Solo Instrument: Alto

INSTRUMENTATION
STYLE
DIFFICULTY
VOCALS
PERFORMER
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trombone
    • Drums

    Vestigiophony

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    Vestigiophony is a winding dance tempo swing tune that is loosely based on Wayne Shorter's composition Footprints, if that tune was written and arranged by Duke Ellington for Johnny Hodges' seven piece band. Horns are often concerted in 4-part voicings, all building to solos, then to a shout chorus with drum solo fills.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 4
    TEMPO quarter note = 160
    Trumpet
    Range
    F6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari
    • Trombone

    Emerald

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    Emerald is a Rocco and the Stompers original that primarily features the alto sax with triad counterpoint a la Johnny Hodges and Duke Ellington. This is a fun an interesting chart considering how relatively easy it is, and it's always a hit with dancers!
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 2
    TEMPO quarter note = 150
    Trumpet
    Range
    Gb5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trombone

    Hobbledehoy

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    Hobbledehoy is a long outdated word meaning a clumsy or awkward youth. This tune captures that spirit while still swinging and providing a perfect foundation for dancers. The melody is mostly in unison with some riffs and 3-part background lines behind the solos. This one is a hit that your band will love!
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 2
    TEMPO quarter note = 140
    Trumpet
    Range
    F5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Bass
    • Piano
    • Drums

    The Wilhelm Scream

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    The Wilhelm Scream is a flag waving jam session tune in the spirit of a Basie-style Lester Leaps In or a Shaw-style Diga Diga Doo that is open for solos for any/all instruments in the band. Built modularly, there are unique horn backgrounds that can be played depending on which instrument is soloing, with a final cued shout chorus that brings the house down!
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 3
    TEMPO quarter note = 230
    Trumpet
    Range
    Bb5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    A Stompers Recrudescence

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    A Stompers Recrudescence is a killer finale piece. It starts with a windup intro, like a train leaving the station, before hitting a pre-head fanfare, then goes on to features all four horn players, an infectious blues head, and a huge final two choruses.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 3
    TEMPO quarter note = 175
    Trumpet
    Range
    Bb5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari

    Margie

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    Margie is a classic early jazz standard that was popular during the hot jazz and swing eras and is due for a comeback! This alto feature is built up like a Sy Oliver/Jimmie Lunceford arrangement, with a simple melody part and a bouncy and angular 3-part horn counterpart.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 4
    TEMPO quarter note = 150
    Trumpet
    Range
    Gb6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Bari

    Look for the Silver Lining

    as performed by Rocco and the Stompers
    $65
    This alto feature is a perfect tempo for new dancers and has some very cool background lines from the trio of trumpet, trombone, and bari sax. Let your alto play out a la Johnny Hodges and have your trio dig in with some conviction and this chart will swing hard.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 2
    TEMPO quarter note = 125
    Trumpet
    Range
    F5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trombone

    Diga Diga Doo (reduction)

    as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra
    $60
    Diga Diga Doo was a heavily covered tune in the 1920s and '30s, but Artie Shaw's version was one of the tightest. A hard swinging and nimble riff vehicle that has some room for solos as well, Diga is a great upbeat piece that isn't too tricky and has lots of fun moments!
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 3
    TEMPO quarter note = 205
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    King Porter Stomp (reduction)

    as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra
    $60
    When Benny Goodman hired Fletcher Henderson, he turned the band's sound upside down, ushering in a new era of popular music. King Porter Stomp is demonstrative of the Henderson arranging style and is truly a Swing Era anthem. Solo space for several instruments, lots of tight ensemble work, and a roaring finish at the perfect dancing tempo makes this a quintessential piece in any big band's library!
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 4
    TEMPO quarter note = 184
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    Keep Punchin’ (reduction)

    as performed by the Lee Norman Orchestra
    $60
    Also known as "The Big Apple Contest," Keep Punchin' is a swing dancer staple and a must-have for any band that will ever play for swing dancers! After the famous simple intro a brass trio work plays off of a sax riff, and from there on it's simple burnin' riffs all the way home, with lots of great brass plunger work.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 2
    TEMPO quarter note = 200
    Trumpet
    Range
    Eb5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Trumpet

    Minnie the Moocher’s Wedding (reduction)

    as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra
    $60
    This wild piece starts out with Fletcher Henderson quoting of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March," but after two bars it's off to the races with tons of intricate riffs, solos, and a rowdy shout chorus at the end. Watch out for the lightening quick mute changing, which was standard practice in the 1930s. This piece makes a great wedding reception opener and many working bands using it now will open up the first solo section as a vamp to introduce a wedding party.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 4
    TEMPO quarter note = 185
    Trumpet
    Range
    C6
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone

    Lindyhopper’s Delight (reduction)

    as performed by the Chick Webb Orchestra
    $60
    As standard dance repertoire, Lindyhopper's Delight is a catchy riff tune with a startlingly modern middle chorus that features some relatively harsh sax harmonies flanked by thickly-voiced plunger-supported brass hits. The final chorus is a raucous one, even though the brass are in full octave unison on a concert Bb! This is a great tune for any library though, and a good, albeit sometimes tricky, introduction to plungers for younger brass players.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 2
    TEMPO quarter note = 195
    Trumpet
    Range
    A5
    • Solos
    • Alto
    • Tenor
    • Bari
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • Piano

    Man From Mars (reduction)

    as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra
    $60
    Man From Mars is an uptempo puncher with some slick solo spots and cool riffs for each section. A little intricate for a level 3, but not quite as demanding as a level 4, this piece swings hard and ends with a bang.
    Instrumentation Ellington 7-Piece
    Style Swing Era
    Level 3
    TEMPO quarter note = 230
    Trumpet
    Range
    D6

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