Best of Belwin Jazz: Jazz Band Collection for Jazz Ensemble: 3rd Trombone Book

Swinging classics bump up against lush ballads and contemporary jazz-rock grooves, creating the dynamic range that makes a real big band recording. The charts breathe, stretch, and demand musicianship while remaining accessible to players still building jazz fundamentals.

Third trombone players in developing jazz ensembles who are ready to move beyond simple riff figures into arrangements with harmonic depth and stylistic variety. This book works well for high school jazz bands and community ensembles building a sustainable repertoire.

• Listen to the conductor's full-length recordings before rehearsal. Hearing how the arrangement unfolds helps you lock into the ensemble sound and understand where your part sits in the texture.
• Work the ballads first. "My Foolish Heart" and "On Green Dolphin Street" require intonation control and phrasing accuracy that will strengthen your ensemble's musicality across all tempos.
• Mark all cut-offs and section hits in pencil during the first run-through. Jazz ensemble charts demand precision that rivals concert band arrangements, especially in swing sections where timing is everything.
• Coordinate with the second and first trombone players on dynamics. The trombone section's blend determines whether the horn section sits forward or back in the mix.

Program two or three selections from this collection on your spring jazz concert to showcase stylistic range without requiring multiple rehearsal strategies. The ballads make excellent contrast programming alongside your swing charts, and the jazz-rock selections give your ensemble a contemporary edge that audiences expect from a young big band.

• Reading and executing swing articulation and rhythmic feel across multiple tempos
• Balancing tuning and blend within a three-player trombone section
• Interpreting jazz phrasing and dynamics within a written arrangement
• Responding to sectional cues and ensemble hits with precision
• Playing ballad passages with control and musicality in a jazz context