Original Big Band Sounds: 1st Trombone Book

These transcriptions capture the swagger and precision of the classic big band era in their original orchestrations and voicings. Hest has preserved the improvised solos note-for-note from the recordings, so your trombone section doesn't just play the parts; they learn directly from the masters themselves. Programmers get nine essential standards in a single collection, all road-tested on the bandstand by the bands that made them legendary.

Energetic and sophisticated. The swing grooves settle into your body immediately; the section work is tightly woven and demands precision, while the improvised solo transcriptions invite you to inhabit the sound and phrasing of players who defined the instrument. There's a joy in these arrangements that comes from decades of bands perfecting them.

Jazz ensemble directors and serious trombone players (1st chair level) who want to study and perform authentic big band arrangements without simplification. High school jazz bands with solid fundamentals and college jazz ensembles will find these transcriptions invaluable as both performance vehicles and educational resources.

• Listen to the original recordings before rehearsal. Hearing the context of your line (the section riffing around it, the rhythm section's pocket, the overall energy) makes the page come alive. You're not just reading notes; you're learning a style.
• Pay attention to Hest's articulation and phrasing markings. They reflect how the original soloists and section players attacked these phrases, so honoring them shapes your tone and attack authentically.
• Lock the rhythm section's time feel early. Big band swing relies on a steady, relaxed groove; getting the drums, bass, and rhythm guitar locked together first gives the horn section a solid foundation.
• Blend with your fellow trombonists in the section riffs. The written harmony and voicing work only when all three bones are listening to each other and matching tone quality and attack.

Build a full big band concert around this collection, mixing uptempo showstoppers like "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Sing, Sing, Sing" with the more lyrical "Moonlight Serenade" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" for dynamic contrast. Alternatively, select two or three titles to anchor a jazz ensemble performance that includes your own original compositions or arrangements, giving audiences a sense of where jazz ensemble tradition comes from.

• Reading complex jazz harmony and chord changes in context
• Transcription and solo interpretation; learning how to phrase and swing through studying recorded solos
• Section balance and voicing in arranged big band writing
• Style and tone flexibility across nine different standards
• Ensemble listening and lock within rhythm section grooves