Alfred Jazz Play-Along Series, Vol. 4: The Music of Gordon Goodwin: C, B-flat, E-flat & Bass Clef Instruments Book & CD

This collection captures nine of Goodwin's most successful big band arrangements in a format that works for any instrumentation you actually have in your room. The inclusion of demo tracks performed by Goodwin and his band members provides a gold standard reference; students hear exactly how these grooves are supposed to swing, how soloists navigate the changes, and what stylistic details matter. Equally valuable is the flexibility to scale performances from a small combo using the play-along tracks to a full ensemble reading from written parts.

These nine tunes pulse with the confident swagger of modern big band jazz. Each arrangement balances clear, singable melodies with sophisticated harmonic movement and infectious rhythmic grooves that sit somewhere between bebop sophistication and funk-inflected contemporary jazz. The style feels immediate and energetic; this is music written for people who want to play jazz, not study it from a distance.

Jazz ensembles and small combos at the high school and community band level, as well as private instructors working with intermediate jazz students across all instruments. Directors managing mixed instrumentation (trumpet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, and rhythm section) will find these arrangements accessible without sacrificing authentic big band style.

• Listen to the demo track before attempting the play-along; focus on how the soloists phrase over the changes and where they land on the beat relative to the rhythm section.
• Use the tempo adjustment software to nail the groove at a slower speed first, then gradually increase to performance tempo once the solo and harmonic framework feel natural.
• Study the written-out sample solo closely before improvising; Goodwin's solos model the specific jazz vocabulary and articulation he expects to hear in each tune.
• Coordinate dynamics and phrasing with the play-along track by listening critically to how the piano and bass anchor the harmonic progression.

Feature individual tunes as concert openers or set-closers where you want high energy and crowd engagement. The nine-tune catalog gives you flexibility to program a complete jazz concert or weave selections throughout a mixed instrumental concert. Smaller combos can use any arrangement as a vehicle for student soloists in a recital setting, while the play-along tracks function as rehearsal tools when full ensemble rehearsal time is limited.

• Improvising over jazz changes and groove-based vamps
• Balancing sectional cohesion while soloing over written ensemble parts
• Interpreting swing rhythms and phrasing idiomatic to contemporary big band style
• Reading lead sheets and comping changes in real time with the rhythm section
• Transcribing and internalizing melodic phrases from professional recordings