Instrumental Solos by Special Arrangement: Clarinet Book & CD

Strommen's arrangements solve a real pedagogical challenge: clarinetists at the intermediate level can sound genuinely jazz-informed without needing to learn improvisation first. The recorded accompaniments (included on CD) anchor the style, allowing students to hear themselves in a real jazz context while focusing entirely on interpretation, phrasing, and tone. The standard-song repertoire is familiar enough that audiences recognize these tunes immediately, making every performance feel polished and professional.

These arrangements capture the unhurried sophistication of golden-age jazz standards. The clarinet sits comfortably in its singing range, allowing a warm, lyrical tone to carry tunes that made singers famous. Each piece swings with gentle propulsion rather than frenetic energy, inviting you to explore rubato, tone color, and phrasing without the pressure of making up the music on the fly.

Intermediate clarinetists (Grades 2½ to 3) who want to perform jazz standards convincingly without learning improvisation. Solo recital players and advanced students in concert bands or orchestras looking to diversify their performance experience will find this especially useful.

• Spend time with the recorded accompaniment before performing live. Let the rhythm section's pulse and harmonic movement become your reference point; this frees you to focus on phrasing rather than timekeeping.
• Lean into the jazz articulation markings throughout. Strommen's notation guides you toward the style, so honor the staccatos, the longer note values, and the spots where legato feels warm rather than classical.
• Shape your dynamics with jazz vocabulary in mind. These standards demand subtle swell and release within phrases rather than the longer arcs of classical music; listen to vocal recordings of these tunes to hear how singers breathe through them.
• Treat the variation section as your chance to personalize the arrangement. Although Strommen provides the melody and harmony, a little rubato or a slight rhythmic push in certain measures makes the performance feel owned rather than read.

Feature one of these as a solo in a concert band program, where it offers a stylistic break from classical wind band repertoire. Alternatively, program several in sequence at a solo recital to demonstrate technical control and musical maturity across multiple jazz standards; the collection's range (from the introspective 'My Funny Valentine' to the buoyant 'Strike Up the Band') provides natural narrative arc.

• Jazz articulation and phrasing (swing eighths, tonguing clarity, legit legato in jazz context)
• Listening and responding to recorded accompaniment
• Interpreting jazz standards through articulation, dynamics, and rubato
• Navigating variation sections within a melodic framework
• Understanding and executing jazz style conventions without improvisation