Jazz Ensemble

The 2025 All-State Jazz Band was conducted by Mr. Ronald Wilkins, Shires trombone artist and New York musician. Click here to learn more about Mr. Wilkins.
ATSSB commissioned a piece from Mr. Wilkins for the All-State Jazz Band that was fantastic, titled “Playas Sing and Singas Play!!”

Directors

To get started in this year’s Jazz auditions:
1) Be sure you are a current active member of ATSSB – click here to join!
2) Visit the following page for forms and rules – click here!
3) Order your copy of the music for Set E – AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON THE ATSSB SITE VERY SOON!
4) Check your region’s page for audition date.
5) Tips and suggestions for students (amp settings, cymbal usage, and more) – click here!
6) Practice loop of the chord changes for the improv audition piece will be posted our YouTube channel.

The music is designed with small schools in mind! Directors can rehearse each selection with any combination of players since each is written for full ensemble.

There are minor changes to Set E since it was last used in 2020-2021:
– – – The corrected Alto Sax part to Blue News is linked here: YEAR E Errata for ALTO SAX part of Blue News (this is the corrected file)
– – – YEAR E Funk Among Us WINDS audition track (this cuts out the multi-measure rest at the beginning)


NOTES:
1 – Drum auditions for Area must be performed on an acoustic drumset.
2 – Trumpet players must audition on trumpet, not flugelhorn (yes, the demo on the CD may be a flugelhorn, but we don’t use flugel for the auditions).
3 – Guitar players may use an electric or acoustic guitar. If electric, must not use effects pedals.
4 – Piano players may use an acoustic, digital or electronic piano. If digital/electronic, the patch setting must be grand piano/piano (not organ, jazz organ, etc.)

Here’s the screenshot of the rules page:

Region Coordinators

The AREA audition tracks will be linked HERE. The page’s password will be sent to each region coordinator only in the summer.
Here’s a checklist which shows what’s involved in the region and area jazz auditions. Click here to view.

Area Listening Panels

Regions adjudicating the Area auditions on November will be posted soon:

Alto sax –
Tenor sax and Bari sax –
Trumpet –
Tenor trombone –
Bass trombone –
Piano, Guitar, Bass –
Drums –