Best of Belwin Jazz: First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble: Baritone T.C. (Doubles 1st Trombone Part) Book

Energetic and approachable. From the New Orleans bounce of "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home" to the swing of "Birth of the Blues" to the Latin grooves of "Poco Loco," this collection swings and breathes. The ballads and holiday tunes offer contrast without losing the playful character that makes young jazz musicians hungry for more.

First-year jazz ensemble baritone players and teachers building a library of accessible, stylistically varied charts. Ensembles with reduced instrumentation will appreciate that these arrangements sound complete even when full brass sections aren't available.

• Balance your tone with the first trombone player during unison passages. The two of you form the harmonic anchor of the brass section, so lock in your intonation and phrasing together.
• Study the written-out solos carefully before the first rehearsal. Knowing the melody and chord changes in advance lets you focus on ensemble blend and section blend rather than deciphering notes under pressure.
• Listen to the conductor's recording to internalize the groove and feel of each chart, especially in the Latin and swing pieces where rhythmic pocket varies significantly.
• Watch the rhythm section voicings and comping patterns printed in the score. Your part works in tandem with those colors, so understanding the harmonic landscape makes your lines sit better in the mix.

Scatter these charts across the year in clusters by style: open the year with a swing tune, program the Latin charts together for a spring concert, and save the holiday and pop tunes for winter and end-of-year performances. The variety means you can build a complete jazz concert setlist from this single volume.

• Reading lead sheet notation and chord symbols
• Balancing voice in a four-part brass section
• Executing jazz articulation and phrasing across multiple styles (swing, Latin, ballad, waltz)
• Understanding the baritone's harmonic function in a jazz ensemble
• Responding to written-out improvised solos and sectional accompaniment patterns
• Intonation and blend in ensemble contexts