Composer & Arranger
Scott Mertens
Scott Mertens is a pianist, educator, and composer/arranger based in northern Illinois. Originally from Missouri, Scott has a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and he has a Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. He was the director of the NIU Community School of the Arts Jazz Band, and is a summer faculty member at the NIU Jazz Camp. Scott regularly performs as a jazz pianist in the Chicago area, and is a member of the Doug Stone/Doug Bratt Big Band, a Chicago group which performs all-original big band charts. Scott has worked extensively with middle and high school jazz bands, and is a band director in Sycamore, Illinois.
Big Band Charts
Funk-aayy!
By Scott Mertens
17 piece big band · Level middle school / easy high school
Funk-aayy! is written for middle school/easy high school level players. The chart features a "Chameleon"-esque groove and a little slice of "I Mean You" inspired melody on the chorus. There’s a section of F blues blowing on the middle section, and a gospel (goin’ to church!) section near the end.
Blues Jaunt
By Scott Mertens
17 piece big band · Level middle school
This straight-ahead swing tune is perfect for getting middle school groups excited about jazz. The Mingus-style backgrounds and the development give this tune a bit more edge than your typical young jazz band blues chart.
Smoke on the Nile
By Scott Mertens
17 piece big band · Level advanced high school / college / professional
This piece works well with advanced high school, college, or professional groups. This up-swing tune takes a simple melody and develops it in ways that will make this piece an audience favorite. The brass ranges and solo changes are reasonable, and the saxes will get a good workout on the soli section.