Exciting Sounds of the Big Band Era: 1st Trumpet Book

Swing energy mixed with sophisticated harmony. One moment you're riffing on upbeat shuffles and jump blues; the next you're navigating chromatic lead lines and syncopated horn punches that demand precision and phrasing. There's joy in the writing, whether you're hitting a high note in "Taking a Chance on Love" or laying back on the blues changes.

First trumpet players in community big bands, high school jazz ensembles, and college jazz programs who need reliable, playable parts for a core big band repertoire. This book is designed for players with solid fundamentals and some jazz idiom experience, not beginners sight-reading their first lead lines.

• Lock in with the rhythm section early and often. The trumpet section's job is to articulate the harmonic content clearly, so dial in your attack and release with the drummer and bassist from rehearsal one.
• Balance your registration against the sax section. Big band arranging depends on the brass and reeds sitting in distinct frequency spaces; listen horizontally to what the second and third trumpets are doing and adjust your dynamics to sit on top without blaring.
• Shape phrases as if you're singing them. These are vocal melodies first; resist the urge to play mechanically through a section, and breathe where the lyric would breathe.
• Mark your parts with section rehearsal letters and dynamic targets before your first run-through. Thirty-six pages with fifteen different tunes means you'll need quick navigation in group rehearsals.

Build a full big band concert around this collection by pairing it with corresponding parts for the full ensemble. These tunes work equally well as a standalone set for a jazz showcase, a mid-season refresher to tighten section work, or a foundation for teaching players how to read and interpret authentic lead voicings.

• Reading lead lines in swing feel (quarter-note triplet subdivision)
• Navigating chromatic and diatonic passages at tempo
• Sectional balance and articulation precision in a brass section
• Phrasing jazz melodies with proper emphasis and relaxation
• Sight-reading under time pressure in ensemble rehearsals