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- Solos
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 
= 154Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 230Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 270Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 150Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 235Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 175Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 235Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 185Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 184Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 184Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 160Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 135Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 230Trumpet
Range
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- Solos
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 = 184Trumpet
Range
Solo Instrument: Trumpet
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