Best of Belwin Jazz: First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble: 3rd Trombone Book

Variety without overwhelming complexity. One moment you're swinging through a blues-inflected chart, the next you're keeping time on a Latin groove or adding warmth to a ballad. The writing sits comfortably in the staff for newer players while maintaining the swing vocabulary and phrasing that makes jazz sound like jazz.

Third trombone players in their first year of jazz ensemble experience who need accessible but genuinely musical material. This book works equally well in school jazz bands, community groups, or private studio settings where young trombonists are learning the basics of jazz articulation, style, and ensemble listening.

• Lock into the rhythm section early in rehearsals. Listen carefully to how the piano and bass outline the harmony so your part slots naturally into the voicing rather than sticking out.
• Pay attention to dynamic markings in the rhythm section parts. The suggested piano voicings and guitar frames show you exactly what harmonic density the arranger intended, which helps you pitch your own volume and tone.
• Mark the written-out improvised sections clearly. Since solos are notated rather than left open, treat them like any other written passage: nail the articulation, phrasing, and rhythmic accuracy.
• Balance your sound against the first and second trombone parts during tutti sections. Experiment with subtle tonal adjustments in rehearsal so the three voices blend rather than compete.

Use these charts as your go-to collection for mixed concert programming or jazz festival showcases. The twelve titles span holiday music, standards, and original compositions, so you can pull individual pieces for virtually any concert theme without needing multiple different collections. The quality and variety also make this ideal for rotating through one or two per rehearsal cycle to build ensemble cohesion and jazz literacy steadily over a semester or year.

• Jazz articulation and swing phrasing specific to trombone
• Reading and executing written-out improvised solos
• Blending and balancing within a three-part trombone section
• Following harmonic movement in varied jazz styles (swing, Latin, ballad, waltz)
• Listening to and locking with rhythm section rhythm figures
• Basic jazz ensemble score reading and section awareness