Fat Burger: 1st Trombone

Funky, tight, and built on a pocket that grooves hard. The energy stays driving throughout without demanding virtuosity from anyone at the stand. It's the kind of chart where students feel like they're playing real jazz from note one.

Jazz ensemble directors running Grade 0.5 to 1 level groups who want a genuine jazz standard that doesn't sound like a training exercise. This works for young combos branching into funk and rock idioms, or for full big bands that need a confidence-building opener with serious groove.

• Lock the rhythm section (guitar, bass, drums) first. Their pocket is what makes the funk work, so get the groove locked before layering in the winds.
• Keep articulation crisp and consistent across the wind section during the tutti sections. This is funky writing, not legit, so tonguing should be bouncy and tight.
• Balance the optional parts thoughtfully. If you're running all winds on the solo section, make sure the voicing stays clear and no single section gets lost in the texture.
• Use the written E top space range as your ceiling for phrasing. The trumpet players can nail it, but encourage them to stay musical and not just hit the note for novelty.

Program this early in your set to establish energy and set a contemporary tone. It works perfectly for a youth jazz concert, a pops show, or a jazz combo recital where you want to showcase students playing accessible material with genuine style. The reduced instrumentation option makes it flexible enough to slot into almost any jazz ensemble size and instrumentation.

• Funk and rock rhythmic pocket (straight eighths, swing feel)
• Wind section blend and articulation in contemporary styles
• Flexible instrumentation and part substitution
• Trumpet range extension to written E (top space)
• Reading jazz solos and improvisation-friendly charts