Gershwin® by Special Arrangement: Alto Saxophone Book & Online Audio

Carl Strommen's arrangements preserve the melodic brilliance and harmonic color of Gershwin's originals while stripping away the improvisational demands that often intimidate intermediate players. Alto saxophone players get authentic jazz-style voicings, walking bass patterns in the accompaniment, and the swagger of swing rhythm without needing to navigate solo sections. These are songs sophisticated enough to sound genuinely musical, not educational.

Sophisticated, urbane, singable. These melodies have the kind of grace that sits perfectly on the alto saxophone; the arrangement lets the instrument breathe and sing. The rhythm section accompaniment swings naturally, creating the feeling of playing with a real jazz combo rather than a backing track.

Intermediate alto saxophone players who want to perform recognizable, musically rich repertoire in a jazz idiom without the burden of improvisation. This book works equally well for ensemble performance, recital, or practice study. It also serves musicians who read well but haven't developed enough ear training or theoretical knowledge to navigate jazz comping and soloing.

• Lock into the swing eighth-note feel from the first phrase; let the recorded accompaniment establish the groove rather than fighting against it.
• Shape the longer melodic lines with subtle dynamics and rubato, treating them more like song interpretation than strict note reading.
• Listen for the walking bass in the accompaniment during the variation sections; it anchors your phrasing and gives you freedom to breathe naturally.
• Articulate the rhythm section hits cleanly with the accompaniment, especially on the "and" of beat 2 where jazz swing signatures often land.

Solo recitals benefit tremendously from a set of two or three of these Gershwin arrangements as a contrasting block; they offer immediate audience engagement and a different expressive world from classical or contemporary concert music. They also work beautifully as the closing set of a pops or jazz-inflected band concert, or as an introduction to jazz style for students preparing for jazz ensemble.

• Swing eighth-note articulation and feel
• Phrasing long melodic lines with breath control and expression
• Reading and responding to jazz accompaniment patterns
• Balancing note accuracy with stylistic authenticity in jazz performance
• Interpreting rhythm notation in jazz contexts (syncopation, swing feel)