Best of Belwin Jazz: First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble: 2nd Trombone Book

You move between upbeat swing grooves, smooth ballads, Latin grooves, and holiday fun across twelve charts, each one offering a different sonic mood. The trombone section gets to lock in tight voicings, support the soloists, and play rhythmically written parts that feel genuinely musical, not like you're just counting rests.

Trombone players in their first year of jazz ensemble experience who read confidently in treble clef and understand basic jazz articulation. This book suits ensembles building their jazz library with flexible instrumentation, since the collection functions well with reduced sections or optional parts.

• Blend your tone with the first trombone and bass trombone during tutti sections; the three-part trombone voicing is central to the ensemble's sound.
• Study the chord changes notated in the rhythm section parts to understand the harmonic movement beneath your line, even though your part is written out.
• Mark breath points that work with the phrasing of the first trombone, especially in the ballads and swing tunes where legato lines need continuity.
• Work the written-out solos as if they were transcribed solos from a recording; commit to the articulation and phrasing indicated on the page.

Rotate one chart per rehearsal or every other rehearsal throughout the jazz season, building toward a full concert where your ensemble can perform several contrasting pieces. The variety of tempos and styles makes this collection work as a complete jazz recital program, or you can extract individual tunes to pair with classical or pops concerts.

• Reading jazz articulation and style markings (swing eighths, staccato, legato in jazz context)
• Voicing blend in three-part trombone writing
• Rhythmic precision in swing and Latin grooves
• Interpreting written-out solos with jazz inflection and phrasing
• Understanding chord progression and harmonic function in jazz
• Balancing solo and section roles within ensemble texture