Trumpet Archives - Danny Fratina

Solos

That’s Rhythm

as performed by Rex Stewart & His 52nd St. Stompers

$60

The unassumingly-titled "That's Rhythm" is a colorful tune that straddles the line between the swing era and the bebop era. Written by Ellington sideman Rex Stewart for his own shorter-lived 4-horn band, "Rhythm" features a punchy and memorable head and lots of solo space.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 148
Trumpet Range

Solos

Johnson Rag

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Johnson Rag is an old, relatively obscure tune, seen here fleshed out into a fat swinging arrangement influenced by the writing style of Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson. The chart includes a bass/piano/bari riff, the trombone on the melody, a trumpet/alto pep section, and an original bridge, all with a middle section featuring a brass battle.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

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	= 230
Trumpet Range

Lindyhopper's Delight 4-horns score sample

Solos

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	= 195
Trumpet Range

Solos

Bugle Call Rag (reduction)

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$60

Bugle Call Rag is an all out flag waver that was a major hit for Benny Goodman. With simple chords and riffs and lots of solo space, this burning boogie-woogie/swing hybrid swings hard and is a quintessential swing era anthem.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 235
Trumpet Range

Minnie The Moocher's Wedding 4-horn score sample

Solos

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	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

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	= 200
Trumpet Range

Solos

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	= 184
Trumpet Range

Pickin' the Cabbage 4-horns score sample

Solos

Pickin’ the Cabbage (reduction)

as performed by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

$60

Written for Cab Calloway's band, Pickin' the Cabbage is Dizzy Gillespie's first ever big band composition. The slick tune features a great melody for a trio and many hints of modern bebop and afro-cuban music that would later be Gillespie's trademark.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swingin’ the Blues

as performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra

$80

This early Count Basie barn burner absolutely crushes on the blues, with catchy section work, a killer shout chorus, and solo space for both tenors and two trumpets. Starting small up front in the key of C, this arrangement builds up with great riffs, a Durham/Lunceford style chromatic modulation, and a massive shout chorus in two parts.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 225
Trumpet Range

Solos

American Patrol

as performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

$80

American Patrol hit #15 on the Billboard charts in 1942 and was one of Glenn Miller's last hits before joining the military and powered by a creative Jerry Gray arrangement it still holds up today. Mostly full of tight ensemble playing and only a single 16-bar solo, American Patrol is a staple of every big band book.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Anchors Aweigh

as performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

$80

Anchors Aweigh is a classic Glenn Miller flag waver and it is a beast of chart. Lightning fast mute changes, rapid fire horn lines, swinging fanfare sections, and a rager of a back half make this is a difficult but exciting chart despite the unassuming source material it's based off of.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 270
Trumpet Range

Solos

Lumbersexual

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Lumbersexual is a grooving blues at the perfect medium dance tempo that features a catchy melody, built-in call and responses with soloists, and a huge final chorus. This original Rocco and the Stompers tune works well as a set opener, closer, or mid-set energy booster and never fails to get dancers engaged!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swing Psychometry

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Swing Psychometry is a trumpet feature that pushes the limits of swing era vocabulary. Full of 10 bar phrases and Ellington and Coltrane-inspired harmony, this interesting piece pops out in your book as something unusual yet familiar.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Solos

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	= 175
Trumpet Range

Solos

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	= 230
Trumpet Range

Solos

Pletchtastic

as performed by Rocco and the Stompers

$65

Pletchtastic is a tongue-in-cheek titled song commissioned for Club Drosselmeyer. A simple Bb blues riff melody, solos for every instrument, no backgrounds, and a big intro and ending makes this a great opener, closer, or mid-set rest piece for your horns.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Do Some War Work, Baby inst score sample

Solos

Do Some War Work, Baby (instrumental)

as performed by Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters

$60

This Cootie Williams number is a great easy piece that still authentically swings hard. The original recording of Do Some War Work, Baby has a vocal chorus in the middle, but this transcription replaces it with a solo chorus for bari sax and alters the ending to make it fully instrumental. The vocal version can be found here.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
TEMPO	= 140
Trumpet Range

Solos

Ruined

as performed by the Danny Fratina Jazz Orchestra

$95

Ruined is a funky chamber jazz tune with feature space for guitar and trumpet. It starts with saxes only with no rhythm section, adding in trombones, then trumpets, before building into a guitar solo. The trumpet solo gets some space over trombone chorale before the rhythm section jumps back in, and it ends with a dismantling of each section until nothing is left but the five saxes. Each horn player keeping good time is critical for this composition, but the reward is a lush and exciting groove-based piece.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	4
TEMPO	= 90
Trumpet Range

Solos

Melanchology

as performed by the Danny Fratina Jazz Orchestra

$95

Melanchology is a moody medium tempo piece that is designed to be sophisticated but accessible. The opening march-like texture is supported by colorful nonfunctional harmony, leading all the way to a diminishing spacey ending. It's an easy level 3 with solo space for your best trumpet soloist and a little space for guitar and piano.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Modern Jazz
Level	3
TEMPO	= 150
Trumpet Range

Solos

Up An Atom

as performed by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

$80

Another killin' Edwin Finckel original, Up an Atom pushes Gene Krupa's young orchestra to the limit, blurring the line between swing and bebop. Long stretches of solo space and plenty of great ensemble passages makes this a great flagwaver.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop, Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 212
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Right Idea (reduction)

as performed by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra

$60

Charlie Barnet wrote a trio of "Idea" pieces: one that paid tribute to Duke Ellington, one that parodied the unhip bands of the day, and this one, The Right Idea, a piece that Barnet felt represented a quintessential swing chart. With solo space for several instruments and some great riffs and lines, you can tell right away that Barnet was spot on!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

You Talk a Little Trash

as performed by Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters

$60

Aside from a little chromaticism on the bridge, You Talk a Little Trash is a solid level 1 swinger. Most of the melody is unison, the changes are simple, the tempo is an easy-going 160bpm, and the lines are timeless. Cootie Williams shows that you can do a lot with a little on this catchy chart.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Do Some War Work, Baby

as performed by Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters

$60

This Cootie Williams number is a great easy piece that still authentically swings hard. Do Some War Work, Baby has a vocal chorus in the middle, but an instrumental adaptation is available here, replacing the vocals with a solo chorus for bari sax and altering the ending.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
Vocals	Male
TEMPO	= 140
Trumpet Range

Solos

Why Not

as performed by the Chubby Jackson Big Band

$80

This Tiny Kahn chart is very consistent throughout with great lines and moving harmony. Filled with plenty of solo space around the band and some killin' trumpet lines, there are brief bursts of shout chorus pieces that build up past the final head out. Why Not is tough on the lead trumpet but worth the challenge.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Bebop
Level	4
TEMPO	= 165-185
Trumpet Range

Solos

When the Quail Come Back to San Quentin

as performed by Artie Shaw and the Gramercy Five

$60

This hip Artie Shaw original features a little of everyone at the perfect dance tempo. Anecdotally, When the Quail Come Back to San Quentin was written in response to a music business insider's request for Shaw to play a sappy hit of the day. Shaw instead went live to air with this antithetical parody that seriously swings.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 170
Trumpet Range

Solos

Song of the Volga Boatman

as performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra

$80

This swingin' Bill Finegan arrangement of a traditional Russian folk shanty has some great ensemble work, several peaks, and a rare jazz canon for the brass! Some simple plunger work helps ground it in the swing era, and a huge finale with harmony way ahead of it's time makes Song of the Volga Boatman a killer addition to any big band book.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 135
Trumpet Range

Solos

Woodchopper’s Ball

as performed by the Woody Herman Orchestra

$80

Woodchopper's Ball was Woody Herman's first big hit and would continue to be rewritten and rearranged for decades as a major anthem for him and his various Herds. Plenty of solo space and easy riffing can be found here over a medium tempo Db blues. This is a great, authentic introduction to the swing era and the blues form makes it playable for a band of any level!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
TEMPO	= 175
Trumpet Range

Solos

Pickin’ the Cabbage

as performed by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

$80

Written for Cab Calloway's band, Pickin' the Cabbage is Dizzy Gillespie's first ever big band composition. The slick tune features a great melody for a trio and many hints of modern bebop and afro-cuban music that would later be Gillespie's trademark.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Rendezvous with Rhythm

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Rendezvous with Rhythm is a unique tune that bridges the gap between hot jazz and swing with plenty of space for solos. Simple riffs and a tidy shout chorus drive this deceptively swinging Ellington/Hodges chart to a quiet and abrupt ending.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 194
Trumpet Range

Solos

I Know What You Do

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

This obscure tune swings along with great riffs and colorful ensemble moments. I Know What You Do is a bit more chromatic than other level 2 Ellington pieces, but it all fits nicely together.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 180
Trumpet Range

Solos

King Porter Stomp

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

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	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 184
Trumpet Range

Solos

Bugle Call Rag

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

Bugle Call Rag is an all out flag waver that was a major hit for Benny Goodman. With simple chords and riffs and lots of solo space, this burning boogie-woogie/swing hybrid swings hard and is a quintessential swing era anthem.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 235
Trumpet Range

Solos

Annie Laurie

as performed by Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra

$80

This is a killer arrangement of an old Scottish song that is full of meat and potato ensemble work. Beware the aggressive brass solos though: Solo trumpet plays up to a high F at the end, and they'll need to pull off the Paul Webster fireworks before then (the exact solo is written out but optional). You'll also need a lead trombonist to blast his way up to a HIGH F.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Minnie the Moocher’s Wedding

as performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

$80

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	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

Keep Punchin’

as performed by the Lee Norman Orchestra

$80

Also known as "The Big Apple Contest," this 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	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 200
Trumpet Range

Solos

Lindyhopper’s Delight

as performed by the Chick Webb Orchestra

$80

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	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 195
Trumpet Range

Solos

Man From Mars

as performed by the Artie Shaw Orchestra

$80

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	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 230
Trumpet Range

Solos

O Holy Night

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

From the Beantown Swing Orchestra 2011 holiday album A Beantown Christmas, what starts as a traditional-sounding orchestral jazz arrangement of the Christmas classic warps into a Duke Ellington style R&B swinger. Reflective and introspective moments balance against soulful bluesy cries in this powerhouse arrangement that has a little something for everyone.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	4
Vocals	Male
TEMPO	= 65
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swingin’ on the Campus

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Swingin' on the Campus is an aggressive hard swinging tune jam packed with killer riffs and solo space. This simply-constructed piece is built on a variation of rhythm changes and is a difficult level 2 because of the relatively high tempo and brass endurance.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 195
Trumpet Range

Solos

Empty Ballroom Blues

as performed by Johnny Hodges

$60

Empty Ballroom Blues (which is not a blues!) is an Hodges/Ellington piece with great big riffs and big solo sections, and it makes for a great finale number!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 190
Trumpet Range

Solos

Swinging in the Dell

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

This upbeat Hodges/Ellington piece is a variation on the old nursery rhyme The Farmer in the Dell. After a statement of the melody, it's all solos with background riffs until the melody comes back at the end. Swinging in the Dell is a very simple solo vehicle that's great for getting dancers on the floor!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 190
Trumpet Range

Solos

Savoy Strut

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Savoy Strut is a major hidden gem from the swing era! Duke Ellington starts the tune up with an unusually angular intro, which takes us to a winding but singable head. The soloists play over a beautiful and remarkable chord progression which also features some player-specific orchestration choices that take advantage of the unique sounds of his players. A must-have for any Ellington 7-piece ensemble!

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Skunk Hollow Blues

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Skunk Hollow Blues is a very laid back colorful blues and a fantastic rare gem of the swing era. The intro and head features plunger trumpet on one line, bari and trombone on another, and the alto on a third melody, a rare true 3-part counterpoint! Riffs and triadic voicings back up a couple of solos, leading to an ending chorus that is half based on the head and half new material full of creeping chromatic motion full of dynamics.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	2
TEMPO	= 125
Trumpet Range

Solos

Who Struck John?

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Also known as "Non-Violent Integration", Who Struck John? is a very simple but very cool head tune. This arrangement is unusual in its use of rock/metal style parallel fifths in the rhythm section, otherwise known in modern times as barre chords. This is a chart for jamming on a straight-ahead D Major blues, with solo space for nearly everyone.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	1
TEMPO	= 160
Trumpet Range

Solos

Good Queen Bess

as performed by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

$60

Good Queen Bess is a standout riff tune from the Hodges/Ellington book, complete with a lighthearted, catchy melody, and player-unique background voicings. The solo changes are fairly standard but colorful and make for a great jam vehicle for your band.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 150
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Back Room Romp (A Contrapuntal Stomp)

as performed by Rex Stewart and His 52nd Street Stompers

$60

Back Room Romp is basically a simple blues in Ab, but there is a twist: the head is a series of building independent lines, thus a "Contrapuntal Stomp." Every horn player gets a solo chorus. The lead trumpet part is a bit of a blow, but this was written for longtime Ellington sideman, trumpeter Rex Stewart, who had the chops to play all day.

Instrumentation	Ellington 7-Piece
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 154
Trumpet Range

Solos

The Right Idea

as performed by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra

$80

Charlie Barnet wrote a trio of "Idea" pieces: one that paid tribute to Duke Ellington, one that parodied the unhip bands of the day, and this one, The Right Idea, a piece that Barnet felt represented a truly quintessential swing chart. With solo space for several instruments and some great riffs and lines, you can tell right away that Barnet was spot on!

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Swing Era
Level	3
TEMPO	= 185
Trumpet Range

Solos

Christmas Land

as performed by the Beantown Swing Orchestra

$95

An original song off the 2011 Beantown Swing Orchestra album A Beantown Christmas, "Christmas Land" is a light-hearted, swinging tune about the magical world of fun and happiness where all things Christmas are created. There are several solo spaces for trumpet and some great swinging ensemble parts reminiscent of Nelson Riddle's work for Frank Sinatra.

Instrumentation	Big Band
Style	Pop Jazz
Level	4
Vocals	Female
TEMPO	= 124
Trumpet Range

Solo Instrument: Trumpet

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