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SOLOS
    • Solos
    • Clarinet
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 235
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
  • 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 quarter note = 120
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
  • 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 quarter note = 90
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Bari
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 190
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 185
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 175
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 135
    Trumpet
    Range
    Db6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 160
    Trumpet
    Range
    Db6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 155
    Trumpet
    Range
    Db6
    • Solos
    • Guitar

    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 quarter note = 180
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
  • 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 quarter note = 150
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 half note = 123
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Drums

    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 quarter note = 212
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 230
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Guitar

    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 quarter note = 180
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
  • 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 quarter note = 121
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Clarinet
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 230
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
  • 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 quarter note = 120
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Clarinet
    • Tenor
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 205
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    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 quarter note = 165-185
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Clarinet
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 65
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Clarinet
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Trumpet

    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 quarter note = 124
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Tenor
    • Trumpet
    • Piano
    • Drums

    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 quarter note = 225
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Alto

    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 quarter note = 220
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trombone

    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 quarter note = 205
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Trumpet
    • Guitar

    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 half note = 90
    Trumpet
    Range
    E6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trombone
    • Drums

    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 quarter note = 160
    Trumpet
    Range
    F6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari

    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 quarter note = 150
    Trumpet
    Range
    Gb6

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