Ben's Blues: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

$42.00 USD

Ben's Blues: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Ben's Blues: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-JE9822
Price: 42.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Carl Strommen

Grade: 1 (Easy)

Item: 00-JE9822

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Directors everywhere have come to expect wonderfully tuneful and fun jazz music from Carl Strommen. Carl is the writer everyone turns to year after year when they need quality teaching material. In our easiest series, BEN'S BLUES is a delightful new piece that will prove to be a perfect way for your developing young jazz ensemble to 'get the blues.' It's an exceptional chart! (3:29)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ben's Blues: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: First Year Charts for Jazz Ensemble

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 72

UPC: 029156912272

SKU: 00-JE9822

More about this title

About the Composer: Carl Strommen

Carl Strommen stands among the most frequently performed composer-arrangers for concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and vocal literature. His works appear regularly on concert stages, in television and film productions, and at festivals across the country and internationally. Strommen maintains an active schedule as a clinician and commission composer, and his consistent output has earned him multiple ASCAP Standard Writers Awards.

A City College of New York graduate, Strommen remains engaged with academic music training as an adjunct professor of orchestration and composition at C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, New York. He divides time between Long Island and Colorado with his family.

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Why we love this

Strommen knows exactly what a first-year jazz ensemble needs: a tune with genuine blues character that doesn't demand chromatic sophistication or complex harmony from developing improvisers. The piece sits beautifully in the upper part of the Grade 1 range, which means your young players can focus on feel and phrasing rather than wrestling with the music on the stand.

What to expect

Ben's Blues swings with authentic jazz flavor and a relaxed, conversational quality. The melody is memorable and singable, with enough space in the arrangement for young players to hear themselves and experience the joy of playing real jazz language.

Who it's for

First-year and developing jazz ensembles at the middle school and early high school level will thrive with this chart. Directors seeking a blues standard that teaches stylistic fundamentals without overwhelming younger players will find exactly what they need here.

How to get the most out of it

Let the rhythm section establish the blues feel before the melody enters. A relaxed, swinging backbeat from drums and bass will anchor everything else.
Encourage your soloist to listen actively to the ensemble's responses rather than rushing ahead. Blues is a conversation, not a solo recital.
Balance the melody voices so the tune stays centered. In an easy piece, clarity of line matters more than density of sound.

How to use it

This works beautifully as an opening number on a jazz concert, setting a warm and welcoming tone before moving into more challenging repertoire. It also pairs naturally with other Strommen first-year charts if you're building a full evening of accessible jazz that still sounds like jazz.