Browse All Songs

Solos

Margie

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Margie is a classic early jazz standard that was popular during the hot jazz and swing eras and is due for a comeback! This alto feature is built up like a Sy Oliver/Jimmie Lunceford arrangement, with a simple melody part and a bouncy and angular 3-part horn counterpart.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 150
Trumpet Range

Solos

Vestigiophony

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Vestigiophony is a winding dance tempo swing tune that is loosely based on Wayne Shorter's composition Footprints, if that tune was written and arranged by Duke Ellington for Johnny Hodges' seven piece band. Horns are often concerted in 4-part voicings, all building to solos, then to a shout chorus with drum solo fills.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Ruined

as performed by the Danny Fratina Jazz Orchestra

$95

Ruined is a funky chamber jazz tune with feature space for guitar and trumpet. It starts with saxes only with no rhythm section, adding in trombones, then trumpets, before building into a guitar solo. The trumpet solo gets some space over trombone chorale before the rhythm section jumps back in, and it ends with a dismantling of each section until nothing is left but the five saxes. Each horn player keeping good time is critical for this composition, but the reward is a lush and exciting groove-based piece.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	4
TEMPO	= 90
Trumpet Range

Solos

King Porter Stomp (reduction)

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$60

When Benny Goodman hired Fletcher Henderson, he turned the band's sound upside down, ushering in a new era of popular music. King Porter Stomp is demonstrative of the Henderson arranging style and is truly a Swing Era anthem. Solo space for several instruments, lots of tight ensemble work, and a roaring finish at the perfect dancing tempo makes this a quintessential piece in any big band's library!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

I See Christmas

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

An original song off the 2011 Beantown Swing Orchestra album A Beantown Christmas, I See Christmas is a love letter in a holiday setting with full Nelson Riddle-inspired ensemble work. The first vocal intro is in duet with piano, and after that it swings hard all the way to the end!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Pop Jazz
Level	4
Vocals	Male
TEMPO	= 120
Trumpet Range

Solos

Diga Diga Doo

as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra

$80

Diga Diga Doo was a heavily covered tune in the 1920s and '30s, but Artie Shaw's version was one of the tightest. A hard swinging and nimble riff vehicle that has some room for solos as well, Diga is a great upbeat piece that isn't too tricky and has lots of fun moments! Saxes configured as CAATT.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 205
Trumpet Range

Solos

Why Not

as performed by the Chubby Jackson Big Band

$80

This Tiny Kahn chart is very consistent throughout with great lines and moving harmony. Filled with plenty of solo space around the band and some killin' trumpet lines, there are brief bursts of shout chorus pieces that build up past the final head out. Why Not is tough on the lead trumpet but worth the challenge.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop
Level	4
TEMPO	= 165-185
Trumpet Range

Solos

O Holy Night

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

From the Beantown Swing Orchestra 2011 holiday album A Beantown Christmas, what starts as a traditional-sounding orchestral jazz arrangement of the Christmas classic warps into a Duke Ellington style R&B swinger. Reflective and introspective moments balance against soulful bluesy cries in this powerhouse arrangement that has a little something for everyone.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
Vocals	Male
TEMPO	= 65
Trumpet Range

Solos

King Porter Stomp

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

When Benny Goodman hired Fletcher Henderson, he turned the band's sound upside down, ushering in a new era of popular music. King Porter Stomp is demonstrative of the Henderson arranging style and is truly a Swing Era anthem. Solo space for several instruments, lots of tight ensemble work, and a roaring finish at the perfect dancing tempo makes this a quintessential piece in any big band's library!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Christmas Land

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

An original song off the 2011 Beantown Swing Orchestra album A Beantown Christmas, "Christmas Land" is a light-hearted, swinging tune about the magical world of fun and happiness where all things Christmas are created. There are several solo spaces for trumpet and some great swinging ensemble parts reminiscent of Nelson Riddle's work for Frank Sinatra.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Pop Jazz
Level	4
Vocals	Female
TEMPO	= 124
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swingin’ the Blues

as performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra

$80

This early Count Basie barn burner absolutely crushes on the blues, with catchy section work, a killer shout chorus, and solo space for both tenors and two trumpets. Starting small up front in the key of C, this arrangement builds up with great riffs, a Durham/Lunceford style chromatic modulation, and a massive shout chorus in two parts.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 225
Trumpet Range

Solos

A Form of Art

as performed by the Danny Fratina Jazz Orchestra

$95

A Form of Art is a wild alto sax feature filled with the vocabulary of Duke Ellington and Paul Gonsalves. This is a frenetic, crescendoing rhythm changes tune featuring the alto soloing throughout. It's purely an improvisation vehicle; there is no melody for the alto to play. You must have an alto saxophone player in your band who is comfortable keeping the energy up across one long extended solo.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 220
Trumpet Range

Solos

Diga Diga Doo (reduction)

as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra

$60

Diga Diga Doo was a heavily covered tune in the 1920s and '30s, but Artie Shaw's version was one of the tightest. A hard swinging and nimble riff vehicle that has some room for solos as well, Diga is a great upbeat piece that isn't too tricky and has lots of fun moments!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 205
Trumpet Range

Solos

Solo Flight (reduction)

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra with Charlie Christian

$60

Around the age 24, Charlie Christian, not content with playing rhythm on every tune, wrote himself a soloing feature that has since become the guitar standard of the swing era. Solo Flight has lots of great wild punches from the band but it's all secondary to the guitar improvisation that dances around them. The chord changes have some familiar structures, but mixed in are slightly more modern chords with flashes of early bebop.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 180
Trumpet Range

Dancing in the Snow

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

From the 2011 Beantown Swing Orchestra album A Beantown Christmas, "Dancing in the Snow" is a cool-swinging original tune that features any combination of male or female singers. Ensemble work ranges from a tight horn quartet to a full-band roaring shout chorus and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Pop Jazz
Level	3
Vocals	Male & Female
TEMPO	= 150
Trumpet Range

Solos

Flying the Coop

as performed by the Chubby Jackson Big Band

$80

A huge fanfare-ish intro announces this amazing Tiny Kahn tune, and Flying the Coop is quickly off to the races. Unison sax and brass lines at a breakneck tempo fill the head, while the meat of the arrangement features big bebop statements, sax solos, and an old-fashioned trombone chase (an early teaming of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding).

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop
Level	5
TEMPO	= 123
Trumpet Range

Solos

Up An Atom

as performed by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

$80

Another killin' Edwin Finckel original, Up an Atom pushes Gene Krupa's young orchestra to the limit, blurring the line between swing and bebop. Long stretches of solo space and plenty of great ensemble passages makes this a great flagwaver.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop, Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 212
Trumpet Range

Solos

American Patrol

as performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

$80

American Patrol hit #15 on the Billboard charts in 1942 and was one of Glenn Miller's last hits before joining the military and powered by a creative Jerry Gray arrangement it still holds up today. Mostly full of tight ensemble playing and only a single 16-bar solo, American Patrol is a staple of every big band book.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Man From Mars (reduction)

as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra

$60

Man From Mars is an uptempo puncher with some slick solo spots and cool riffs for each section. A little intricate for a level 3, but not quite as demanding as a level 4, this piece swings hard and ends with a bang.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 230
Trumpet Range

Solos

Solo Flight

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra with Charlie Christian

$80

Around the age 24, Charlie Christian, not content with playing rhythm on every tune, wrote himself a soloing feature that has since become the guitar standard of the swing era. Solo Flight has lots of great wild punches from the band but it's all secondary to the guitar improvisation that dances around them. The chord changes have some familiar structures, but mixed in are slightly more modern chords with flashes of early bebop.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 180
Trumpet Range

Let’s Do It

as performed by Benny Goodman Orchestra with Peggy Lee

$80

The lead trumpet part here is tough for a 2 but overall this is an easy grooving arrangement that is one of the few swing era vocal charts to feature the singer fully throughout the form. Peggy Lee's cool performance on this recording brought the tune to a new height, with a swinging even-tempered arrangement to contrast and support her. The lead trumpet part here is almost a 3, but otherwise this is a solid 2. Vocal range is Bb3 to A4/C5.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
Vocals	Female
TEMPO	= 121
Trumpet Range

Solos

Man From Mars

as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra

$80

Man From Mars is an uptempo puncher with some slick solo spots and cool riffs for each section. A little intricate for a level 3, but not quite as demanding as a level 4, this piece swings hard and ends with a bang.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 230
Trumpet Range

Solos

Song of the Volga Boatman

as performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra

$80

This swingin' Bill Finegan arrangement of a traditional Russian folk shanty has some great ensemble work, several peaks, and a rare jazz canon for the brass! Some simple plunger work helps ground it in the swing era, and a huge finale with harmony way ahead of it's time makes Song of the Volga Boatman a killer addition to any big band book.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 135
Trumpet Range

Solos

Annie Laurie

as performed by Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra

$80

This is a killer arrangement of an old Scottish song that is full of meat and potato ensemble work. Beware the aggressive brass solos though: Solo trumpet plays up to a high F at the end, and they'll need to pull off the Paul Webster fireworks before then (the exact solo is written out but optional). You'll also need a lead trombonist to blast his way up to a HIGH F.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Eager Beaver

as performed by Stan Kenton Orchestra

$80

Stan Kenton's early band came out of the swing era with dance charts like Eager Beaver, his first hit, but even here you can see the band trying to push the limits of swing and jazz. This piece has a lot of components that all work together, including lots of meaty low trombone notes, fanfare-ish trumpet lines, smooth swinging saxes, and even moments that feature the rhythm section. This is a little tricky for a 3 but not quite as intense as a 4.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 155
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Right Idea (reduction)

as performed by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra

$60

Charlie Barnet wrote a trio of "Idea" pieces: one that paid tribute to Duke Ellington, one that parodied the unhip bands of the day, and this one, The Right Idea, a piece that Barnet felt represented a quintessential swing chart. With solo space for several instruments and some great riffs and lines, you can tell right away that Barnet was spot on!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

Lumbersexual

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Lumbersexual is a grooving blues at the perfect medium dance tempo that features a catchy melody, built-in call and responses with soloists, and a huge final chorus. This original Rocco and the Stompers tune works well as a set opener, closer, or mid-set energy booster and never fails to get dancers engaged!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Flip Lid

as performed by Les Brown and His Band of Renown

$80

Flip Lid comes at the peak of Les Brown's band, coming out of the swing era with Lunceford and Basie sensibilities, but tapping into the bebop vocabulary of Dizzy Gillespie's and Woody Herman's bands. Featuring the trumpet section throughout the head and a well balanced shout chorus, this swingin' chart sits right in between two eras of jazz. This is a very soft level 4, just a tad too difficult for level 3.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop, Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 188
Trumpet Range

Solos

Flip Lid (reduction)

as performed by Les Brown and His Band of Renown

$60

Flip Lid comes from the peak of Les Brown's band, coming out of the swing era with Lunceford and Basie sensibilities, but tapping into the bebop era of Dizzy's and Woody Herman's bands. Featuring the horn section throughout the head and a well balanced shout chorus, this swingin' chart sits right in between two eras of jazz.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Bebop, Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 188
Trumpet Range

Solos

Minnie the Moocher’s Wedding

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

This wild piece starts out with Fletcher Henderson quoting of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March," but after two bars it's off to the races with tons of intricate riffs, solos, and a rowdy shout chorus at the end. Watch out for the lightening quick mute changing, which was standard practice in the 1930s. This piece makes a great wedding reception opener and many working bands using it now will open up the first solo section as a vamp to introduce a wedding party.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Minnie The Moocher's Wedding 4-horn score sample

Solos

Minnie the Moocher’s Wedding (reduction)

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$60

This wild piece starts out with Fletcher Henderson quoting of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March," but after two bars it's off to the races with tons of intricate riffs, solos, and a rowdy shout chorus at the end. Watch out for the lightening quick mute changing, which was standard practice in the 1930s. This piece makes a great wedding reception opener and many working bands using it now will open up the first solo section as a vamp to introduce a wedding party.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Good King Wenceslas

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

With modern harmony that spins around the tonic and a laser focused fanfare ending, this modernized update to Good King Wenceslas is a refreshing take on the classic. This is on the harder side of level 4 - the tuba part is a bit difficult and there are quick time signature changes that appear difficult but logically are very simple once all the players have gotten used to it.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	4
TEMPO	= 130
Trumpet Range

Solos

Bugle Call Rag (reduction)

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$60

Bugle Call Rag is an all out flag waver that was a major hit for Benny Goodman. With simple chords and riffs and lots of solo space, this burning boogie-woogie/swing hybrid swings hard and is a quintessential swing era anthem.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 235
Trumpet Range

Solos

Bugle Call Rag

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

Bugle Call Rag is an all out flag waver that was a major hit for Benny Goodman. With simple chords and riffs and lots of solo space, this burning boogie-woogie/swing hybrid swings hard and is a quintessential swing era anthem.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 235
Trumpet Range

Burgundy, Pine, and Goldenrod

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

Burgundy, Pine, and Goldenrod is a fanfare-ish chorale with 19th and 20th century functional harmony that features each of the four players in the quartet. With each melody switch-off comes a new key and a new accompanying orchestration, providing a range of colors across its short run.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Classical
Level	4
TEMPO	= 120
Trumpet Range

Jingle Bells

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

Jingle Bells is one of the most recognizable holiday classics of all time, so I felt an obligation to do something different with this arrangement. The first two bars are traditional and "classical" before unexpectedly launching into a double time swing feel featuring the 2nd trumpet and 4-feel bass lines. It then abruptly settles into a normal time straight feel, almost in a rock style, with the melody exactly where you expect it but underlying functional harmony built on top of a 12-tone chord progression. In other words, this one sounds cool.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Classical, Modern Jazz
Level	4
TEMPO	= 90
Trumpet Range

Pickin' the Cabbage 4-horns score sample

Solos

Pickin’ the Cabbage (reduction)

as performed by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

$60

Written for Cab Calloway's band, Pickin' the Cabbage is Dizzy Gillespie's first ever big band composition. The slick tune features a great melody for a trio and many hints of modern bebop and afro-cuban music that would later be Gillespie's trademark.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Jet Lag

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Jet Lag is an Ellington-inspired riff tune with a serious harmonic twist. The serpentine changes in Bb are functional and logical but require a bit more focus than usual and the slightly behind-the-chords melody all work together to bring the title to life. This is an experimental chart that is a great workout for your best improvisers.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 190
Trumpet Range

Solos

Pickin’ the Cabbage

as performed by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

$80

Written for Cab Calloway's band, Pickin' the Cabbage is Dizzy Gillespie's first ever big band composition. The slick tune features a great melody for a trio and many hints of modern bebop and afro-cuban music that would later be Gillespie's trademark.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Right Idea

as performed by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra

$80

Charlie Barnet wrote a trio of "Idea" pieces: one that paid tribute to Duke Ellington, one that parodied the unhip bands of the day, and this one, The Right Idea, a piece that Barnet felt represented a truly quintessential swing chart. With solo space for several instruments and some great riffs and lines, you can tell right away that Barnet was spot on!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swing Psychometry

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Swing Psychometry is a trumpet feature that pushes the limits of swing era vocabulary. Full of 10 bar phrases and Ellington and Coltrane-inspired harmony, this interesting piece pops out in your book as something unusual yet familiar.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Solos

Anchors Aweigh

as performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

$80

Anchors Aweigh is a classic Glenn Miller flag waver and it is a beast of chart. Lightning fast mute changes, rapid fire horn lines, swinging fanfare sections, and a rager of a back half make this is a difficult but exciting chart despite the unassuming source material it's based off of.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 270
Trumpet Range

Solos

Melanchology

as performed by the Danny Fratina Jazz Orchestra

$95

Melanchology is a moody medium tempo piece that is designed to be sophisticated but accessible. The opening march-like texture is supported by colorful nonfunctional harmony, leading all the way to a diminishing spacey ending. It's an easy level 3 with solo space for your best trumpet soloist and a little space for guitar and piano.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	3
TEMPO	= 150
Trumpet Range

Solos

Hot Springs

as performed by Gene Ammons

$60

Hot Springs is a catchy mid-tempo Gene Ammons tune that shows jazz in 1949 in flux, transitioning from swing to bebop. The solo order and instrumentation has been slightly altered to fit with the Hodges horn lineup.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Bebop
Level	3
TEMPO	= 144
Trumpet Range

Solos

Pletchtastic

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Pletchtastic is a tongue-in-cheek titled song commissioned for Club Drosselmeyer. A simple Bb blues riff melody, solos for every instrument, no backgrounds, and a big intro and ending makes this a great opener, closer, or mid-set rest piece for your horns.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Back Room Romp (A Contrapuntal Stomp)

as performed by Rex Stewart and His 52nd Street Stompers

$60

Back Room Romp is basically a simple blues in Ab, but there is a twist: the head is a series of building independent lines, thus a "Contrapuntal Stomp." Every horn player gets a solo chorus. The lead trumpet part is a bit of a blow, but this was written for longtime Ellington sideman, trumpeter Rex Stewart, who had the chops to play all day.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 154
Trumpet Range

Christmas Memories

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

An original song off the 2011 Beantown Swing Orchestra album A Beantown Christmas, Christmas Memories is designed to sound as if Glenn Miller had performed this in 1938, complete with the classic clarinet-led reed section. To add to this effect, the song lyrics are about holiday nostalgia, connecting the past with the present.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
Vocals	Female
TEMPO	= 70
Trumpet Range

Solos

Dysthymia, Maybe

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Dysthymia, Maybe is an easy walkin' tune featuring a simplified bluesy unison riff for the melody and easy solo changes in F. This is an easy head tune that gives your horns a nice break while keeping dancers on the floor.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 125
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Wilhelm Scream

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

The Wilhelm Scream is a flag waving jam session tune in the spirit of a Basie-style Lester Leaps In or a Shaw-style Diga Diga Doo that is open for solos for any/all instruments in the band. Built modularly, there are unique horn backgrounds that can be played depending on which instrument is soloing, with a final cued shout chorus that brings the house down!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 230
Trumpet Range

Solos

A Stompers Recrudescence

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

A Stompers Recrudescence is a killer finale piece. It starts with a windup intro, like a train leaving the station, before hitting a pre-head fanfare, then goes on to features all four horn players, an infectious blues head, and a huge final two choruses.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Calling Doctor Gillespie 4-horns score sample

Solos

Calling Doctor Gillespie (reduction)

as performed by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra

$60

This Edwin Finckel rarity swings hard and doesn't shy away from its bebop influences. Straddling the line between the two eras of jazz, Calling Doctor Gillespie features some infectious melodies and singable shout choruses. A couple of solos in the middle round this out.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 136
Trumpet Range

Solos

Calling Doctor Gillespie

as performed by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra

$80

This Edwin Finckel rarity swings hard and doesn't shy away from its bebop influences. Straddling the line between the two eras of jazz, Calling Doctor Gillespie features some infectious melodies and singable shout choruses. High Gs for lead trumpet are all optional - without them the highest note is a Bb above the staff. A couple of solos in the middle round this out.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 136
Trumpet Range

Solos

Lindyhopper’s Delight

as performed by the Chick Webb Orchestra

$80

As standard dance repertoire, Lindyhopper's Delight is a catchy riff tune with a startlingly modern middle chorus that features some relatively harsh sax harmonies flanked by thickly-voiced plunger-supported brass hits. The final chorus is a raucous one, even though the brass are in full octave unison on a concert Bb! This is a great tune for any library though, and a good, albeit sometimes tricky, introduction to plungers for younger brass players.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 195
Trumpet Range

Deck the Halls

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

One of the older Christmas standards, Deck the Halls is a classic that belongs in every holiday brass quartet book. This is a very easy level 3, save for an abrupt fanfare in the final few bars that brings the arrangement to a triumphal end. The harmony ranges from traditional to modern nonfunctional, but it is always well-balanced.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Classical
Level	3
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Good Christian Men, Rejoice

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

Good Christian Men, Rejoice is a a very old and traditional Christmas tune that I decided to give a total harmonic makeover to. Now in a tropical 6/8 groove with brisk chromatic harmony, GCMR is a killer chart with a great musical payoff.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	5
TEMPO	= 120
Trumpet Range

Solos

Empty Ballroom Blues

as performed by Johnny Hodges

$60

Empty Ballroom Blues (which is not a blues!) is an Hodges/Ellington piece with great big riffs and big solo sections, and it makes for a great finale number!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 190
Trumpet Range

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

as performed by the Danny Fratina Brass Quartet

$35

This 19th century classic sees a jazz update here, with swinging rhythms and tight 20th century jazz harmony driving it forward. The ending is a bit chaotic and helps put this on the difficult side of a level 3 arrangement, but overall this is a fun version of the tune that has more pop to it than usual.

Instrumentation	Brass Quartet
Style	Bebop, Modern Jazz
Level	3
TEMPO	= 180
Trumpet Range

Lindyhopper's Delight 4-horns score sample

Solos

Lindyhopper’s Delight (reduction)

as performed by the Chick Webb Orchestra

$60

As standard dance repertoire, Lindyhopper's Delight is a catchy riff tune with a startlingly modern middle chorus that features some relatively harsh sax harmonies flanked by thickly-voiced plunger-supported brass hits. The final chorus is a raucous one, even though the brass are in full octave unison on a concert Bb! This is a great tune for any library though, and a good, albeit sometimes tricky, introduction to plungers for younger brass players.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 195
Trumpet Range

Solos

Rendezvous with Rhythm

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Rendezvous with Rhythm is a unique tune that bridges the gap between hot jazz and swing with plenty of space for solos. Simple riffs and a tidy shout chorus drive this deceptively swinging Ellington/Hodges chart to a quiet and abrupt ending.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 194
Trumpet Range

Solos

Woodchopper’s Ball

as performed by the Woody Herman Orchestra

$80

Woodchopper's Ball was Woody Herman's first big hit and would continue to be rewritten and rearranged for decades as a major anthem for him and his various Herds. Plenty of solo space and easy riffing can be found here over a medium tempo Db blues. This is a great, authentic introduction to the swing era and the blues form makes it playable for a band of any level!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

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