First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble: Conductor Book & Online Audio

Energetic and broad in emotional range. One moment you're swinging hard through a classic big band number; the next you're laying back into a ballad that asks for real expressive control. The rock and pop selections feel contemporary while the holiday and standard selections ground the collection in material students already know.

New jazz ensemble directors who are building a program from the ground up or filling seats as students join. Experienced directors can use these charts for the first month of the school year while establishing fundamentals. High school students encountering jazz ensemble for the first time will find accessible material that still demands musicality and rhythmic precision.

• Reference the included CD recording during early rehearsals to establish groove and style accuracy. The rhythm section benefits most from hearing the original interpretation of voicings and comping patterns before they start improvising.
• Work the written solo sections thoroughly before opening them up for improvisation. Students gain confidence and understand harmonic movement better when they can execute the given solo first.
• Balance the ensemble sound by checking that saxophones aren't overpowering the brass. The reduced instrumentation requires careful dynamic control, especially in fuller sounding moments.
• Let rhythm section members study the voicing suggestions and chord frames in advance of group rehearsals. This gives them ownership of their parts and accelerates ensemble cohesion.

Open your fall jazz ensemble concerts with 'Loosen Up' as a genuine warm-up for both students and audience, then build into more demanding charts. These arrangements work particularly well as a complete set early in the academic year while you're establishing ensemble sound and improvisation protocols. The holiday selection makes a natural fit for winter programs without requiring a complete seasonal overhaul of your setlist.

• Reading and playing jazz articulation and phrasing
• Understanding and executing swing rhythm and comping patterns
• Interpreting basic harmonic changes for improvisation
• Blending within reduced saxophone and brass sections
• Accompanying written solos and trading sections with ensemble partners
• Reading guitar chord frames and rhythm section notation
• Executing multiple style changes (swing, ballad, rock, Latin) within a single rehearsal