Some simple trumpet pieces - John N MacNeill
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A friend of the composer's who teaches brass intruments asked for a jazz-style trumpet piece for his young learners to play; the range of the trumpet part was not to exceed an octave (from the trumpet's middle C upwards), but accidentals were acceptable; for the piano accompaniment, no subtlety was expected, since the piano might be competing with a whole class of budding trumpeters, and pianists may choose to make their parts less basic. These pieces were the response. One or two of them are not quite in the specified octave, but the Scorch transposition facility can be used to produce sheet music in whatever key is desired. |
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Wee Bloosers is major-key blues. The piano part is rather basic (some pianists will choose to develop it) and lays down a chord sequence that recalls the big-band era. PDF sheet music: trumpet and piano; trumpet. |
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Blue Wheezers is a minor-key blues in 3/4 time, written as a companion piece for Wee Bloosers. There is now a second trumpet part, the final chord has been lengthened, and a re-written version was published on 4 October 2016. The latest version (6 May 2017) has a piano intro and various other changes. PDF sheet music: trumpets and piano; trumpets. |
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Tadd Dameron's tune Lady Bird has a pleasing lyrical quality not much associated with the bop era. The four-bar piano intro reminds the trumpeter(s) of the rhythmic pattern of the first trumpet phrase. Between the opening and closing theme statements there is an as-if-improvised variation. PDF sheet music: trumpet and piano; trumpet. |
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Biddy Laird was written as a companion piece for Lady Bird. Of these pieces, this is the one with the most rhythmic interest in the piano part. PDF sheet music: trumpet and piano; trumpet. |
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The Birth of the Blues (Ray Henderson) This arrangement goes twice through Ray Henderson's famous tune The Birth of the Blues, the second time including an as-if-improvised variation. The original choice of key (piano in Gb major) was governed by the trumpet-range requirement mentioned above, but this version is a semitone lower, and so the trumpet part is not quite in the specified octave. Some of the note-lengths in the tune have been re-written with triplets to try to mimic how a jazz trumpeter might play it. Both parts amended 31 May 2017. PDF sheet music: trumpet and piano; trumpet. |
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There have been tens of thousands of arrangements of Summertime, notably George Gershwin's own and that by Gil Evans and Miles Davis. This one is a shortened and transposed version of John MacNeill's setting for singer and jazz soloist; the lyrics have not been deleted. The original choice of key on this webpage (piano in Eb minor) was governed by the trumpet-range requirement mentioned above, but the present version is one semitone lower, and so the trumpet range is not quite in the specified octave. The trumpet part just plays the theme twice, and then repeats the last phrase, finishing with rather a long note. The piano part has a different character for the second theme statement. In the bass clef, there are just single notes throughout; so the arrangement lends itself to giving a double-bass sound to those notes, if the instrument (such as a stage piano) allows that. Audio (remix, slower - 14 May 2017) PDF sheet music: trumpet and piano; trumpet. |