures tend to get a little busier when the brass join in (for example, at measures 17-18). Make sure your instrumentalists are aware of their volume, not just for the sake of your vocal soloist, but for the sake of the choir as well. The vocalists get a break for an ensemble shout chorus that begins at measure 35. The band gets a chance to shine for a half a chorus of the tune, with the brass shouting at full strength and the woodwinds written in a style that heavily borrows from the saccharine sounds of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Sinatra returns at measure 51 for the melody's bridge, with a surprisingly punchy interjection from the brass at measure 54. The choir gets a brief moment to shine with the melody at measure 59 before Sinatra re-joins them a few measures later. The arrangement wraps up in classic big band fashion, with a strong push from the brass section atop a thick underpinning from the woodwind section. The vocal key is D. This publication was based on Lowell Martin's pencil score and the original set of parts that were used for the radio performances - this is not a transcription.