Star Eyes: 4th Trombone

Dave Wolpe's arrangement captures everything that makes a Grade 3 jazz chart work: the tune swings hard at 152 BPM without overwhelming young players, the ensemble voicings sit perfectly in the middle register, and the written-out trumpet 2 and piano solos give students concrete models to learn from rather than asking them to improvise over changes they haven't internalized yet. The optional vibes part lets you scale the sonics to your instrumentation, and the contest-festival designation means this chart rewards rehearsal time in ways that matter.

Buoyant and purposeful. The tune has the uncomplicated charm of a standard that's easy to remember, and Wolpe's tight ensemble writing gives the band a sense of cohesion and forward motion. At 152 BPM, it feels like a real swing date, not a practice exercise.

Jazz ensemble directors leading Grade 2-4 students who are ready for a chart with real swing character and enough solo opportunities to develop soloists without requiring advanced improvisation skills. This works equally well for a festival submission, a jazz concert feature, or a teaching tool that models how to execute clean ensemble playing and defined solo phrasing.

• Lock the comping rhythm section into a unified subdivision of the beat at 152 BPM; even slight hesitation in the piano and bass will flatten the swing feel that makes this arrangement sing.
• Treat the ensemble soli as opportunities to refine blend and balance rather than as features for individual standouts; Wolpe's voicings are designed to be heard as a unit.
• Study the written solos for trumpet 2 and piano before assigning them to students; these solos teach jazz vocabulary and phrasing that players can reference in future improvisations.
• If you add vibes, ensure the player understands their rhythmic placement within the section; vibes can brighten the sound but muddy it if they're not locking with the piano and bass.

Program this as a centerpiece for a jazz concert set, pairing it with a slower ballad and an uptempo feature to show your ensemble's range. It also works beautifully as a contest or festival selection because the arrangement rewards clean section work and defined solo execution without asking for improvisation that might derail a tightly scored performance.

• Executing swing eighth notes at a brisk tempo (152 BPM)
• Reading and playing written jazz vocabulary and phrasing
• Balancing ensemble voicings across the mid-register
• Comping and harmonic support in a rhythm section context
• Solo execution from a notated chart (trumpet 2, piano)
• Listening for blend and intonation in jazz ensemble sonics