Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Play-Along Series: Tenor Saxophone, Volume 2: Tenor Saxophone Book & Online Audio/Software

This book puts students directly into the vocabulary and demands of a working professional big band. The charts are drawn from actual Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band recordings, so you're teaching real jazz idioms, not simplified approximations. The TNT 2 Custom Mix software means students can isolate their part, hear themselves in context, or remove their section entirely to challenge their listening.

The charts pulse with contemporary swagger. Medium to very fast swing tempos and funk and Latin grooves keep the energy high and the demands real. You're playing music that sounds like a modern professional recording, not a teaching arrangement. There's genuine satisfaction in hearing yourself trade solos and respond to band figures that were written for and recorded by world-class players.

Tenor saxophonists in grades 5 and 6 who have solid fundamentals and are ready to engage with authentic jazz repertoire and improvisation. This book works well for musicians preparing for jazz band auditions or students who want to understand how professional sections approach contemporary jazz styles. It's equally valuable in private study and in ensemble settings where a teacher can guide interpretation and solo exploration.

• Listen to the recorded solos first. The transcriptions in the book show exactly what the Big Phat Band's lead tenor player executed, but hearing the inflection, ghost notes, and phrasing decisions on the recording will teach you as much as the written notes.
• Lock into the rhythm section feel. Study how the saxophone line sits relative to the drums and bass in the online audio. Goodwin's funk and Latin grooves demand rhythmic precision, not just note accuracy.
• Use the chord changes to explore the solo sections. Work through the changes slowly first, then increase tempo using the software's playback controls. This builds the harmonic fluency needed for improvisation.
• Pay attention to articulation markings and dynamics as compositional details. Goodwin writes with cinematic precision. A subtle change in attack or volume affects the overall character of the chart.

Program these charts alongside traditional big band standards to show students how the jazz tradition continues to evolve. A tenor saxophonist working through this book during the season brings fresh, recorded-sound energy to your jazz ensemble when you reach the performance calendar. It also serves as repertoire for jazz soloist recitals, where the transcribed solos and chord changes allow advanced students to perform professionally arranged material with recorded accompaniment.

• Swing phrasing and time feel at medium and very fast tempos
• Funk and Latin groove pocket playing
• Reading and executing dynamic and articulation markings as compositional intent
• Improvising over jazz changes with band context
• Listening and responding to ensemble figures and section interplay
• Translating transcribed recorded solos into personal interpretation