Slide Hampton's World of Trombones: Body and Soul: 6 Trombones TTTTBB Conductor Score & Parts

Warm, introspective, and surprisingly orchestral. The six-part trombone texture creates a full harmonic palette that honors the standard without overshadowing it, letting the melody breathe above a rich, sonorous foundation.

Trombone ensembles and jazz bands with the instrumentation to match. This works equally well for an advanced high school program or a collegiate jazz ensemble looking to add substantive chamber music to their library.

• Establish a group sound before worrying about individual balance. Start rehearsals with exercises where all six voices move in slow, sustained chords to find a unified tone across both registers.
• Let the bass trombones anchor the harmony completely; they're not padding. Their job is to support the tenors' melodic work, so spend time on their part separately before combining.
• The ballad's emotional impact lives in the space between notes. Work for breath control and phrasing that doesn't rush; this isn't a swing chart.

Feature this at a festival or concert as a standalone piece that demonstrates what specialized instrumentation can achieve. It also pairs beautifully with other ballad arrangements or with full-band charts, giving audiences a glimpse of the trombone section's range beyond the back row of the big band.

• Balancing multiple harmonic voices within a single section
• Sustaining long phrases with consistent tone and intonation
• Reading jazz lead sheets and interpreting harmonic changes
• Blending individual sound with ensemble sound
• Understanding voice leading in jazz harmony