Jazz Ensembles

Spring 2025 Jazz Ensemble Audition Info and  Requirements

Monday, January 13: 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. — JJ 210

Please sign up for an audition time online at: https://forms.gle/BhmXzyeQNUDx9GP6A  (please choose the earliest available time)

Tuesday, January 14: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – JJ 210 (for members of the Marching Thunder only)

Sign up sheet will be posted outside of JJ 210 (please choose the earliest available time) 

Audition materials and play along recordings can be found at: https://usarmyband.com/play-along#Blues 

1. Required Excerpts “Freddie’s Side of the Blues” – Kenny Rittenhouse 
   1. • Tempo/Feel: Up Swing, half note = 118

• Pay special attention to all of the articulations, inflections, phrasing, dynamics, feel, and nuance. Not all of these are marked…LISTEN!

• • Reeds (Please indicate at the time of your audition which woodwind doubles you are able to play)
    • Alto:  Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the alto 1 part with the “No lead alto sax no horn solos” play along recording.
    • Tenor: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the tenor 1 part with the “No lead alto sax no horn solos” play along recording.
    • Bari: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the bari part with the “No lead alto sax no horn solos” play along recording.

• • Brass
    • Lead Trumpet: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the trumpet 1 part with the “No lead trumpet no horn solos” play along recording.
      • Also, prepare a chromatic scale ascending from low F# to high C and back down. Play in 8th notes at 120 bpm.
    • Section Trumpet: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the trumpet 2 part with the “No lead trumpet no horn solos” play along recording.
    • Trombone: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the trombone 1 part with the “No lead trombone no horn solos” play along recording.
    • Bass Trombone: Letter “H” through “I” – Perform the bass trombone part with the “No lead trombone no horn solos” play along recording.

• • Rhythm Section
    • Guitar: Top of the tune to letter “C” – Perform the guitar part with the “No guitar” play along recording.
    • Piano: Top of the tune to letter “C” – Perform the piano part with the “No piano” play along recording.
    • Bass: Letter “H” to the D.S. al coda – Perform the piano part with the “No bass” play along recording.
    • Drums:Letter “H” to the D.S. al coda – Perform the drum part with the “No drums” play along recording
      • All rhythm section players may be asked to demonstrate various styles and feels (i.e. swing, Bossa Nova, Samba, funk, brush playing, Basie-style, etc.)

• • Vocalists
    • Prepare two tunes in contrasting styles from the “Great American Songbook” (Cole Porter, Jule Styne, Harold Arlen, Sammy Cahn, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, etc.) in contrasting styles. Consider songs like “All the Things You Are,” “What is this Thing Called Love,” “Misty,” “September in the Rain,” “Girl From Ipanema,” “Have You Met Miss Jones,” “Night and Day,” “All of Me,” All of You,” etc. You may use backing tracks or sing a cappella. 
    • Improvise over the chord changes to a blues in concert “F” utilizing the following play along recording found here: https://youtu.be/IU_qCFnbNoQ?si=Kw1oBLMAOjgrQC_9 
      • The chord charts can be found here: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/jazz-standards/f-blues/  

2. Improvisation for Horn Players (Optional)

• • Improvise over the chord changes to a blues in concert “F” utilizing the following play along recording found here: https://youtu.be/IU_qCFnbNoQ?si=Kw1oBLMAOjgrQC_9 
  • The chord charts in each transposition (C, Bb, and Eb) can be found here: https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/jazz-standards/f-blues/  
  • Drummers, be prepared to “trade 4’s” with yourself (in lieu of improvising over a tune)

3. Sight reading of a typical big band chart

**If you have any questions about the audition requirements or trouble accessing the materials, please contact Prof. Jeff Wolfe at wolfe9@marshall.edu**

 Join the Marshall University Jazz Ensembles!

Jazz Ensemble I

The MU Jazz Ensemble I is the premier large jazz ensemble in the Jazz Studies Program. Under the direction of Prof. Jeff Wolfe, this group maintains an extremely active performing schedule throughout the year, including local, regional, and international performances, highlighted by an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The band explores a variety of large jazz ensemble literature including canonic compositions from such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, and Thad Jones, to modern works for the large jazz ensemble by Maria Schneider, Chuck Owen, Geoffrey Keezer, and Earl MacDonald.  Admittance into Jazz Ensemble I is by audition only.

Jazz Ensemble II

The MU Jazz Ensemble II is the second large jazz ensemble in the Jazz Studies Program and is directed by Dr. Ed Bingham.  Focusing primarily on important, influential, and historic jazz literature, Jazz Ensemble II performs works from across the spectrum of big band jazz music and surveys many different styles and time periods. Jazz Ensemble II performs several on- campus concerts per year. This group is open to anyone interested in studying jazz literature and pedagogy and does not require an audition.

Jazz Combos

There are four jazz combo in the Jazz Studies program. Coached by various jazz studies faculty members, the combos are primarily student led and emphasize improvisation and the performance of small group jazz literature, as well as original compositions and arrangements. Each combo performs several times per year in the Jomie Jazz Forum, as well as at numerous university functions and community events.