The Best of Big and Easy, Volume 2: Horn in B-flat Book

This collection delivers 15 songs your audience actually wants to hear, all of them written at a level that doesn't demand extensive sectional time to land well. The rhythm section foundation (keyboard, electric bass, drums) is built into these arrangements, so your horn section gets to focus on locking in the melody and counterlines without carrying the harmonic and rhythmic load. You get genuine variety across styles and moods without the commitment of programming separate charts.

From the swagger of "Bad to the Bone" to the bounce of "Funkytown" to the straightforward Americana of "Manhattan Beach," these 15 songs cover genuine ground. You'll move between blues grooves, pop hooks, and standards that audiences recognize from film and television, giving the horn section memorable moments at nearly every turn.

This book is built for horn players in marching bands and jazz ensembles who want to play recognizable, high-energy material without extensive preparation time. Community bands, school jazz programs, and pep bands find this collection especially useful when programming varied repertoire for casual performances and events.

• Balance your tone against the keyboard and bass to sit cleanly in the mix; these arrangements depend on the horn section being heard without overshadowing the groove.
• Lock your articulation with the rhythm section, especially on the funkier tunes where rhythmic precision defines the feel.
• Phrase over the bar lines rather than landing hard on each measure; many of these melodies breathe better when you let the line shape guide your phrasing.

Pull individual charts from this collection for pep band performances, community events, and casual concerts where you need dependable arrangements that don't require heavy rehearsal investment. The mix of styles and tempos also makes these effective as optional readings during sectional time or as fun closers for band camp and rehearsal sessions.

• Locking rhythm and groove with rhythm section instruments
• Playing with flexible phrasing across different musical styles (blues, pop, funk, standards)
• Balancing tone and volume in mixed instrumentation settings
• Reading and executing articulation changes quickly across contrasting musical contexts