KMEA Jazz Bass Trombone All State 2020-2021Friends- Jim Snidero

A quick read of the KMEA 2020-2021 All State Jazz Bass Trombone track “Friends” from Jim Snidero’s Jazz Conception book.

The main goal I strive for when playing these charts is trying to imitate the style out button pushing colleagues would use. Full connection from eighth note to eighth note using the partials to facilitate the swing feel where needed. 

What I mean is playing everything with a legato tongue unless notated short and separated. The tenor trombone players can use the close partials in the higher octaves to facilitate the swing easier than the bass trombone players in this octave. I would suggest playing these licks up an octave to get the style in your ear and do your best to imitate it in the lower octave. I personally like to approach this with two different mindsets, a lead player AND a bass player. Lead when it feel like a lead line, and bass when basically its a low Bb and lower. 

Practice this slow since you do ultimately have to play it with the backing track. You don’t want top be surprised with tempos and start playing clunky and marching band-y. The biggest trap I found was going into the break from measures 29-32. I wanted to speed up and compress the eighth notes initially.  BUT, it does feel like the track speeds up on this section as well.

Just sit back on this and try to keep the rhythm section in your ear as they cut out.

There are a few position suggestions throughout some of them I use, some of them I don’t. It’s really up to what you can do to get the job done. 

The point of this chart isn’t to teach you trombone specific technique. Instead it is designed to help with style, jazz phrasing, improvisation and interpretation. That’s why these books come with play along recordings that have an example solo as well as just the rhythm section.  Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to play what isn’t on the page!

For more help or just some personal pointers schedule a lesson here!