This article is included with Jitterbug Jump and refers to that score. However, this article offers general advice to inexperienced saxophone section players.

These notes are intended as a guide to the student saxophone section and are based on my own personal experience. For convenience, I refer to a male saxophone section. This is to avoid constantly typing “he/she” whenever an individual is referred to. Lady sax players - no offence intended.

Jitterbug Jump, in common with many big band tunes, is open to interpretation. How the saxophones deal with this is solely the responsibility of the section leader, the 1st. alto player. In a professional situation he or she is expected to be a faultless sight reader with a strong tone and capable of technical excellence. In a student band this is obviously not always the case but the player should aspire to those capabilities.

A good lead alto player will rehearse the section through tricky passages and make decisions on phrasing, articulation and dynamics. Stylistic considerations too, such as the use of vibrato are ultimately his responsibility. Flexibility and the ability to play in all styles is paramount.

The other players in the saxophone section must learn to blend with the leader and listen carefully to him at all times. They must also resist the urge to play it “their way”. To do so will ruin the overall cohesive sound of the section. So, how would the 1st alto player approach Jitterbug Jump?

A quick glance at the score or parts will tell him that a definite stylistic approach is needed - 1940s swing. Lets go through the score from the saxophone section’s perspective.

From bar 5 - 64 the saxes play the melody - in unison. This requires very careful listening. five saxophones must sound as one. Perfectly in tune with spot on phrasing. Nothing shows up the faults of a section more than unison playing, with maybe the exception of long notes played at a slow tempo. Let’s break down the requirements for good unison playing.

1) Tuning. It is not enough to tune up at the beginning of the session and forget about it from then on. Conditions are constantly changing. Fine tuning to those around us is often required. This may mean a sudden, very slight adjustment of the embouchure to bring ourselves back in tune with the section.

2) Phrasing. Careful attention to the lead alto’s personal style is vital. Listen to the way he phrases the melody. Every player will impose a slightly different degree of swing. Listen and adjust quickly. Remember, five saxes sounding very much together is the aim here.

3) Vibrato use? Where unison passages occur, there’s usually none. Five players all using vibrato on the same note could have horrendous consequences. However a very experienced sax section who work regularly together will be able to match their vibrato. This is very much the exception and the general rule is - no vibrato on unison passages.

At bar 65 the tenor sax takes a solo. The solo is offset by a trombone backing for the first sixteen bars.

At bar 85 the remainder of the sax section supply the harmonic background with long notes. Careful attention to dynamics is very important here. Keep under that tenor solo. He will not thank you for drowning him out.

At bar 101 the trumpets have the melody and the saxes play a counter melody. This is a repetitive, punchy two bar figure and should be played rhythmically.

At bar 117 the melody is back with the saxes, but with a difference. The section is now in block harmony. This is where the lead alto can really sing. Vibrato? Most certainly. It’s bang on stylistically and because the saxes are in harmony, slight tuning discrepancies will not be evident.

The tenor continues after the section drops out, and cools things down along with two muted trumpets before a rousing climax.

I played the tenor solo on the recording and deliberately kept it simple. By that I mean harmonically straight forward. Average technical ability is needed, but that can be worked on. An alternative alto transcription is available.

Bookmark to: