Gershwin® by Special Arrangement: Trumpet Book & Online Audio

Carl Strommen's arrangements preserve the melodic character and harmonic sophistication of these standards while giving trumpeters written parts that capture jazz sensibility without requiring improvisation. The collection solves a genuine classroom need: students develop authentic jazz phrasing and articulation within a fully notated, confidence-building context. These are songs that audiences recognize and musicians love playing.

These arrangements capture the wit, sophistication, and irrepressible energy of Gershwin's songwriting. You'll find yourself playing melodies that swing and sparkle, supported by harmonies that shift and surprise you around every corner, all within parts that sit naturally under your fingers.

Intermediate trumpeters ready to engage with jazz style and phrasing in a structured, written format. This book works for advanced middle school and high school players, jazz ensemble members seeking accessible Gershwin repertoire, or adult community band musicians looking to expand beyond classical literature.

• Shape the melody with dynamic nuance rather than straight mezzo forte throughout; Gershwin's themes breathe best when you find the peaks and valleys within each phrase.
• Approach the swing rhythms with a relaxed triplet feel, letting the eighth notes sit comfortably behind the beat rather than playing them mechanically.
• Listen closely to the online audio accompaniment during rehearsal to internalize the harmonic movement and lock in the rhythmic pocket, then play without it to build independence.
• Mark your breathing spots in advance, especially in the longer melodic lines, so you maintain phrase integrity without gasping mid-statement.

This collection works beautifully in a jazz ensemble context or as supplemental solo material for a band program emphasizing 20th-century American music. Program individual selections in casual or formal concerts; the familiarity of the songs makes them ideal opener or closer material, and the consistent intermediate level means you can rotate soloists without extensive transposition or simplification.

• Swing articulation and jazz phrasing without improvisation
• Reading and performing jazz notation conventions
• Shaping thematic material with dynamic and expressive control
• Ensemble lock and harmonic listening in a jazz context
• Stylistic flexibility within the American jazz standard tradition