The Breed Is Funkin': C-Bass Instruments Book & 2 CDs

These arrangements prioritize what actually happens in a funk and jazz ensemble: locking into the groove and responding to the pocket rather than rigidly executing chord changes. The included commentary for each piece signals that Weniger understands pedagogical gaps and designed this set to teach both stylistic sensibility and rhythmic trust, which are harder to convey through notation alone.

Funky, propulsive, and rhythmically inventive. These pieces swing hard and breathe with the confidence of someone who understands how lower voices anchor and drive a band. The grooves are contemporary without losing touch with jazz roots; they invite you to settle into a pocket and find creative room within it.

Trombonists, tubists, and double bassists who want to develop comfort and confidence in funk and jazz settings, whether in ensemble class, big band, or small group contexts. This set works well for musicians at the intermediate level and beyond who have solid fundamentals but need practical experience translating jazz language into the lower voices.

• Focus on the pulse and feel of the groove rather than mechanically playing through the written changes; the recorded accompaniments model how the parts interact with the rhythm section.
• Listen to where the recorded bass sits rhythmically and experiment with laying back slightly behind or pushing ahead of the beat to find where the groove locks in.
• Study the short explanations provided for each piece before rehearsing; they clarify what makes each work distinct and prevent treating all 11 pieces as interchangeable funk heads.
• Play along with the CDs repeatedly to internalize the relationship between your line and the harmonic and rhythmic environment, rather than drilling changes in isolation.

Use this as a semester-long resource for small group or private study, cycling through pieces in rehearsal to build comfort with funk and jazz idioms before performing a selection on a jazz concert. The 11 shorter pieces also work well as openers or closers for big band rehearsals, keeping ensemble members engaged in stylistic breadth beyond standard swing repertoire.

• Playing with rhythmic feel and pocket awareness rather than strict metronomic accuracy
• Recognizing and responding to groove-based compositional structures
• Listening to and locking in with rhythm section and ensemble members
• Adapting written lines to stylistic contexts (funk, groove, contemporary jazz)
• Building confidence as a lower voice part in ensemble settings