Howlin’ Cat Blues

This 12-bar blues is suitable for elementary jazz ensemble and can accommodate virtually any combination of players as long as you have piano, bass and drums to form a rhythm section. It is scored for clarinets, saxes and brass, but will work quite happily with just one of the lead parts. If you have only a small group of players and you are wanting to get them going with some improvising, this piece would be a good start. Rhythm section players should regard the notated parts as a guide and play from the chord symbols or improvise wherever possible. Alto 2 doubles tenor and French horn doubles trombone. Horns in E flat can use the alto sax parts.