American Jazz Suite: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Vizzutti understands what makes a trumpet feature sing without abandoning the concert band idiom. The opening cadenza with half valves and note bending sets a distinctive character that still feels accessible to your students, while the swing section locks into a groove any band can deliver. Your trumpet soloist gets a genuine moment to shine, and the rest of the ensemble stays engaged throughout.

The piece opens with raw, expressive trumpet sound; half valves bend pitches in ways that classical trumpet rarely ventures, and the effect is both modern and deeply personal. Once the band enters with its stop chords, the music settles into a confident swing groove that feels like live jazz translated onto a concert stage, full of interaction and mutual support between soloist and ensemble.

This work belongs in the rotation of any conductor with a strong trumpet soloist and a band that can handle contemporary jazz language while maintaining concert band discipline. Grades 4 musicians who have already built fundamental ensemble cohesion will find themselves challenged and rewarded by the technical demands and stylistic range required here.

• Balance the initial trumpet cadenza against the stop chords from the band; the soloist's timbre effects should register clearly, so ensure the ensemble voices underneath stay controlled and supportive.
• Lock the rhythm section (low brass, low woodwinds, and percussion) into a tight pocket during the swing section; this foundation makes the soloists work easier and gives the piece its driving energy.
• Rehearse the plunger mute passages in the second movement slowly first, paying attention to the dialogue between trumpet and band, then build tempo once articulation and attacks align across both.
• Shape phrase endings in both movements with slight space; this allows the soloist to breathe and gives the ensemble moments to reset without losing momentum.

Program this as a showcase feature in a spring concert, especially one featuring student soloists or celebrating ensemble diversity. It pairs well with traditional concert band repertoire because it demonstrates the range of styles your band can command; follow it with a lyrical movement or precede it with a march to highlight the contrast.

• Jazz articulation and style (swing feel, rhythmic precision in a jazz context)
• Listening and responding in real time to a featured soloist
• Stop chords and contemporary harmonic language within concert band voicing
• Stylistic flexibility (transitioning between classical and jazz idioms)
• Ensemble balance when supporting an expressive, non-vibrato trumpet solo