Mele Kalikimaka Full Score

Jazz Lines Publications

recorded by bing crosby with the andrews sisters

transcribed and adapted for publication by dylan canterbury full score

jlp-9044

Music and Words by R. Alex Anderson

Published by the Jazz Lines Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit jazz research organization dedicated to preserving and promoting America’s musical heritage.

The Jazz Lines Foundation Inc. PO Box 1236 Saratoga Springs NY 12866 USA  andrews sisters series  mele kalikimaka (1950)

The Music: Written in 1949, Mele Kalikimaka has been covered by a wide variety of artists over the years. Despite this, the version recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 seems to be the one that has withstood the test of time the best. Their recording has made a number of appearances in pop culture over the years, perhaps most notably in the 1989 filmNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Vic Schoen’s arrangement is ultimately fairly simple in construction, consisting mostly of the melody being repeated four different times in total. The first time, at measure 9, features Crosby singing the melody by himself. The Andrews Sisters take over at measure 41, with the third time at measure 73 being split between the full ensemble for the first half of the melody followed by Crosby and the female trio for the second half.

A four measure ensemble interlude at measure 105 sets up the melody’s final rendition. From measure 109 to 117, Crosby and one female voice sing the melody in duet. The second half of the melody is largely performed as a call and response between Crosby and the sisters, with the ending briefly tagged before one final ensemble figure brings things to a clean and crisp close.

This arrangement is for jazz big band with male vocal and female vocal trio (SSA). Woodwind 1 is on clarinet throughout. There are several guitar fills that are written out based off of what was played on the original recording, but chord changes have also been included in case your guitarist would like to perform their own fills.

Dylan Canterbury - August 2017

 jLp-9044 mElE kAlIKIMAKA Jazz lines PubLications Recorded by bing crosby with the andrews sisters Music and Words by R. Alex Anderson Score Arranged By Vic Schoen Bright Two-BeAT  = 200 Transcribed and Adapted by Dylan Canterbury           Male Vocal ?     Soprano          &   Alto 1          &   Alto 2          &   Woodwind 1:                Clarinet &  F       Woodwind 2:             Alto Sax. & F      Woodwind 3:             Tenor Sax. & F   Woodwind 4:              Tenor Sax. &  F         Woodwind 5:          Baritone Sax. & Cup Mute   F Trumpet 1          &   Cup Mute           Trumpet 2 &   Cup Mute           Trumpet 3 &   Cup Mute           Trumpet 4 &   Trombone 1 ?                     Trombone 2 ?             Trombone 3 ?             Trombone 4 ?   Solo     End solo                               Steel Guitar &  F   & ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’ ’ ’’’’ ’’’’ # Piano FD6 D7/C B7( 5) E.7 A7 D6 F7 E.7 A7                    ?                 D6 D7/C B7(#5) E.7 A7 D6 F7 E.7 A7            Acoustic Bass ?                  

FBrushes  (4) (8) Drum Set  œ œ œ œ  œ y œ y ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’ ’ ’’’’ ’’’’ F 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Copyright © 1949 Lovely Hula Hands Music LLC. Copyright Renewed. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. All Rights Administered by Lichelle Music Company. Published by the Jazz Lines Foundation Inc., a Not-for-Profit Jazz Research Organization Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting America's Musical Heritage. Jazz lines PubLications mElE kAlIKIMAKA jLp-9044 Score - Page 2 [9]            M ?                 

Me----- le ka li ki ma ka is the thing to say on a bright Haw --wai ian Christ - mas day. D6 A7 D6 F7 E.7 A7                   & ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ P

 & ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ Pno. PD6 A7 D6 F7 E.7 A7                  ?                  D6 A7 D6 F7 E.7 A7       Bs. ?                     P (4) (8) D. S. œ  œ ’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ P 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

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[17]            M ?             

That's the is-- land greet ing that I send to you from the land where palm trees sway. A7 D6 7 7 7 7 E.7 A E.7 A E.7 Optional 8va E.7 A E.7 A Optional 8va      ~~~     ~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~ & ’’ ’’ ’’’’ ~~~ ’’’’ ’’’’ ~~~~~~

 & ’’ ’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 D6 Pno.

                 ?                 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 E.7 A7 D6          Bs. ?                        

(4) (8) D. S. œ  œ ’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 jLp-9044 mElE kAlIKIMAKA Jazz lines PubLications Score - Page 3 [25]                          M ?  

Here we know that Christ- mas will be green and bright, the sun to shine by day and all the stars at night. D7 G6 B7 E9  √    & ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’  & ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ Pno. D7 G6 B7 E9 A7               ?              ’      D7 G6 B7 E9 A7       Bs. ?                      ’

(4) (8) D. S. œ  œ ’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 ª ª [33]                  M ?             Me----- le ka li ki ma ka is Ha ----wai i's way to say Mer-- ry Christ mas to you.                    Ww. 1 (Cl.) & P                    Ww. 2 (A. Sx.) & P                    Ww. 3 (T. Sx.) & P                    Ww. 4 (T. Sx.) & P         Ww. 5 (B. Sx.)            & Pb D6 B 7 D6 C7 B7(#5) E7 A7  √             & ’’’’’’’’     & ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ (# b Pno. D6 C7 B7 5) E7 A7 D6 B 7                  ?                   b D6 C7 B7(#5) E7 A7 D6 B 7               Bs. ?                  

(4) (8) D. S. œ  œ ’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Jazz lines PubLications mElE kAlIKIMAKA jLp-9044 Score - Page 4 [41]  S           &                    Me----- le ka li ki ma ka is the thing to say on a bright Haw --wai ian Christ - mas day.    A 1          &                  Me----- le ka li ki ma ka is the thing to say on a bright Haw --wai ian Christ - mas day.  A 2      &                        Me----- le ka li ki ma ka is the thing to say on a bright Haw --wai ian Christ - mas day.                        Ww. 1 (Cl.) &    

                      Ww. 2 (A. Sx.) &                              Ww. 3 (T. Sx.) &

                        Ww. 4 (T. Sx.) &    

          Ww. 5 (B. Sx.)            &    

                    Tpt 1 &   P                       Tpt. 2 & P                    Tpt. 3 &    P                 Tpt. 4 &       b b b b E 6 G 7 F.7 P B 9“ B 7  & ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’ ’ ’’ ’ ’ ’’’’

 & ’’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’ ’ ’’ ’ ’ ’’’’ b b b b Pno. E 6 G 7 F.7 B 9“ B 7                  ?                   b b b b E 6 G 7 F.7 B 9“ B 7              Bs. ?                      

(4) (8) D. S. œ  œ ’’’’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’’ ’’’ ’ ’’ ’ ’ ’’’’

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