Groovy Vamp: 6 Trumpets Score & Parts

Easy-going and infectious. Groovy Vamp establishes a simple, repeating harmonic foundation and then watches the texture grow, layer by layer, until the full sextet locks into a unified groove. It has the casual confidence of a jam session and enough contemporary color to feel current.

Trumpet ensembles at the intermediate to intermediate-advanced level who are ready to explore jazz vocabulary and ensemble independence without the complexity of bebop. Directors looking for a low-rehearsal-time piece that sounds professional and energetic.

• Build the groove from the ground up. Start rehearsals with just the rhythm section and bass line (Trumpet 6) to lock in the pocket before adding upper voices.
• Consider Marlatt's flugel horn suggestion seriously. The warmer, rounder tone of a flugel on the sixth part creates a genuine textural shift that marks the bass line distinctly from the punchy upper voices.
• Let the lead trumpet carry the character. This is a vehicle for your strongest high-register player, so give them space to phrase with confidence and swing feel.

Pair this with a more classical brass work to show range, or bookend a jazz-focused concert with Groovy Vamp as the opener. Its accessibility and upbeat character make it an excellent audience engagement piece when you want to show that brass can be fun and modern.

• Jazz ensemble listening and blend within a brass section
• Phrasing and swing feel in a jazz idiom
• Rhythmic independence while maintaining group cohesion
• Balance between written lines and improvisation-informed interpretation
• Lead playing and section awareness (especially for Trumpet 1)