hi everyone

I'm just going into lower 6th, and as a fun kinda thing to do in the evenings (we are all boarders) a few friends and i thought it would be good to start to play some jazz together. All except one already play in the (large) school jazz band, so we are already familiar with the style etc. However. I'm not really sure how to get hold of the right music. Most of the stuff i can find is jazz music transcribed for soloist and piano (even if it was ensemble originally). I don't really want to pay for it... if i dont have to...but we were thinking of music such as that of dave brubeck - unsquare dance, take 5, blue rondo a la turk etc...

any ideas as to music or sources would be greatly appreciated
xxxxx

Try www.sibeliusmusic.com

There's loads of free music on this site although I don't know if it'll be the sort of music you're looking for.

http://www.lucaspickford.com/trans.htm

That site is one of my favourites. Has some good lead sheets there, especially under piano. May have to transcribe em for other guys in ya band tho.

What's the lineup? You'll need a minimum of piano and/or guitar, bass, drums and at least one soloist who could be saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, flute, violin, whatever. At a pinch you could manage without the drums but you'll definitely need someone who can play bass for it to sound like jazz.

If you can find some charts with melody and chords, the piano or guitar could 'comp' around the chords, the bass make up his/her own bass line (by following the chords) and one of the soloist could start by taking the melody with the others sharing improvised solos.

As long as you have some charts with melody and chords and as long as you have a piano (and/or guitar) who can follow the chords, a bass who can do the same and a drummer who knows what they're doing, you're away!

Look on the internet for chord charts.

Good luck!

Violinia

Have a look on ebay occasionaly i've see Jazz PDF books with 1000's of Fake jazz tunes in the various required keys (Bb,Eb & C).

For a jazz group to work you'll need at least one chordal instrument, a bass to lay down the beat and a melody instrument.