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Rare 1921 complimentary bandleader’s complete promotional sheet music set for “The Sheik (Of Araby)" arranged for Jazz Orchestra by Arthur Lange.
Up for sale is an exceptionally rare, complete 1921 full jazz orchestra sheet music set for the iconic Tin Pan Alley standard "The Sheik (of Araby)", subtitled "An Arabian Fox Trot".
Unlike the common, mass-produced colored piano sheets sold to the general public for home use, this is a professional stock arrangement printed in black and white, and made specifically for working dance bands and jazz orchestras. These sets were printed in highly limited quantities and distributed directly by music publishers to prominent bandleaders as a complimentary promo pack. Due to the heavy wear of nightly stage use, very few complete orchestra packs from this era have survived intact.
Historical & Regional Provenance:
This exact set comes directly from the working performance library of Frank Galeski, a prominent early 20th-century musician and bandleader in the Duluth, Minnesota jazz and ballroom scene. The folders and sheets bear his personal library inventory stamp ("Property of Frank Galeski, 115 East 9th St."), giving this piece impeccable regional provenance and historical significance to Midwest music and jazz historians.
Unique Edition Features:
- Arthur Lange Arrangement: Edited and arranged for full orchestra by Arthur Lange, one of the most influential big band arrangers of the 1920s who pioneered early jazz orchestration.
- Publisher's Promo / Complimentary Copy: Features the rare, original purple "Complimentary" stamp on the cover folder, proving this was a promotional pack hand-delivered or mailed directly by the publisher's pluggers to the bandleader.
- Dual Folders: Includes two matching original cover folders (one serves as the main folder, the other as a duplicate or secondary stand folder) featuring cover art signed by highly collected artist “Barbelle”
What’s Included in This Set:
(100% Complete 16-Part Instrumentation). This is a remarkably complete instrumentation pack of the era, which uniquely features the 1st Violin lead conductor sheet (reflecting the 1920s tradition where the lead violinist directed the dance band from the stand) alongside a highly detailed percussion score.
The full part breakdown includes:
- Piano (Conductor/Accompaniment score)
- 1st Violin (Lead/Conductor part)
- 2nd Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Bass (with Cello cues)
- Flute
- 1st Clarinet in B♭Solo or 1st E♭
- Alto Saxophone2nd E♭
- Alto SaxophoneB♭
- Tenor Saxophone
- Tenor Banjo (Includes chord diagrams/cues)
- 1st Trumpet in B♭ (Muted cues)
- 2nd Trumpet in B♭ (Muted cues)
- Trombone (Muted cues)
- Drums (Featuring vintage cues for Tam-Tom, Snare, Bass Drum, and Cymbals)
Condition Report:
This set is in good, structurally sound vintage condition, especially considering its history as a working bandleader's performance set. The pages exhibit typical, honest age-toning, chips to the edges and edge wear consistent with a 100+ year-old paper artifact. The covers are fully intact, and the musical notation remains clean, crisp, and completely legible for performance, framing, or historical archiving.
Please review the high-resolution photos to assess the exact condition and layout of the set.
Shipping & Handling:
The sheet music will be packaged with professional care, shipped flat between heavy protective cardboard inserts, and moisture-sealed to ensure it arrives in the exact condition pictured. Ships quickly with tracking.
