Caravan: 2nd Trombone

Wasson writes with genuine understanding of what makes an ensemble want to come back to rehearsal. The Latin groove here burns without ever feeling contrived, and the architecture gives your best alto saxophonist real space to shine. Contest judges notice arrangements this clean and this fun.

This is pure combustion. From the first note, the Latin percussion and horn figures create an irresistible forward drive that propels the ensemble through 2 minutes of unrelenting energy. The extended alto sax feature emerges from this heat like a soloist stepping into a spotlight, commanding and confident.

Advanced high school jazz ensembles and strong college groups ready for a serious contest chart. The difficulty demands mature readers and disciplined rehearsal habits, but the payoff is an arrangement that performers remember.

• Lock the clave pattern early in sectionals. The rhythm section must sit on this foundation before anything else lands properly.
• Shape the alto sax solo with dynamic space around it. The soloist needs the ensemble to breathe and listen, not just play louder.
• Articulation clarity in the horn section during hits makes the difference between good and burning. Spend rehearsal time here.
• Keep the tempo consistent but don't let it drag. This chart needs forward motion to maintain its fire.

Save this for the second half of your jazz concert or festival set, where the audience and your students are both warmed up and ready for something demanding. It pairs well with a ballad that precedes it and gives your ensemble a legitimate contest vehicle that sounds professional from measure one.

• Clave and Latin rhythm reading (montuno figures)
• Tight ensemble articulation in sectional hits
• Balancing a featured soloist while maintaining groove
• Extended range and endurance in brass parts
• Listening to and responding to percussion-driven ensemble texture