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Good Queen Bess is a standout riff tune from the Hodges/Ellington book, complete with a lighthearted, catchy melody, and player-unique background voicings. The solo changes are fairly standard but colorful and make for a great jam vehicle for your band.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 3 TEMPO 
= 150Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
The Intimacy of the Blues is notable not just for it's striking melody--this was one of the very last compositions ever written by longtime Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn. This medium tempo Eb blues is good for a band of any skill level, and a great historical addition to your book.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 TEMPO = 110Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Skunk Hollow Blues is a very laid back colorful blues and a fantastic rare gem of the swing era. The intro and head features plunger trumpet on one line, bari and trombone on another, and the alto on a third melody, a rare true 3-part counterpoint! Riffs and triadic voicings back up a couple of solos, leading to an ending chorus that is half based on the head and half new material full of creeping chromatic motion full of dynamics.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 125Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Also known as "The Big Apple Contest," Keep Punchin' is a swing dancer staple and a must-have for any band that will ever play for swing dancers! After the famous simple intro a brass trio work plays off of a sax riff, and from there on it's simple burnin' riffs all the way home, with lots of great brass plunger work.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 200Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Savoy Strut is a major hidden gem from the swing era! Duke Ellington starts the tune up with an unusually angular intro, which takes us to a winding but singable head. The soloists play over a beautiful and remarkable chord progression which also features some player-specific orchestration choices that take advantage of the unique sounds of his players. A must-have for any Ellington 7-piece ensemble!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 3 TEMPO = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Dancing on the Stars is a catchy head arrangement that features some nice counterpoint, solo backgrounds, sophisticated harmony compared to many other pieces from the Hodges/Ellington book.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This obscure tune swings along with great riffs and colorful ensemble moments. I Know What You Do is a bit more chromatic than other level 2 Ellington pieces, but it all fits nicely together.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 180Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This alto feature is a perfect tempo for new dancers and has some very cool background lines from the trio of trumpet, trombone, and bari sax. Let your alto play out a la Johnny Hodges and have your trio dig in with some conviction and this chart will swing hard.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 125Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Johnson Rag is an old, relatively obscure tune, seen here fleshed out into a fat swinging arrangement influenced by the writing style of Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson. The chart includes a bass/piano/bari riff, the trombone on the melody, a trumpet/alto pep section, and an original bridge, all with a middle section featuring a brass battle.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Hobbledehoy is a long outdated word meaning a clumsy or awkward youth. This tune captures that spirit while still swinging and providing a perfect foundation for dancers. The melody is mostly in unison with some riffs and 3-part background lines behind the solos. This one is a hit that your band will love!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 140Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
A well-rounded starter chart (especially for younger bands), Goin' Out the Back Way features a nice melody with every instrument in the comfortable zones of their ranges, simple backgrounds, cool chord changes, and a medium tempo. A couple of instruments that don't get too many solos have their space here as well. Slightly tricky for a level 1, but nothing crazy!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 TEMPO = 155Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Aside from a little chromaticism on the bridge, You Talk a Little Trash is a solid level 1 swinger. Most of the melody is unison, the changes are simple, the tempo is an easy-going 160bpm, and the lines are timeless. Cootie Williams shows that you can do a lot with a little on this catchy chart.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 TEMPO = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Emerald is a Rocco and the Stompers original that primarily features the alto sax with triad counterpoint a la Johnny Hodges and Duke Ellington. This is a fun an interesting chart considering how relatively easy it is, and it's always a hit with dancers!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 150Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Also known as "Non-Violent Integration", Who Struck John? is a very simple but very cool head tune. This arrangement is unusual in its use of rock/metal style parallel fifths in the rhythm section, otherwise known in modern times as barre chords. This is a chart for jamming on a straight-ahead D Major blues, with solo space for nearly everyone.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 TEMPO = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Swingin' on the Campus is an aggressive hard swinging tune jam packed with killer riffs and solo space. This simply-constructed piece is built on a variation of rhythm changes and is a difficult level 2 because of the relatively high tempo and brass endurance.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 195Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This Cootie Williams number is a great easy piece that still authentically swings hard. The original recording of Do Some War Work, Baby has a vocal chorus in the middle, but this transcription replaces it with a solo chorus for bari sax and alters the ending to make it fully instrumental. The vocal version can be found here.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 TEMPO = 140Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Coming out the same year as Prohibition, Avalon is one of the earliest jazz standards of the 20th century. Here, it's slowed down to a super slick beginner's dancing tempo featuring trombone on a staccato melody with a sassy background trio of cup mute trumpet, alto and bari sax almost taking over as a new melody over the bone.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 3 TEMPO = 120Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Junior Hop is a nice walkin' alto feature with some simple but melodic three-part backgrounds. The trio takes over for a bit on a catchy new melody built on strong triads. The trombone part is a little on the high side for a Level 2 (up to high A).Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 140Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This hip Artie Shaw original features a little of everyone at the perfect dance tempo. Anecdotally, When the Quail Come Back to San Quentin was written in response to a music business insider's request for Shaw to play a sappy hit of the day. Shaw instead went live to air with this antithetical parody that seriously swings.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 3 TEMPO = 170Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
The unassumingly-titled "That's Rhythm" is a colorful tune that straddles the line between the swing era and the bebop era. Written by Ellington sideman Rex Stewart for his own shorter-lived 4-horn band, "Rhythm" features a punchy and memorable head and lots of solo space.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 148Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This Cootie Williams number is a great easy piece that still authentically swings hard. Do Some War Work, Baby has a vocal chorus in the middle, but an instrumental adaptation is available here, replacing the vocals with a solo chorus for bari sax and altering the ending.Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 1 Vocals Male TEMPO = 140Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
Gene Ammons preaches on in Brother Jug's Sermon, a soulfully grooving dance tune that now fully features bari sax. The horn backgrounds are simple enough--a couple of horn turns and a few suggested high notes in the bari make this an easy level 2. Swing music has never been so hip!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Bebop, Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 145Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
This upbeat Hodges/Ellington piece is a variation on the old nursery rhyme The Farmer in the Dell. After a statement of the melody, it's all solos with background riffs until the melody comes back at the end. Swinging in the Dell is a very simple solo vehicle that's great for getting dancers on the floor!Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece Style Swing Era Level 2 TEMPO = 190Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 195Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 194Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 190Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 154Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 136Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 125Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 230Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 144Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 188Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 235Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 184Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 190Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 230Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 180Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 205Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 184Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 150Trumpet
Range
Instrumentation: Ellington 7-Piece
STYLE
DIFFICULTY
VOCALS
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