Broadway by Special Arrangement: Trumpet Book & Online Audio

Strommen has written these charts specifically for musicians who want authentic jazz style without requiring improvisation skills. The arrangement remains musically idiomatic and satisfying while keeping the focus on clean execution of written lines. You get the sound and feel of a professional jazz ensemble with the accessibility your intermediate players need.

These classic Broadway standards swing with sophisticated ease. Each arrangement offers the warmth and storytelling quality of the original songs while wrapping them in jazz harmony and rhythmic vitality. Playing through this book feels like sitting in with a real jazz combo, relaxed but purposeful.

Trumpet players at the intermediate level who love the sound of jazz but haven't yet developed improvisation skills. This collection works equally well for school jazz band, private lesson repertoire, or recital performance. It's ideal for musicians ready to move beyond classical phrasing and explore jazz articulation and rhythmic feel.

• Pay attention to dynamic shape within phrases rather than playing at one dynamic level throughout. Jazz articulation depends on subtle push and release.
• Work the rhythm section part (or recorded accompaniment) until it feels like a conversation rather than a solo with background. Lock into the groove together from rehearsal one.
• Approach the written melody with rubato where the chart permits, especially in the bridge sections. This gives the arrangement its swinging character without requiring improvisation.
• Balance tone clarity with resonance in the middle register. These Broadway standards sit comfortably in trumpet's sweet spot when you shape the sound deliberately.

Feature individual songs in a jazz-focused concert segment, or program the entire collection as a complete statement of your jazz band's musical identity. The standards here also pair well with classical trumpet repertoire in a mixed recital, demonstrating musical versatility. Consider using these charts as a bridge for classical players transitioning into jazz study.

• Jazz articulation and phrasing (swing feel, syncopation, breath placement)
• Reading and interpreting written jazz harmony and chord symbols
• Rhythmic precision in syncopated figures and swung rhythms
• Tone control across the trumpet's range in a jazz context
• Balancing individual line clarity with ensemble cohesion