Hit the Bricks: String Bass
By Gordon Goodwin
Grade: 3 (Medium)
Item: 00-PC-0017180_SB
$3.00
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Description
If you want to play Gordon Goodwin charts but they are too challenging, check this one out! Composed and arranged by Gordon, himself, specifically for middle or high school level, this funky chart is totally hot! Lead trumpet range is to written G on top of the staff, written-out solos are for alto, tenor, bari, trumpet, and trombone, along with backgrounds on cue, plus optional parts. This chart is very playable by a good middle or a high school jazz band. It's the Big Phat Band sound---but accessible for your band. Play it now! (4:45) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Hit the Bricks: String Bass comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Jazz Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
116
SKU:
00-PC-0017180_SB
More about this title
About the Composer: Gordon Goodwin
Gordon Goodwin began composing full arrangements in his head as a child, transcribing complete works by age five. He wrote his first big band chart, Hang Loose, at thirteen, launching a career that would eventually earn him three Emmy Awards and multiple Grammy nominations for his work in film and television scoring on titles including Bad Boys II, Con Air, Remember the Titans, and Star Trek: Nemesis.
Beyond Hollywood, Goodwin has written for and performed alongside artists ranging from Quincy Jones and Ray Charles to Christina Aguilera and Brian McKnight. Since 2000, he has led Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, a Los Angeles-based jazz ensemble that has become a Grammy-nominated force in contemporary big band music. His arrangements are known for their sophistication, energy, and accessibility across skill levels.
Why we love this
Gordon Goodwin composed this chart specifically for student ensembles, which means you get the sophisticated harmonies and infectious groove of his Big Phat Band sound without the extreme technical demands that make his other arrangements unreachable for most school programs. The written-out solos for five different instruments give your students opportunities to shine while the optional parts ensure you can perform it regardless of your band's instrumentation.
What to expect
Hot, funky, and absolutely danceable. The groove sits low and forward, propelled by a rhythm section that drives the chart with infectious energy while the horns trade call-and-response figures and lock into tight backgrounds. It swings hard without losing accessibility.
Who it's for
Jazz directors leading middle or high school ensembles who want to program Gordon Goodwin's distinctive sound and compositional voice without scaling down the musicality or fun factor. If your students can handle solid Grade 3 technical demands, this chart rewards them with a professional-sounding result that feels like a genuine accomplishment.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the ensemble so the funky backbeat and bass line lock together; the groove depends on rhythmic precision from your rhythm section and lower reeds working as a cohesive unit.
- Use the cued backgrounds to guide soloists and help less experienced players anticipate their entrances without pulling focus from the featured voice.
- Encourage soloists to listen to recordings of the Big Phat Band to absorb Goodwin's stylistic approach to articulation, phrasing, and rhythmic placement before they perform their written parts.
- Take advantage of the optional parts to accommodate your specific instrumentation while maintaining the chart's intended balance and character.
How to use it
Program this as a showcase moment during a jazz concert or festival performance where you want the audience to immediately feel the band's energy and precision. It works equally well as a contest selection that demonstrates both your ensemble's technical facility and its ability to execute authentic jazz style. The 4:45 length makes it ideal for a program that needs substantive but not sprawling selections.
Skills your students will build
- Jazz articulation and phrasing in funky contexts
- Reading and executing written-out horn solos
- Rhythmic precision and pocket awareness in syncopated grooves
- Section balance and blend in tight harmonic arrangements
- Listening comprehension and response to cued entrances