Billy Strayhorn's classic composition is most widely associated with Duke Ellington, though has been recorded by numerous bands and artists over the years. The version that we offer here was recorded in 1949 on RCA Victor 51-5280-A by Tito Puente and his orchestra using the Spanish title of Tren Expreso. The chart is an up-tempo Mambo feel at 160 beats per minute. It features powerful, punchy brass, including a glorious but very tricky Trombone section unison soli, and a couple of hard-hitting unison Trumpet phrases. Perhaps the highlight is the Saxophone section's soli in the second eight of the first chorus. Overall this is a wonderful chart, but it is by no means easy. Your band will need to be tight and precise to carry it off. The brass ranges are high in places, with Trumpets 1 & 2 required to hit high D and Trombones 1 & 2 written to high C. There are no sax doubles
