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SCORES & SHEET MUSIC

For all you clarinetists out there, here's one of my etudes for any clarinet -
free download:
Etude for Bass Clarinet

Jazz Combo Charts  for High School or Middle School. 
These jazz tunes draw on a variety of musical styles including, funk, swing, rock, 
2nd line, groove based, post bop, and latin, all with flexible instrumentation 
that give plenty of options for creativity and improvisation for all players.

 

Easy enough for quick results but challenging enough to push some limits, and with styles to appeal to current sensibilities; contemporary but classic, jazz to funk to rock, these pieces span the modern, era and can appeal to students on any instrument.
The charts are great for 6th to 12th grade age groups; w
ritten for 4 parts, plus Rhythm section as follows:
1st part, Trumpet; 2nd part, Alto sax; 3rd part, Tenor Sax; 4th part, Trombone;
plus standard rhythm section  of Piano, Guitar, Bass and Drums. 

Please specify format when ordering;

$40.00 (USD) Sibelius file emailed to you.

$45.00 (USD) hard copy score and parts as written;, free US shipping.  
Paypal preferred.  Send payments to: timottomusic@gmail.com -
Check - Please make checks payable to Tim Otto. Sorry no credit cards.
All the recordings on this page are of an eight piece band - 4 horns and 4 rhythm; but the tunes can reduced or expanded  to be playable by as little as a trio rhythm section + 2 horns, up to a standard Big Band.

 

The Compositions

1. Brass Blowout - Jazz Rock        
A simple call and response rhythmic figure sets up section A, transitioning to a 3 part harmony melody in the bridge. This is a good tune to feature your piano soloist, but it can be opened up for any instrument. A pentatonic soli with added counterpoint brings it back to the DS at the bridge, and b
ack to the main melody to end. Easy. Key of Eb  

Full score PDF

 

2. Dogs in Space - Spy Rock         
A rock groove in the bass, piano and drums sets up the horns for a high energy long note intro and melody at letter B. Feature your drummer at the key change at letter G for a big, take no prisoners finale. Medium difficult. (Trumpets to high D.) Key of D minor

Full score PDF

 

3. Lazy Days - ¾ Rock Ballad          
A slow rock ballad with simple piano voicings and an arppegiated guitar vamp. A flowing melody leads to 3 part counterpoint and a bright trumpet melody in Sergeant Pepper style. Long notes complement the melodies leading to a key change finale. No solos.
Medium easy. Key of Bb

Full score PDF

 

 

4. Too Cool for School - Swing rock/Latin             
This catchy tune has an easy going groove set up by the rhythm section at letter A with the bass doubling the LH piano. The melody in the alto and tenor enter at B with varied instrumentation through letter C. At D the groove changes to funky latin – take extra care with the bass part – and builds back to the melody at E. The tenor sax solos at F over an easy II-V modulating up a step and back. After the solo, a DS to letter D (the bridge), and to the melody once more to the coda and fine. 
Medium difficult. Key of F

Full score PDF

 

5. Waltz for Eddie - Slow swing waltz             
This song was written for, and is dedicated to a dear colleague of mine the late, great Eddie Locke. A superb swing drummer known for his long stints with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge, Eddie was also in the most famous jazz photo ever taken, A Great Day in Harlem, and can been seen extensively in the documentary of the same name. Eddie and I taught at the same school for over 15 years together, and I wrote this song for him and our students after his passing in 2009.
An easy groove in ¾ time in the rhythm sections sets up the song for 2 part counterpoint and modulation between major and minor with plenty of dynamics. 2 guitar parts - lead and rhythm. Bass Clarinet can substitute for Tenor Sax. No solos. Easy. Key of F

Full score PDF

 

6. Westside Drive - Latin Rock         
For this pop groove tune, you have to imagine that you’re cruising on your bike in your favorite park. After a ‘bell tone’ intro with the horns, the melody rolls over the different grooves based on a II V in F concert, then modulating to Bb/F  in the bridge.
Letter G is open for solos by any instrument; easy, quiet backgrounds pad the solo back to a DS al coda. Medium. Key of F

Full score PDF

 

7. Dee Minor Blues      
An easy minor blues with a primary melody range of only a 5th. Using only one type of chord (minor 7th),  it’s great piece to introduce improvising – great for pentatonic and/or any type of minor scale application. After setting up the vamp, the melody enters in 3 part harmony at letter A; add the counter melody at the 2nd chorus at letter B. Open it up for solos, then use the melody at letter A (D.S) as the background for the last solo; then letter B and take the coda. Good piece to use your flute player, (or doubling sax player on flute), and as a nice optional color, mute the trumpet with unison flute. Bass Clarinet can nicely substitute for the tenor sax. Easy. Key of D minor

Full score PDF

 

8. Trevorpalooza - Marching Band Funk         
Named after the school where I have taught band for 18 years – The Trevor Day School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. 
This tune is based on a ‘2nd line’ New Orleans street marching band feel. After setting up the cut-time vamp in the intro, the woodwinds come in with the melody augmented with brass hits. Trumpet and trombone take the melody for the bridge, then it’s back to the woodwinds before stop-time tutti hits at letter D. Feature your drummer and other soloists over this repeated section, adding instruments either soloing with the drums, or go free-form and build it up with whoever want to solo. Bring it home with a cue to letter E and back to the melody and coda. Medium difficult. Key of C

Full score PDF

 

9. Rock the Blues - Swing Blues        
A simple blues using 3 interlocking riff-based melodic patterns in basic 2 part harmony. Trombone takes the solo, then horns come in with a simple soli that can be used alone or as a background to the last chorus of the solo(s). Patterns can be mixed ad lib for 2 and 3 part counterpoint. Easy. Key of G

 Full score PDF

Tim Otto & Harmony Hall  are...

Tim Otto - Tenor Sax, All compositions, & arrangments

Peck Allmond - trumpet 
Steve Elson -  Alto Sax  http://www.steveelson.com

Curtis Hasselbring - Trombone  http://www.curha.com
Barney McAll - Piano & Rhodes  http://www.barneymcall.com
Cameron Greider - Guitar   http://www.myspace.com/camerongreider
John Mettam - Drums   http://www.johnmettam.com 
Dom Richards - Bass

Brass Blowout - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Dogs In Space - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Lazy days - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Too Cool For School - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Waltz For Ediie - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Westside Drive - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Dee Minor Blues - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Trevorpalooza - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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Rock The Blues - Tim Otto & Harmony Hall
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