Young Jazz Ensemble Collection: 2nd B-flat Tenor Saxophone Book

You'll swing through blues and ballads, snap into Latin grooves, navigate the quirky 5/4 time of Take Five, and play holiday music that grooves instead of sounds meek. The solos give you a taste of jazz improvisation while the ensemble passages put you in the heart of the band's sound.

Young tenor saxophone players in beginning to intermediate jazz ensembles who are ready to move beyond simple unison parts. These charts work for school jazz groups, youth jazz bands, and community ensembles with modest instrumentation where every player needs to feel the full sound of a real jazz band.

• Balance the tenor sax section with the other saxes by listening for blend in tutti passages; your tone should sit comfortably between the altos and baritone rather than dominating.
• Work through the written solos slowly first to understand the harmonic movement and phrasing, then gradually build tempo and swing feel.
• Pay attention to the rhythm section's suggestions in your part; coordinating with their voicings and chord colors makes the ensemble sound cohesive.
• In the Latin and rock charts, lock your rhythmic figures with the bass and drums rather than playing ahead of or behind the beat.

Build a full jazz ensemble concert around these twelve titles; the variety of styles and tempos means you can program them thematically (open with uptempo swingers, move into a ballad section, close strong) or mix them throughout the set to keep energy shifting. Several titles are accessible enough to include in a spring concert even with limited rehearsal time.

• Reading and executing swing eighth-note feel and rhythmic nuance
• Playing written solos as a bridge toward improvisation
• Ensemble blend and balance in saxophone section parts
• Reading and responding to chord symbols and harmonic movement
• Playing in mixed meters (5/4 in Take Five alongside standard 4/4)
• Listening for and matching rhythm section voicings and comping patterns
• Interpreting style-specific articulation and phrasing across swing, ballad, Latin, and rock contexts