This artistic bachelor thesis explores the process of arranging modern popular music for a small jazz ensemble, with the trumpet as melodic lead. The study’s purpose is to investigate how different core elements like harmony, melody, form, and rhythm can be interpreted to better suit the jazz aesthetic, without distorting the original characteristics of the songs. Drawing inspiration from jazz artists that have come before, the work focuses on integrating improvisation as a central part of the arrangements and at the same time examines which musical components must be included to better fit the jazz ensemble. Five songs, originally by artists such as Veronica Maggio, Seinabo Sey and Zara Larsson, were adapted and played in a jazz quartet setting. The creative process involved methods such as reharmonization, rhythmic transformations, and the use of “moodboards” to capture and preserve the emotional essence in the original songs. The project led up to a live concert, performed at The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. The project concludes that successful jazz adaptation of popular music relies primarily on creating opportunities for improvisation, rather than strictly adhering to traditional jazz forms or harmonic conventions. Reharmonization proved to be the most effective tool for expanding the improvisational space and giving the music a unique jazz identity. Adjusting melodic phrasing and rhythm was also essential, particularly due to the challenges of translating vocal melodies to a melodic instrument like the trumpet. Furthermore, the study found that concise forms—common in jazz standards—facilitate more organic improvisation and ensemble interaction, and that even subtle alterations in groove or texture can significantly shift the musical character to better suit a jazz ensemble.

This work contributes insights into how popular music can be transformed into meaningful jazz performances and opens up future avenues for experimentation with different ensemble types and the inclusion of vocalists