Alexander's Ragtime Band
Irving Berlin (arr. Jerry Nowak)
General Info
Year: 1911 / 2013
Duration: c. 3:20
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Carl Fischer
Cost: Score and Parts - $90.00 | Score Only - $15.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Drum Set
- Orchestra Bells
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Jerry Nowak gives this Irving Berlin classic a real big band treatment. An up tempo swing leads to a jazz ballad in the middle of the piece. A swing roll-off and a catchy Dixieland-style brass quintet follows, with the full band swinging to the conclusion. This work is ideal for pops concerts and community bands.
- Program Note from publisher
This arrangement would be an excellent encore selection. The arranger sets this famous song in the swing style of the big bands of the 1940s, starting in swing style, while the center section of the piece is a jazz ballad , still in swing style. The piece then changes to a Dixieland style featuring a brass quintet and ends with the full band swinging again at the original tempo.
- Program Note from The Instrumentalist, May 2014
Berlin wrote this tune as a vehicle for his own appearance in the 1911 Friar's Club Frolics. He did not appear in the revue, however, and it was only after Emma Carus began using the song in her vaudeville act in Chicago that it climbed to the top. Within a few months, the song sold a million copies of sheet music and several hundred Thousand piano rolls. Although the title helped to popularize ragtime, this is not a ragtime tune. The "Alexander" in the title was reportedly Jack Alexander, a cornet-playing band leader which died in 1958.
- Program Note from Program Notes for Band
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 15 September 2019
- Austin (Tex.) Symphonic Band (Richard Floyd, conductor) - 18 April 2015
- Bute Community Band (Isle of Bute, Scotland) - 11 December 2013
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- God Bless America (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1939/2011)
- White Christmas (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1940/2006)
All Wind Works
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (arr. Molenaar) (1911/1960)
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (arr. Nowak) (1911/2013)
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (arr. Yoder) (1911/1940)
- Count Your Blessings (arr. Nowlin) (1954)
- Easter Parade (arr. Bennett) (1933)
- Easter Parade (arr. Auken) (1973)
- God Bless America (arr. Cofield) (1939/1972)
- God Bless America (arr. Edmondson) (1939/1979)
- God Bless America (arr. U.S. Army Band) (1939)
- God Bless America (arr. Jennings) (1939)
- God Bless America (arr. Laurent) (1939)
- God Bless America (arr. Leidzen) (1939)
- God Bless America (arr. Moss and Christopher) (1939/1995)
- God Bless America (arr. Ringwald) (1939/1969)
- God Bless America (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1939/2011)
- Happy Holiday/White Christmas (arr. Ricketts) (2009)
- Irving Berlin: A Symphonic Portrait (arr. Ades) (1975)
- An Irving Berlin Christmas (arr. Barker) (2007)
- Irving Berlin: From Rags to Ritz (arr. Murtha and Snyder) (2011)
- Irving Berlin Showstoppers (arr. Higgins) (1994)
- Irving Berlin: The Early Years (arr. Barker) (1997)
- Irvining Berlin Waltz Medley (arr. Leidzen) (1940)
- Irving Berlin's Christmas (arr. Brown and Brymer) (2010)
- Irving Berlin's Songs for America (arr. Swearingen) (1986)
- Marie (arr. Ballenger III)
- No Biz Like Show Biz (arr. Hearshen)
- Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning (arr. Schulz) (1918)
- Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning (arr. Briegel) (1918)
- Say It with Music (arr. Yoder) (1921/1940)
- There's No Business Like Show Business (arr. Duthoit) (1946/1955)
- This is the Army, Mr. Jones (arr. Briegel) (1942)
- Tribute to Irving Berlin (arr. Barker) (1979)
- White Christmas (arr. Auken) (1940/1973)
- White Christmas (arr. Bennett) (1940/1948)
- White Christmas (arr. Edmondson) (1940/1979)
- White Christmas (arr. Huff and Moss) (1940/1995)
- White Christmas (arr. Leidzen) (1940/1942)
- White Christmas (arr. Moss) (1940/1998)
- White Christmas (arr. Skelly) (1940/?)
- White Christmas (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1940/2006)
Resources
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 59.