Broadway by Special Arrangement: Alto Saxophone Book & Online Audio

Strommen's arrangements strip away the intimidation factor of jazz performance by giving alto saxophonists fully voiced, playable parts that sound authentically swinging without requiring improvisation skills. The collection reads like a master class in how to write idiomatic jazz for a single instrument: each line sits naturally in the alto's range and phrasing while maintaining the character of these beloved standards. You get serious repertoire that feels immediately rewarding to perform.

You're playing the melodic heart of these timeless songs with a contemporary jazz approach; the rhythm section swings around you while you deliver smooth, singable lines that respect the original melodies while bending them into a jazz vocabulary. These aren't simplified versions but genuine jazz arrangements that make the alto saxophone sound like it belongs in a classic New York jazz club.

Alto saxophonists at the intermediate level who want to explore jazz repertoire on recognizable standards. This works well for jazz combo players, wind ensemble musicians seeking crossover repertoire, and students who respond better to learning jazz style through written notation rather than improvisation.

• Pay attention to where the written line sits relative to the band's groove; Strommen writes these parts to lock in specific moments with the rhythm section rather than float freely.
• The variation sections use different voicings for each instrument, so study your alto part's specific reharmonization rather than assuming it mirrors another horn's line.
• Lean into the jazz articulation marks and rhythmic comping figures; they're designed to sit behind the recorded accompaniment naturally.
• Balance your tone between the smoother passages and the more syncopated sections; the arrangement asks you to shift character without changing instruments.

Pair these with your jazz band concert in place of (or alongside) traditional combo repertoire; the recorded accompaniments work equally well for solo performance or as part of a larger ensemble context. A director programming a "standards night" or cabaret-style concert can pull individual songs to scatter throughout an evening, or use the collection as a cohesive set for a dedicated jazz saxophone feature.

• Jazz articulation and rhythmic phrasing on written parts
• Navigating swing feel and behind-the-beat phrasing in a jazz context
• Understanding how jazz arrangers reharmonize and revoice standard melodies
• Balancing melodic improvisation style within a fully notated framework
• Listening and responding to recorded rhythm section accompaniments