What Else Can I Play: Jazz & Blues: Trumpet & Piano Book

These pieces invite a different kind of musicality than student trumpet books typically offer. You'll find the relaxed swing of jazz standards, the grit and emotional directness of blues, and moments where simple melodies reveal the genre's underlying sophistication when played with the right feel and phrasing.

Elementary-level trumpet students (Grades 1-3) who are ready to explore beyond classical repertoire and want to develop fluency in jazz and blues styles. This collection works equally well for private studio teachers introducing stylistic variety and for band directors seeking accessible jazz literature for young ensembles.

• Listen to recordings of jazz and blues trumpet players before rehearsing. Hear how jazz articulation differs from classical tonguing, and how blues players bend pitches and shape phrases with a looser, more expressive vibrato.
• Work with your pianist on the feel and groove of each piece. Jazz and blues depend on rhythmic conversation between instruments; locking in the pocket with the accompaniment shapes the sound more than perfect intonation alone.
• Explore the written articulation marks as expressive tools, not just technical directions. Staccato in jazz often means rhythmic placement and note length, not harshness.

Introduce one or two pieces early in the year as informal recital material or for departmental jazz events alongside classical solos. Alternately, sequence them throughout the year as supplementary repertoire when teaching jazz history or blues history units, allowing students to connect what they're learning in music class to music they can actually play.

• Jazz articulation and phrasing (swing eighths, syncopation, loose tonguing)
• Blues tonality and bending (including blues scale awareness and expressive pitch variation)
• Reading and performing syncopated rhythms common to both genres
• Collaborative ensemble listening and rhythmic communication with the pianist
• Stylistic awareness and musical interpretation beyond classical contexts