Best of Belwin Jazz: Jazz Band Collection for Jazz Ensemble: 2nd Trumpet Book

You're part of the harmonic anchor and counter-voice layer of a classic big band sound. Whether trading figures on a swinging blues, floating underneath a vocal-style ballad, or laying down solid rhythmic support in a jazz-rock chart, the second trumpet part gives you clear responsibility and musicianship to develop.

Second trumpet players in a Grade 3 jazz ensemble who are building foundational big band experience. This book works for both high school jazz bands exploring the repertoire and developing ensembles that benefit from curated, pedagogically sound arrangements.

• Listen to the full recording before sectional rehearsals. Second trumpet parts often carry countermelody or rhythmic texture that make more sense when you hear how the whole ensemble breathes.
• Watch the dynamic shapes in ballad arrangements closely. Second trumpet rarely sits on top of the sound; finding your place in the voicing requires attention to how your line blends with the first trumpet and the section below you.
• In swing charts, lock your articulation with the section. The difference between a crisp ensemble sound and a muddy one often hinges on second trumpet matching the tonguing style of the lead.

Build an entire jazz concert around these ten titles, or pick three to four as a balanced set for a single program. The stylistic range lets you program swing alongside contemporary material without feeling disjointed, and the Grade 3 level keeps rehearsal time realistic for bands juggling concert and marching season.

• Reading and executing swing articulation and phrasing
• Playing within voicing and supporting the lead trumpet
• Responding to dynamic shapes in ballad and rubato contexts
• Adapting to sectional rhythmic feels across swing, ballad, and jazz-rock styles
• Reading from a part book while tracking ensemble structure