A set of fourteen short jazz quartets for reading and teaching. Fun and musically satisfying for both player and listener. Great for small concert pieces and for practicing and teaching style. Encompasses varying tempos and styles of swing and Latin. Recording "A" has no.'s 1 through 12. Recording "B" has no.'s 13 and 14. A fifth trumpet part can be downloaded by clicking here. Click here to download a folder of rhythm section parts to accompany this publication (a .zip folder with pdf files). Leadsheets for soloing are also included.

Another simple but effective bossa nova. Very pretty. Solos are in the rhythm section. Range to G. Optional 5th trumpet part. With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series.

This fun, medium up-temp jazz arrangement has been conceived for four or five trumpets a cappella. Optional rhythm section parts have been incorporated into the score and parts which add solo space and a delightful texture. With rhythm section, the timing of the piece, of course, expands to incorporate solo space.

A light samba that sounds really nice on flugelhorns. Tasty lines and harmonies. Everyone gets a shot at the melody with solo spots for first and third. An eight-measure swing shout on trumpets heralds the return to the head. A very pretty chart.

A simple yet effective bossa nova in a minor key from the TRPS book of Mike Vax. No range demands. Rhythm section includes piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Head/solos/outchorus/head. Open solos all around. Changes are a little tricky but only mildly so. Flugelhorns are best suited for this piece.

Another version of this classic, this time for four trumpets a capella, and it works beautifully. Great fun to play and a terrific crowd pleaser. Needs four solid players. An alternate part for trumpet in E-flat is included for the first trumpet part. The work is dedicated to Mr. Metzger's favorite teacher, Anthony Pasquarelli. The recording features Mr. Metzger and friends.

Lots of very musical phrasing and a great introduction to sensitive modern harmony. This piece can serve as a a great exercise for intonation, style, and ensemble. An excellent piece for mid-level and high school contest use.

Con lenezza means "in a quiet, gentle manner." A dramatic work that starts con lenezza and builds to a strong finish. The piece is slow all the way through, but contains lots of musical contrasts

Medium tempo original salsa. Lead trumpet to f'''. Typical Brad Sharp writing, with lots of counterpoint between pairs of trumpets. Fun and challenging to play.

A shortened and simplified version of one of the most popular pieces in the Triplo Press catalogue. Perfect for junior high level. Click here for the description of the original. In PDF format only.

Louis Armstrong's landmark composition arranged for four trumpets and rhythm section. Great for style, and a real crowd pleaser. Open solo spaces. For Mike Vax's TRPTS.

Switching between Latin and swing, this is a harmonically complex tune that is otherwise not too difficult but requires stylistically mature players. Excellent writing for the trumpets. Piano chords are written out (with changes) as is the bass line. Flexible roadmap.

A transcription of the amazing fugue that shows up twice in Mozart's epic Requiem in d minor. Beautiful to listen to and really fun to play -- and study. The key of the piece has been dropped a whole step to better facilitate its accessibility for the trumpet. (The recording is in the original key).

For Liz, Nicole, Michelle, and Luke. A 20th century work with lots of color and interplay. Tricky counting and requires lots of rehearsals, but well worth it. An excellent work.

A lightish, straight ahead medium up-tempo head/solos/head/out. Lead trumpet to high C, with optional F's. One of Brad's simpler charts, cute and fun. Drums on brushes.

Salsa (rhumba). Great idiomatic arrangement of this classic latin tune. Rhythm parts are written out to facilitate style. Solo space for all in the refrain section. From the Triplo Press TRPS jazz trumpet quartet series.

Two vignettes, the first one slow (in Bb) and second a bit more spritely (in F). Range goes to F for first trumpet. Great for teaching phrase, pitch, blend, and independence. Rehearsal notes are provided by the composer.

A jazz waltz with a harmonized solo section and open solo and shout sections in 4/4. Clever, sophisticated writing, with tight, extended harmonies typical of Brad's arrangements.

In three sections (fast-slow-fast), of which the first and third can be used as “moment” fanfares. The main thematic material is traded and intertwined between all four parts for very interesting and captivating effects. Very well written and not too tough. The recording says it...

More medium tempo be-bop. Lead trumpet to high C, and takes solo trades with drums. Not quite as "involved" as the other be-bop tunes, but still swings hard. From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series.

An expansion by Mike Vax of Willie's Three More Foxes, the famous blues originally written for Maynard Ferguson. Thus, as one would expect, there are some range demands (g'''). With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). A great classic and great fun to play. Everyone has the opportunity to solo. From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series

Medium up tempo. A lightish chart that has some neat interplay. Lead trumpet to high C. Solos in in all four trumpet parts. With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series.

Approximately 25 seconds each. A modern sounding set of strong fanfares based on a common theme. Each fanfare adds another voice and becomes a little more complex. Commissioned for the opening of the Nutter Center Sports Complex in Dayton, Ohio USA.

A great arrangement of this classic done in SuperSax style with Clifford Brown's famous solo as a harmonized chorus for the whole section. Very clever and fun to play and work on. Another Brad Sharp beauty.

A very tasty bossa nova. Uses optional (but advised) flugelhorns throughout. This recording snippet uses cornets (I was too lazy to get out the flug) Oh, well, that works fine too :-] ) - JO

Edited by James Olcott. Originally a work for female choir. Beautiful, slow and dramatic. Great for work on phrase, control, intonation, blend, and the choral style in general. Works great with four, but is most effective with more than one person on a part. The recording is by the Washington State University Trumpet Ensemble under the direction of David Turnbul in a large church balcony setting.

Yep, Laura is in there. Medium tempo be-bop with some fun intertwining lines. Lead trumpet to high C. Second trumpet has the solo. Drums have space as well.

A terrific shuffle for four trumpets without rhythm section. Great characteristic bass and melodic lines that set up a really cool groove. Trading off solo space for two trumpets. You need to listen to the recording on this one (recorded by the composer). You'll be hooked. It's that cool, and it falls into place pretty quickly.

A real bebop treat at a very fast tempo (MM=240). Not much demand for range, but fingers are a must. Beautiful quartet writing and very exciting. With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series Recording by Mike Vax and TRPTS on Summit Records DCD 308.

A through-written mambo. Excellent groove with challenging rhythms and licks for all instruments. Bass and piano parts are written out. Parts for drums and optional claves and congas. The band does a vocal section, too (and it works and the audience loves it). Note: the solo section for trumpet 1 eight measures before Rehearsal Letter K can be improvised on an E7 chord as done in the recording.

Medium up tempo with some great lines. Swings hard. Lead trumpet to high C. Trumpet 2 and guitar have the rides. From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series.

The national anthem of Canada and part of the Triplo Press Patriotic Series. Can be played to full effect with four trumpets. Trumpets three and four have a few split optional parts and the final chord is voiced out to eight, so an ensemble of any size can create a very inspiring rendition of the work. This is a very effective piece. Available in pdf only.

Excellent hip-hop funk. Great lines and great changes, with Brad's great voicings, interesting harmonies and quirky out-chorus lines. Really fun to play, and a super audience pleaser. The examples are of score excerpts and the first trumpet part.

Concert fanfare. Exciting and fun to play. Great opener. NOTE: to view the video full screen to better see the music, click on the lower right hand corner of the video.

Short, quick, tricky, lightish and fun to play, rehearse and perform. It is similar in writing style to the Suite (see TRP-045). A very effective piece with lots of rhythmic and melodic interaction.

A very exciting professional level arrangement of this classic blues. Medium up tempo. With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series Recording by Mike Vax and TRPTS on Summit Records DCD 308

Easy, very tasty and pretty bossa nova. Works best with flugelhorns, but effective either way. Head/solos (keyboard or guitar) with a few backgrounds/head. Arranged for Mike Vax and TRPTS. The overdub of this piece by Micah Bell.

Four movements: Entrada, Lullabye, Scherzo, and Finale. A very idiomatic piece for the trumpet with lots of action for all four parts, but in appropriate tessituras. Another work fun to play and perform.

Three movements: Allegro con spirito; Andante cantabile; Tempo rigoroso. Similar in styles to the Suite for Four Trumpets (TRP-45).

A light, uptempo piece that features your drummer a la Basie's "Cute" (brush work). Excellent change of pace. Trumpet parts not dificult, but the tempo and time sense requires a good rhythm section. Really fun and effective

Four pieces (La Majeste, La Grace, L'Amour, La Vigilance) from Twelve Heroic Marches arranged in excellent style. Wise use of tessitura for the grade level. Effective, accessible. On the Ohio Music Educators Association Contest List.

Medium tempo (ca.120 bpm) a capella latin with a terrific understated feel and captivating rhythmic lines in bass, accompaniment, and melody. The use of rhythm and rhythmic space is rather unique - and really fun. Tricky rhythms. A great change-of-pace from the usual trumpet section jazz material. By the way, the recording is by the composer. Nice, isn't it?

A medium jazz shuffle blues with a really excellent groove and fun to play. Lead trumpet to high D w/optional high G. Excellent innovative writing and not taxing. The recording features Tim and his ensemble.

Transcribed by Scott Muntefering. A very cute and fanciful arrangement originally for four-part children's or female choir that translates perfectly for trumpets. Very fun to play. Short and sweet. Uses the dorian mode.

Composed for (and perfect for) junior high trumpeters, these three short pieces for four players (Tango, Andante, and Allegro, in keys of written A minor, E minor, and F) feature engaging melodies with attractive harmonies, accompaniment figures, and little challenges for everyone. Well edited, including articulations and breath marks. The second and third works were first introduced as a capella melodies in 2002 in "Twenty-one Norwegian Trumpet Soli," published by Wolfgang G. Haas-Musikverlag Koln e. K., and are used here by permission. The first melody and the arrangements for all three quartets are by James Olcott. NOTE: because of the 16th notes, this work could be put in grade 3, but the lines are rudimentary enough to keep it as a grade 2 (see examples by clicking the treble clef next to the microphones).

Fanfare; Eternal Call of Taps; Fugue and Flourishes. Commissioned by Bugles Across America. Intertwining lines, both melodic and rhythmic, combine the hymn Eternal Father and Taps into a rather complex, fascinating and effective five-minute composition. NOTE: to view the video full screen to better see the music, click on the lower right hand corner of the video.

Composed for (and perfect for) junior high trumpeters, these three pieces (Moderato-joyfully, Adagio, and Allegro, in keys of written G, A minor, and F) feature engaging melodies with attractive harmonies, accompaniment figures, and little challenges for everyone. Well edited, including articulations and occasional fingering reminders. Each piece is about two minutes in duration. The first and third works were first introduced as a capella melodies in 2002 in "Twenty-one Norwegian Trumpet Soli," published by Wolfgang G. Haas-Musikverlag Koln e. K., and are used here by permission. The second melody and the arrangements for all three pieces are by James Olcott. NOTE: to view the video full screen to better see the music, click on the lower right hand corner of the video.

Simple but interesting and fun both melodically and harmonically. Great for intonation practice and counting. Introduces fugue writing, triplets, and swing. Musically quite effective. Recordings left to right: Movement 1, Movement 2, Movement 3.

Fourteen jazz quartets written for enjoyment and the practice of transposition. Published in 2003 by Triplo Press with all parts transposed as 14 Recreational Jazz Quartets (TRP-069), TranspoJazz was originally composed to give students experience in playing jazz while improving skills in the art of transposition. The works are fun, short, varied in tempo and style, musically satisfying, and provide challenges in counting, phrase, ensemble performance - and transposition.

Transcribed and edited by Cathy Leach for four B-flat trumpets. An excellent, typical Bach fugue with the usual interaction between all of the voices. Carefully edited with articulations and dynamics.

Louis Armstrong's famous solo on Wild Man Blues arranged for four trumpets ala Supersax. An amazing and challenging - and fun - study in style. With rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums). From the TRPTS Jazz Quartet Series Recording by Mike Vax and TRPTS on Summit Records DCD 308.