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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
Solo Instrument: Bari
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