TrumpetMusician.com Blog

Trumpeters Clark Terry & Jon Faddis To Perform at the Opening of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine

2005-10-11T23:14:00.000-05:00

On Nov. 1 trumpeters Clark Terry and Jon Faddis will perform at the opening of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. The center, an expansion of the hospital's decade-old Louis and Lucille Armstrong Music Therapy Program, will provide music therapy to complement medical treatment, primarily for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

See also: Trumpeters Clark Terry & Jon Faddis To Perform at the Opening of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine

Lincoln Center to Honor Marsalis

2005-10-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced that this year's fall gala, set for Nov. 14 at Rose Hall, will honor its artistic director, Wynton Marsalis, on the 25th anniversary of his arrival on the national music scene. Marsalis was a teenage trumpet prodigy when he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1980 and, later that year, signed with Columbia Records. He was a founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1991. Among the artists scheduled to perform at the gala are the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Kronos Quartet and, of course, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

See also: Lincoln Center to Honor Marsalis

Trumpet Day at Central Michigan University - Oct. 8th

2005-10-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

High school trumpet players from around the state will visit campus Oct. 8 for the School of Music's annual Trumpet Day. Trumpet Day invites high school students to work with professionals and develop their trumpet skills, as well as attend master classes and concerts featuring CMU students and faculty. In addition, a finale concert, featuring renowned professional musician Rob McGregor, will be included in this year's activities.

Sessions at 10 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3:15 p.m. will take place in the Staples Family Concert Hall and Chamichian Hall, both located in the Music Building. Tickets for Trumpet Day cost $3 per session or $7 for the entire day for participants and audience members. All tickets can be bought at the School of Music office throughout the day or at the door immediately before each session.

For more info: CMU's Trumpet Day

Boyd Hood, Trumpeter

2005-09-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

You wouldn't call what happened to trumpeter Boyd Hood in the fourth grade a lucky accident. Yet the fire that burned 60 percent of his body and caused his right fingers to be amputated at the first joint above the knuckles was partly responsible for his commitment to an instrument he had started playing only recently. "At first, we propped it up on my knee or the couch," he says now, nearly six decades later. "And it turned out that my fingers just fit the trumpet."

Hood, who is also a composer, hails from a small farming town near Dallas and credits his parents with instilling in him perseverance and a love of music. "My father made it to the training camp for the Detroit Tigers but was then drafted, and my mother danced professionally on the stage of the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood before she married," he says.

After Hood's studies at the Eastman School in Rochester, N.Y., he had a fairly routine series of orchestral appointments. But in the mid-1960s, the trumpeter made a big change, spurning the Houston Symphony to teach at Indiana's Ball State University, which in turn led to an appointment at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia.

Though he and his family had "a rich life" in Canada, moving to Southern California in the mid-1970s after an extended visit wasn't hard. "I had forgotten what it was like to play on the level of the Philharmonic or the studio orchestras," recalls Hood, who joined the Philharmonic in 1982, leaving the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, where he had been first trumpet since 1979.

For more, see: Boyd Hood, Trumpeter

Trumpet Master William Vacchiano Dead at 93

2005-09-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

Trumpeter William Vacchiano, who never missed a performance during his 38 years with the New York Philharmonic and taught thousands of students through the Julliard School, has died. Vacchiano, who was 93, died Monday.

Vacchiano, a Portland, Maine, native, joined the philharmonic in 1935, becoming its principal trumpet player in 1942, said philharmonic spokesman Eric Latzky. The spokesman noted that Vacchiano's perfect attendance at philharmonic performances during his lengthy tenure was "extraordinary." Not only was he a legendary figure at the orchestra, he also "was one of the great trumpet teachers of the 20th century," Latzky said.

During nearly seven decades at Julliard, he taught some of the world's trumpet greats, including Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis. The current principal trumpet player of the philharmonic, Philip Smith, was also one of his students.

See also: Trumpet Master William Vacchiano Dead at 93

Jazz Legend Dizzy Gillespie's Life Up For Auction

2005-09-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

Almost 1,000 items from the home of late jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie are going under the hammer. Possessions up for grabs include one of his signature bent trumpets, a Grammy Award, a piano, his record collection and handwritten sheet music. Gillespie, regarded as one of the best jazz trumpeters, died in 1993 aged 75. The items come from the house he shared in New Jersey with Lorraine, his wife of 53 years. Two of his other trumpets fetched $72,000 in February. Other items up for grabs on Wednesday include a range of drums, hats, photographs, letters and awards.

Gillespie was said to have taken up playing the bent trumpet after accidentally damaging one and discovering he liked the sound. He is credited with expanding the technical limits of the instrument and pushing back the boundaries of jazz. The sale will take place at Dawson and Nye auction house in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Full story: Jazz Legend's Life Up For Auction

Research Shows Where Brain Interprets "Pitch"

2005-09-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a discrete region of the monkey brain that processes pitch, the relative high and low points of sound, by recognizing a single musical note played by different instruments.

Given the similarities between monkeys and man, humans may have a similar pitch-processing region in the brain too, which might one day help those with hearing and speech problems. The paper appears in the Aug. 25 issue of Nature.

By recording the activity of individual brain cells as monkeys listened to musical notes, the scientists identified single neurons, located in what they've called the brain’s “pitch center,” that recognize a middle-C as a middle-C even when played by two different instruments.

Full story: Newswise | Research Shows Where Brain Interprets "Pitch"

University of Oklahoma Music Department Excludes Symphony Band

2005-09-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

Performances by the OU School of Music this semester will not include the Symphony Band, leaving some music students without an ensemble this fall. William Wakefield, director of bands and coordinator of ensembles, said the ensemble started about 10 years ago, and this is the first fall since then that it has not been included.

During the fall semester, the school usually includes two large wind ensembles, the Wind Symphony and the Symphony Band. The number of students auditioning for some sections, including the clarinet section, was not high enough to fill both of these ensembles this year. Students who play instruments that had higher numbers audition had more competition than usual to get into a group. Students can audition for both ensembles at once. The top-ranked students are placed in the Wind Symphony, and the next in rankings are usually placed in the Symphony Band.

Full article: Music Department Excludes Ensemble

Trumpet Player Marsalis to Perform at Concert for Hurricane Relief Tonight at 7pm

2005-09-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

Four Louisiana-born stars - Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Aaron Neville and Tim McGraw - will headline a televised charity concert to air live today on News 4 WOAI for victims of Hurricane Katrina. McGraw's wife, country star and Mississippi native Faith Hill, will also perform. Plans for the one-hour, commercial-free show, called “A Concert for Hurricane Relief,” were announced as the Bush administration and Congress began working on legislation to assist in hurricane recovery efforts.

“I am heartbroken by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in my home state,” said country star McGraw, born in Delhi, Louisiana, in a statement. “It’s at times like these that each of us must work together to provide life-saving aid to those in terrible need.” Joining McGraw are two New Orleans natives, trumpet player Marsalis and jazz singer Connick, whose hometown was left largely submerged in floodwaters.

Full article: A Concert for Hurricane Relief

Music Schools for Trumpet Musicians

2005-08-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

I FINALLY completed a very comprehensive listing of music schools in the U.S. on my website including DIRECT links to the music department, degree programs, audition requirements, and faculty listings.

You can check it out here: http://www.trumpetmusician.com/trumpet-music-schools.html

Let me know if I missed any or on how I can improve the listing. Thanks!

Former Santana Trumpeter: Dunlop Drivers Cup Is Pure Music

2005-08-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

Grammy Award winner and former Santana trumpeter Julius Melendez may have to wait awhile to promote his first solo effort, a new double CD set titled "Passion & Romance." Melendez will be competing in the Dunlop Drivers Cup in Phoenix on Sept. 10 and 11, while the album -- a tribute to great Cuban composer Osvaldo Farres -- hits the streets nationally Sept. 13.

The fresh, thoughtful, "rootsy" record can wait a few days. The Richmond, Calif., musician and recording artist said he feels fortunate "to finally have a real opportunity to demonstrate my driving skills and ability." Most friends and fans know Melendez for his musical talent, but few might realize his "lifelong interest in everything automotive."

Full article: Former Santana Trumpeter: Dunlop Drivers Cup Is Pure Music

National Hispanic Heritage Month; Guest Artist Lew Soloff

2005-08-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

Jazz at Lincoln Center's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month with concert performances on September 30 and October 1, 2005 at 8pm in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall. The concerts, entitled Jazz con Salsa, feature the big band performing the best of Latin jazz with salsa flair. Jazz con Salsa is the band's first concert series of Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2005-2006 season. On the heels of the successful release of Una Noche Inolvidable, the band's debut CD, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra brings together the styles of salsa and jazz in an eclectic mixture of rhythm and groove. Guest artists Joe Lovano (saxophone), Lew Soloff (trumpet) and Greg Osby (saxophone) join the critically acclaimed big band to showcase the finest in Latin and straight-ahead jazz rhythm, new and old.

For more info: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Review: "Dizzy : The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie"

2005-08-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

When the Second World War ended, what was deemed a revolution came to jazz. Primarily the inspiration of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, it had an enormous and disorienting effect on jazz musicians and fans alike. Some loved it, some hated it; among the latter were Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong, whose animus lay in the fact that they not only couldn't play it, they couldn't even understand it. Contemptuously called "Chinese music" by some, it wasn't helped by the nickname attached to it: bebop, a term that trivialized the music and, to an extent, still does.

So, for that matter, did the nickname given to John Birks Gillespie: Dizzy. His friends, for the most part, called him Birks. He was an extraordinarily funny man, more so onstage than off, where he was, for the most part, thoughtful and serious, and inordinately kind and generous with his knowledge, the great teacher. He once told me, "I don't know that I know that much, but what I do know, I'm willing to share."

He was occasionally -- by younger and militant black musicians -- called an Uncle Tom, but that he was not. He simply loved to be the merry Andrew on stage, not as sycophancy, but because he liked to make people laugh. He once told me, "If making people laugh makes them more receptive to my music, then I'm going to do it, and I don't care what anyone says." By those who knew him well, he was more than liked, more than respected: He was loved.

For all the deserved reverence accorded Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, I believe that Dizzy was the greatest jazz musician who ever lived, and one of the greatest musicians of any kind who ever lived. Dizzy was pure genius, equally dazzling in his powers of invention and execution.

But when in high school in St. Catharines, Ont., I heard my first Parker-Gillespie record -- it was Salt Peanuts, a classic example of the hilarious Dadaism Dizzy scattered to the winds -- I thought they were crazy. Some of my friends, however, did not, especially a young trumpet player, Kenny Wheeler, who went on to become a major figure on his instrument and as a composer. If Kenny took Bird, as Parker was called, and Dizzy seriously, I felt it behooved me to find out what he heard in them. When it hit me, it hit me hard.

Reflections on these and collateral matters have come with the issue within weeks of two things. One is a Gillespie-Parker CD of material largely unissued and unknown, drawn from a concert they did in New York's Town Hall on June 22, 1945, with Al Haig on piano, Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach or (on two tracks) Sidney Catlett on drums. The CD is on Uptown Records (P.O. Box 394, Whitehall, Mich., 49461, U.S.A.), and that so monumentally important a record could be issued by an almost unknown label, when the major labels are doing almost nothing to the arts but damage, is a tragedy. The other is a biography by Donald L. Maggin, Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie.

It contains some good stuff, especially Maggin's exploration of Dizzy's brutalized childhood and roots, going back to the Yoruba people of Africa. British writer and musician Alyn Shipton's 1999 biography Groovin' High: The Life of Dizzy Gillespie did not uncover this much of Dizzy's family background. He avoided technical discussions the reader would not understand. Maggin does address them, and the result is dismaying. It lies in the author's ignorance of music, music theory and music history. Maggin is neither a journalist nor a musician. In fact, he is a creature of politics; he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee during Jimmy Carter's presidency.

See full review: Dazed by Dizzy

Audition for the Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra

2005-08-26T15:39:00.000-05:00

Musicians through age 25 are invited to audition for the famed California orchestra. Need musicians trained in: flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, violin, viola, cello, string base, tympani and percussion. Call (323) 272-3667 for audition.

For more info: Audition for the Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra

Principal Trumpet - Billings Symphony Orchestra Audition TODAY!

2005-08-24T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Billings Symphony holds auditions for its substitute musician list for all sections. Vacancies include principal trumpet, principal harp, assistant principal second violin, section violin I and II, section viola, section bass and the percussion call list. Call 406-252-3610.

For more information: Billings Symphony Employment

Joyce Johnson-Hamilton, Cornetto Virtuoso, is Heart and Soul of Diablo Symphony

2005-08-19T18:40:00.000-05:00

ONE NEED not look far and wide to find the unique or unusual. Sometimes something significant is going on, figuratively speaking, in one's own back yard. Consider the relative rarity of women orchestral conductors in the world. It isn't necessary to look to Baltimore, Boston or Buffalo to find one. According to East Bay music promoter and aficionado Robert Rezak, we've got "our answer to Marin Alsop" right here in the Bay Area. (Alsop was recently named conductor/music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, albeit not without some furor.)

Rezak, of course, was referring to our own local feminine ground-breaker, Atherton resident Joyce Johnson-Hamilton. Writes Rezak, "This year marks her 26th anniversary as conductor of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra, the oldest aggregation of professionally trained musicians in Contra Costa County."

While she has distinguished herself as a fine conductor, she is also a noted trumpet virtuoso and has performed as such with major orchestras and in music festivals throughout the country. She has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony, the Aspen Festival Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony, the Oakland and San Jose symphonies, and principal trumpet with the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.

She has become a specialist in Renaissance and baroque wind instruments, including the "cornetto" and the "natural," or valveless, trumpet. She recently performed one of the two solo cornetto parts in the Carmel Bach Festival's performance of the Monteverdi "Vespers for the Blessed Virgin," conducted by William Jon Gray.

Studying under Bruce Vickey, she became a virtuoso in the cornetto, a Renaissance period instrument that she describes as "sort of a cross between a recorder and a trumpet with a curved, conical shape and seven finger holes like a recorder." In addition, she also became skilled playing the difficult, bugle-like, valveless brass baroque trumpet.

Full article: Joyce Johnson-Hamilton is Heart and Soul of Diablo Symphony

Malle & Miles Gem: "Elevator to the Gallows"

2005-08-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

The trumpet comes in with a low howl just as the beautiful blonde droops her head in despair and lets the shadows engulf her face. It's one of several magic moments in Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows, a moody film noir featuring a legendary soundtrack by Miles Davis. The 1957 French film, rereleased on the big screen this week, plays Landmark's Act 1 & 2 Theater in Berkeley from August 19 to 25.

Malle, who wrote in his autobiography that he was "crazy about jazz" at the time of the film, jumped at the chance to work with Davis, nabbing him on his one night off from a string of club dates in Paris. When Malle ushered Davis and a handful of French musicians into a recording studio at 10 p.m., they had neither a music score nor a clear plan. However, they did have several bottles of champagne and the inspiring presence of a muse: the beautiful blonde Jeanne Moreau, who starred in the film. By dawn, they had recorded the entire improvisatory score.

Malle was ecstatic about the results. "It transformed the film," he wrote. "It was a counterpoint, it was elegiac." In fact, the film's undeniably thin plot needed a little something extra -- a man ruins his perfect crime by getting trapped in an elevator, and is therefore unable to meet his loving accomplice, Moreau, who spends most of the movie looking for him on the streets of Paris. But the suspense is a secondary attraction compared to the atmosphere created by dark streets, flashing neon, and spare, plaintive trumpet lines.

Full article: Malle & Miles

Downtown Berkeley Jazzl Festival This Weekend

2005-08-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival is a summer music festival that features jazz and related styles of music from throughout the world. Music and correlated cultural events such as film, poetry, dance and cuisine occur at various venues throughout Downtown Berkeley, promoting the city's unique businesses and contributing to creating a more vibrant downtown community through the arts.

For Schedule of Events: Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival

Brubeck and Marsalis Perform at JVC Jazz Festival-Newport

2005-08-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

Dave Brubeck and Wynton Marsalis have often crossed paths over the years, but at this year's JVC Jazz Festival-Newport, the two jazz stars finally got a chance to perform together. On Saturday, Marsalis' quintet played a set of tunes from last year's album, "The Magic Hour," and the trumpeter returned on the festival's closing day to sit in with Brubeck's quartet for two tunes.

Marsalis' trumpet warmly caressed the George Gershwin ballad "Embraceable You" - enhanced by Brubeck's sensitive piano accompaniment. And they surprised the audience by closing the set not with the Brubeck quartet's signature tune, "Take Five," but with a rollicking version of the Duke Ellington Orchestra's theme, "Take the `A' Train." That drew a standing ovation from the crowd filling the field in front of the main stage set against the stone walls of the 19th-century Fort Adams, punctuated by horn blasts from fans in their boats anchored in Narragansett Bay.

Full article: Brubeck and Marsalis Perform at Festival

Trumpet Day and Master Class with L.A. Philharmonic's Rob McGregor

2005-08-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

Grand Valley State University: Rob Roy McGregor, associate principal trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, presents a master class for brass players. He was assistant principal trumpet of the Baltimore Symphony (1970-1981) before joining the trumpet section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1981. In 1991 McGregor formed Balquhidder Music, a publishing company which specializes in pedagogical and ensemble works for trumpet and other brass instruments. Open to the public. Free Admission. Oct. 11th, 7 p.m. For more info: Grand Valley State University

Central Michigan University's Trumpet Day begins at 9 a.m. Oct. 8 in the Staples Family Concert Hall. College and high school students can take classes and participate in activities throughout the day with guest artist Rob McGregor. He will perform a grand finale concert at 3 p.m. For more info: Central Michigan University Trumpet Day

The Morrison Digital Trumpet

2005-08-09T16:46:00.000-05:00

The Morrison Digital Trumpet (MDT) is a new brass-style MIDI wind controller invented and designed by international virtuoso musician James Morrison and musician/inventor, Steve Marshall. Using entirely digital technology, there are many new and important capabilities of the Morrison Digital Trumpet beyond the normal wind instrument. One of the most compelling new capabilities is that the MDT can offer the sound of an entire horn or string section from one person – because it interfaces with MIDI it can effectively “play” any instrument. The MDT is also easier to play as there is no embouchure to be maintained in order to produce a professional quality tone - some people find they simply do not have the time to maintain their "chops" on an acoustic instrument and an MDT is more in tune with their lifestyle.

It is designed to give acoustic trumpet players an easy “pick up and play” instrument to enter the digital age. Unlike a traditional trumpet, the MDT makes no sound on its own but “triggers” any MIDI-capable sound device, such as a synthesizer, sound module or computer etc, to allow the player access to literally thousands of sound possibilities.

The MDT allows people with minimal trumpet playing skills to play well beyond their capabilities with a standard trumpet – indeed, it’s not going too far to say that even a beginner can sound like a professional.. You don’t have to buzz, as with a regular trumpet, you just blow. The harder you blow the louder the sound and the breath sensitivity is super responsive to allow for high speed tounging and smooth notes. It also dramatically increases player endurance, meaning you can reach all those extremely high notes and play for extended periods—just like a professional musician.

Octaves are controlled with a series of buttons on the left hand and because you don’t need to have tight lips and practised breath control, anyone can play 10 octaves of pitch perfect range.

Full article: The Morrison Digital Trumpet

Unheard Gillespie and Parker Concert to Be Released

2005-08-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

Think you’ve heard every Dizzy and Bird (pictured) recording out there? Well, even if you know your haven’t heard it all, Uptown Records will be releasing a previously-unheard recording of the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet with Charlie Parker.

Titled Dizzy Gillespie - Charlie Parker Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945, the recording features Charlie Parker on alto saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Don Byas on tenor, Al Haig on piano, Max Roach on drums and Curley Russell on bass. The memorable concert includes the tunes “Bebop,””A Night in Tunisia,” “Groovin’ High,” “Salt Peanuts,” “Hot House” and “Fifty Second Street Theme.”

Included with the recording is a 30-page booklet complete with rare photographs, the story of the music’s discovery by Robert Sunnenblick and details written by Ira Gitler. The album is now available and more information is available at www.uptownjazz.net.

See: Unheard Gillespie and Parker Concert to Be Released

Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's Estate to be Auctioned

2005-08-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

Along with huge, puffy cheeks, a bent trumpet epitomized jazz legend John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, who died in 1993. On Sept. 14, fans will have the opportunity to bid on his signature instrument when Gillespie's estate is auctioned from the Englewood home he shared with his wife, Lorraine.

Other Gillespie auction items include drums, a piano, his record collection, numerous awards and handwritten sheet music. The auction will be conducted by Dawson & Nye Auctioneers and Appraisers of Morris Plains. Auction previews will begin Sept. 11. Visit www.dawsonandnye.com/dizzy for a full listing of items to be auctioned.

See: Dizzy Gillespie's Estate to be Auctioned Next Month

Melbourne's Blast of Brass: Melbourne International Festival of Brass

2005-08-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

Take some brass (a shiny yellow-orange alloy made of copper and zinc), make it into a wind instruments that consist of a brass tube (usually of variable length) blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece, organise a series of performances, do it in Melbourne, and what do you have?

The Melbourne International Festival of Brass, of course. It’s been on all this week and will culminate in a final showcase Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall this Saturday night.

Some of the world’s finest and most accomplished Brass musicians came together in the South Melbourne Town Hall during the week leading up to the finale. In 35 events across six days, world-class players of trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba shared talents and performed alongside Australia’s best brass ensembles.

Trumpeter Allen Vizzutti will hold a masterclass on August 6, 2005.

Full article: Melbourne's Blast of Brass

Renowned Trumpeter Ingrid Jensen Will Serve as Artistic Director at the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony

2005-07-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Brubeck Institute is proud to announce that renowned trumpeter Ingrid Jensen will serve as Artistic Director and internationally acclaimed trombonist, educator, and author Hal Crook will be one of many Artists-In-Residence at the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., August 7-13, 2005.

The Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony, dedicated to the memory of saxophone visionary Paul Desmond, is a full scholarship program that provides 17 of the best young jazz musicians in the nation, age 14-17, the opportunity to interact with and learn from eminent jazz artists. Aimed at exceptionally gifted and intrinsically motivated jazz students between their freshman and senior years of high school, the program creates an inspiring, stress-free environment where prodigious young players can perform, practice, and study along with their peers who are equally committed to this music. Upon completion of the program, the students serve as young jazz ambassadors, returning to their respective high schools around the country to share with their peers what they have learned, use their talent to perform community service in their hometowns, and positively affect lives through America's art form.

See Official Press Release: THE BRUBECK INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES THE 2005 SUMMER JAZZ COLONY

An Iraqi-American Jazz & Classical Trumpeter's Mission to Preserve Iraqi Music

2005-07-30T12:14:00.000-05:00

Amir El Saffar, 27, does not seem like a natural crusader for Iraqi culture. He was raised in Oak Park, Illinois, by an American Christian mother, a professor of Spanish literature, and an Iraqi Shiite Muslim father, a physics professor. ElSaffar, who says he does not subscribe to any particular religion, learned only a smattering of Arabic and while growing up visited Iraq just once, with his father, in 1993.

But when he won a $10,000 prize for jazz trumpet in an international competition, he said, he decided to use the money to go to Iraq and learn its music. He added that only when he began to weep at the Baghdad airport did he realize he had been starved to connect with his father's country. In ElSaffar's first weeks in Baghdad in March 2002, as he listened to a maqam and heard the pain in the singer's voice, he felt something break open inside him, he said. "It sounded like crying to me," he said, a sobbing that became singing and drew him in. He said that he had also felt an intellectual fascination for the improvisation.

He learned to play a maqam on his trumpet and soon found a teacher of joza, a fiddle made from a coconut shell and the heart tissue of a water buffalo. The other instruments in a maqam ensemble are usually the santur, a kind of dulcimer; an Arabic tabla, a goblet-shaped drum; and a riqq, a tambourine.

By June 2002, when El Saffar returned to New York to play trumpet with Cecil Taylor, maqam music was influencing his jazz performance and he said he knew he had become obsessed. That autumn, he went back to Iraq to continue studying the maqam, and stayed until the end of the year.

Full story: One Man's Mission to Preserve Iraqi Music

Jules Herman, Former Trumpeter for Lawrence Welk, Dead at 93

2005-07-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

Jules Herman, a former trumpet player for Lawrence Welk and the leader of the house orchestra at the former Prom Ballroom in St. Paul for 35 years, has died at age 93. Herman died Friday of heart failure at his home in Mendota Heights, said his daughter, Bonnie Herman, of Chicago. Funeral services were Tuesday.

Herman grew up on a farm near Milnor, N.D., and attended Moorhead State College in Minnesota. After getting his degree in the early 1930s, he taught music in Gardner, N.D., until a fellow North Dakotan, Welk, asked him to join his orchestra.

In 1940 Herman married singer Lois Best, one of several female musicians Welk featured over the years with the title "Champagne Lady."

Full story: Jules Herman, Former Trumpeter for Lawrence Welk, Dead at 93

After Lip Injury, Trumpet Virtuoso Navigates Return to Performing

2005-07-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

In the 1960s, Freddie Hubbard had the jazz world by the tail and was swinging it hard. The trumpet and flugelhorn master, who received "best new star" accolades in the Downbeat critics' poll of 1961, was in heavy demand, performing and recording with the likes of Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Art Blakey.

Hubbard compositions such as Little Sunflower and Up Jumped Spring became jazz standards, and many of the recordings on which he played, from Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth to Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage to his own Blue Note gems, are considered classics. Influenced by Miles Davis' fusion experiments, Hubbard earned his greatest commercial success in the 1970s with a series of funky, lushly produced crossover recordings for the CTI label.

Then, about a decade ago, the hardbop and fusion trailblazer so prized for his virtuosity and versatility injured his lip. The sore wouldn't heal, and Hubbard never quite returned to form.

"Awww, man, I was playing too much," he says by phone from his home in Sherman Oaks, Calif. "I was working so much, man, flying all over the world, trying to make all the records, make all the gigs, and I split my lip. It's been funny ever since."

Full article: After Lip Injury, Trumpet Virtuoso Navigates Return to Performing

Check This Out! A 4 Year-Old Trumpeter

2005-07-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

The young musicians warmed up for their afternoon concert yesterday, tapping their feet to keep the rhythm of "The Chimes of Liberty" march. But one trumpeter's toes dangled a foot from the floor.

At age 4, Geoffrey Gallante, by far the youngest member of the Franklin Band & Orchestra Camp, could barely peer over the top of his music stand to see the conductor. The middle-schoolers who made up the rest of the band helped him follow his part -- gesturing when it was time for the trumpets to join in. And, when he wasn't making music, he stuck out his tongue, sucked on his finger and fiddled with the toy walkie-talkie he brought along.

But band director Lawrence H. Walker Jr., who has been running the camp for 17 years at Fairfax County's Franklin Middle School, said Geoffrey's got ears and ability like he has never seen. Yesterday, the blond boy who is a bit shorter than a trombone performed alongside 12- and 13-year-olds as part of the camp's most advanced group, the symphonic band. "Watch him," Walker said. "This is a Wynton Marsalis. This is a young Mozart. This is how your music greats got started."

See full article here: Talent on a Smaller Scale

Festival of New Trumpet (FONT) Music: August 2-27

2005-07-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

The third annual Festival of New Trumpet (FONT) Music will feature artists such as Bill Dixon, Mark Gould, Ray Vega, Steven Bernstein, Randy Sandke, Roy Campbell, Avishai Cohen, Corey Wilkes and many, many others! Yaking place from August 2-27, this year's Festival will once again showcase a plethora of styles of trumpet music performed by more than forty-five of the most accomplished and cutting-edge trumpeters in the world.

FONT Music kicks off its month long program with “FONT Music: For Lester Bowie” – August 2-7, featuring legendary trumpeter Bill Dixon opening up the Festival and this very special week at The Jazz Standard. From August 12-15, FONT Music presents “Other Music” at Tonic , featuring the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, Roy Campbell, Jr., Shane Endsley and Kneebody, Dave Douglas and Keystone, Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Ray Vega and others. The third exciting week of FONT Music 2005 will take place at Spark with “New Bands, ” featuring many of the most outstanding young trumpeters on the scene today, including Matt Lavell and Eye-Contact, Peck Allmond, Keyon Harrold, Diego Urcola, Nabate Isles, Jesse Neuman and the Bruce Lee Band, Jonathan Finlayson, Matt Shulman Trio, Greg Kelley, Nate Wooley and Peter Evans.

For the final week, FONT Music presents “Seminar Week” (August 22-27) at The Yamaha Artist Services Center (689 Fifth Avenue), featuring masterclasses and concerts from the likes of Lew Soloff, the Manhattan Brass Quintet, Dave Douglas, Mark Gould (former principal trumpeter for the Metropolitan Opera), Jeremy Pelt (premiering a new work by Max Siegel with an ensemble of brass and percussion) and The Meridian Arts Ensemble, featuring FONT Music co-curator Jon Nelson, performing commissioned works by Sanford, Sharp, Didkovsky, and Zappa – and announcing the release of their new album, “Brink.”

“Seminar Week, ” and the third annual Festival of New Trumpet Music closes on August 27 with the legendary conductor and cornetist Butch Morris leading a legion of trumpeters through a uniquely enthralling piece, concluding FONT Music 2005 with an all-out celebration of the instrument, and a display of the myriad styles of playing that make FONT Music one of the most musically diverse and fascinating festivals in the world.

For more information: F O N T: The Festival

Sick of "Classical" Music? Check Out Concerto for Turntable

2005-07-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

On October 2, 2005, New York’s Carnegie Hall will put a spin on classical music. The Red Bull Artsehcro will showcase sixty of the most progressive collegiate classical musicians with a thirst to set new boundaries in their art. These student musicians were selected from over 300 applicants for both their incredible talent and their variety of interests beyond classical music and into the realms of hip hop, indie rock, and electronic music. They will accompany another true innovator, DJ Radar, in performing the world premier of “Concerto for Turntable”.

This three movement concerto redefines the pre-conceived notions of “classical” music, flipping the traditional Concerto form on its head by featuring the turntable as a melodic instrument and integral part of an orchestra.

For more information: Red Bull Artsehcro

From Mechanical Engineering Degree to Principal Trumpet Player

2005-07-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

They say the modern working citizen will change careers at least six times during a lifetime. They also tell you that most college graduates go on to do something totally unrelated to their major or degree. But going from a URI graduate with an engineering degree to the principal trumpet player of an orchestra in Germany is a bit much, isn't it?

More than a week of period music kicks into gear tonight, as URI graduate John Roderick MacDonald, along with many more world-class musicians, converge in Kingston for the 17th annual Kingston Chamber Music Festival.

Full article: Road Trip: Engineering A Life In Music

Warburton Trumpet Mouthpiece Factory Destroyed By Fire

2005-07-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

Although I'm sure many of you have probably already heard, this is the first time I came across it, so it's news to me. You can check out the official Warburton website and their comments on the fire here: Warburton Factory Update.

Assembly of Trumpet Players of Guca: 8/01-8/07

2005-07-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

Three hours from Belgrade, an unusual festival that brings together the brass bands of an entire country is held: the Assembly of Trumpet Players of Guca. “I didn’t know the trumpet could be played like that!” said Miles Davies of the Guca Festival in Serbia. From the 1-7 August, for the 44th consecutive year, this peaceful village of just 3,000 people will transform itself into the world capital…of Yugoslav fanfare!

Since 1961, the Assembly of Trumpet Players of Guca has organised the final (the qualifying stages take place in July in the four corners of the country) of a competition open to brass players from all over Serbia. The winning group receives the illustrious ‘Golden Trumpet’, synonymous with the numerous contracts that will follow. Although it may seem small-time, the festival brings together 300,000 “trumpet addicts” every year, an increasing number of whom come from abroad.

Full article: Assembly of Trumpet Players of Guca

Something Cool:Google Earth

2005-07-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, this really doesn't have anything to do with trumpet, but I just came across Google Earth this week and it's wayyyyyyyyyy cool! The best part is, it's FREE!

"Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop. View exotic locales like Maui and Paris as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, schools, and more."

I typed in my address and was able to view a satellite image of my house from space! It's like the kind of picture you see in the movie Enemy of the State with Will Smith. I only wish the image was in real time. Then again, maybe that's a good thing. Otherwise, it'll be like Big Brother watching you. In the wrong hands, that can be dangerous.

On a side note, I've always like Google Maps better than Yahoo or Mapquest because it lets me drag the map any which way I like. A lot of times, I don't have the exact address, but know the approximate location. Google Map's dragging ability makes it much easier to use than Yahoo or Mapquest which just zooms in or out, and takes forever for the screen to refresh when you want to move directions.

Anyway, have fun with this! To download this software, go to: Google Earth

Question About An Antique Trumpet Engraved With "The Earle Crest"

2005-07-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a question from a visitor to my website. I don't know the answer to his question. If you do, please let me know and I'll forward the information to him. Thanks!

"I recently bought an antique trumpet and would like some information on it and I don't know how to go searching. All my attempts have been in vain. The trumpet's engraved with the words The Earle Crest. There's also a lion's head engraved on it with anarrow through it. There's a banner that either has some Spanish or European words. There is also a flag on it with 3 stars. Do you know anything about this trumpet. What year it was made, manufacturer, country etc.?"

CSO Trumpeter Tage Larsen at Ravinia Summer Festival

2005-07-14T12:39:00.000-05:00

Two African American musicians are making headlines with their performances this summer with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The performers are Tage Larsen, a virtuoso trumpet player and the first Black to sign a contract as a regular member of the Symphony, and Richard Edwards, the first Lewis-Sebring Fellow who has performed with the orchestra for two years that ends following the Ravinia Summer Festival.

Full article: Blacks play critical role with CSO at Ravinia Festival

L.A. Jazz Society to Honor Trumpeter Jack Sheldon

2005-07-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

The Los Angeles Jazz Society will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a Jazz Tribute Awards Dinner and Concert on Nov. 6. In addition to celebrating their anniversary, the evening will also honor trumpeter Jack Sheldon as the group’s 2005 Tribute Honoree. The tribute will be hosted by film historian and jazz aficionado Leonard Maltin, while Honorary Tribute Chair Merv Griffin will present Sheldon with his award. Sheldon and Griffin worked together for 18 years on the talk show The Merv Griffin Show.

Sheldon’s reputation along the West Coast is legendary, and not just for his trumpet and vocal stylings. While he is considered one of the “Original Lions” of the West Coast Sound (along with Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Zoot Sims) and has collaborated with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diane Schuur, Sheldon was an entertainer above all. He was often a featured soloist on film and television soundtracks and was also and actor in both film and television, including voice-over work for The Simpsons and The Family Guy. For some generations, he might be best remembered for singing “Conjunction Junction” And “Just a Bill” for ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock.

Full article: L.A. Jazz Society to Honor Trumpeter Jack Sheldon

Trumpet Auditions for Official Drumline of the Jacksonville Jaguars THIS SATURDAY!!!

2005-07-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

The D-LINE, the official drumline of the Jacksonville Jaguars, will hold open auditions on Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Pepsi Plaza outside of Alltel Stadium. Auditions are open to drummers and trumpet players. Registration is available on www.jaguars.com. Media and fans are encouraged to attend. Parking on Saturday will be available in Lot D, on the southeast side of the stadium. All musicians are required to bring practice pads, sticks and horns. All musicians must be 18 years old or above to try out.

For more info: D-Line

Adolph "Bud" Herseth Guest Artist at Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival July 11-13

2005-07-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

Adolph "Bud" Herseth, the famed principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1948-2001, will return to his alma mater this summer as a guest artist for the 2005 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival.

Click here to see the schedule of events while he is there. All events are free and open to the public: Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival: Adolph Herseth

Madison Early Music Festival July 9-16

2005-07-10T14:38:00.000-05:00

The 2005 Madison Early Music Festival presents music from the Fairest Isles. Four world renowned ensembles-in-residence will be together for eight days of workshop classes and concert series focusing on early music from England, Ireland and Scotland. The ensembles-in-residence include King's Noyse, Piffaro and the Baltimore Consort. Historic Brass faculty include Kris Ingles and Greg Ingles, of The Spiritus Collective and Piffaro.

For more information: Madison Early Music Festival

Like festivals? Check out my page of trumpet-related festivals: HERE.

Update: Music Schools for Trumpet Musicians

2005-07-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, this project is probably going to take a little longer than I'd expected. I am up to the state of Massachusetts now. On some days, I'm only able to finish one state because of the sheer number of schools I have to go through (i.e., getting the DIRECT web address to the information I promised such as the music department page and not just the homepage of the university/college.) On other days, like this weekend, I'm just takin' it easy and not get on the computer at all.

Also, on the ones I've been working on lately, I'd also added faculty information. I know many of you out there are interested in studying with a particular teacher, so this information will definitely come in handy. Some of the links to academic program and auditions information sure were hard to find. You'd think they make it easier for people to find the most BASIC information prospective students want to know. Oh well, I guess that's why I'm compiling this list ... to make it easier on my fellow trumpet players.

Anyway, here's what I have so far: Music Schools for Trumpet Musicians. Check back daily for the remaining states.

Damn, it's almost midnight on the 4th of July! Ciao for now!

Travels With My Horn

2005-07-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

Lost luggage, lost sleep and lost in music ... Guy Barker reveals what happened when he embarked on a globetrotting tour to collaborate with the cream of jazz musicians. Ever wonder what the life of a musician is like? Here is a snippet from the travel diary of trumpeter Guy Barker.

Check it out: Travels With My Horn

"A Love Affair With the Trumpet"

2005-07-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Don Harrell of the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra discusses the subject. 1:15 p.m. July 7. Cal State Fullerton, Mackey Auditorium. (714) 278-2446.

For more information: Cal State Fullerton

Master Classes in Trumpet Performance, Featuring Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer at Northwestern University School of Music

2005-06-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

All events will be held on the campus of Northwestern University, Evanston, Il (USA). For more information:

Summer Session (June 27-July 1)
Northwestern University School of Music
711 Elgin Road
Evanston, IL 60208-1200 (USA)
Phone: 847.491.7485
E-mail: d-wyandt@northwestern.edu

See also: Northwestern University School of Music

Chris Griffin, 89, Trumpeter Who Played in Benny Goodman Historic Concert, Dies

2005-06-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

Chris Griffin, a trumpet player who was heard at Carnegie Hall with Benny Goodman and in millions of living rooms with the orchestras on the Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason shows, died on June 18 in Danbury, Conn. He was 89 and lived in Southbury, Conn. The cause was melanoma, said his fiancée, Louise Baranger.

Born Gordon Griffin in Binghamton, N.Y., on Oct. 31, 1915, he was the last surviving member of Goodman's band for his historic Carnegie Hall concert of 1938, the first major jazz event there. Mr. Griffin was barely out of his teens when he joined the Goodman band. But he was already a seasoned professional, having worked with the saxophonist Charlie Barnet and the singer Rudy Vallee. He was a member of the CBS Radio Orchestra when the impresario John Hammond recommended him to Goodman in 1936.

Full story: Chris Griffin, 89, Trumpeter Who Played in Historic Concert, Dies

Interview with Chris Botti

2005-06-25T13:36:00.000-05:00

Chris Botti enjoys playing trumpet, but he doesn't like to blow his own horn. When asked if women ever throw clothing on stage when he performs, the musician scoffed. "No, no, no," said Botti, who performs Saturday at the Hampton Jazz Festival. "Everyone is respectful. We attract an adult audience. They save that stuff for "NSYNC."

Botti - named last year to People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" list - said his image as a sex symbol was cooked up by a publicist. It doesn't translate into anything real at all - and certainly not provocative items being tossed up on stage. "OK, I get a couple of phone numbers now and then," he granted.

Botti's modesty extends into his role as a star instrumentalist. Having backed artists ranging from Paul Simon to Joni Mitchell and Sting, Botti has since climbed into the upper echelon of smooth jazz horn men. He now stands merely a rung or two below Kenny G and Yanni on the ladder of mellow success. Still, you won't find Botti comparing himself to heroes such as Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Chet Baker or Keith Jarrett. Botti said he hasn't had the opportunity to jam with Jarrett and he's not holding his breath. "I'm content to just buy his records and admire him from afar," Botti said.

Full article: Jazz Musician Prefers to Let His Trumpet Talk

Arturo Sandoval "Elder Statesman of Jazz" to Perform in Canada

2005-06-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

"He's one of the best. He has a very athletic style, but can play softly, too. He's got bull chops!" -- The late Dizzy Gillespie on trumpeter Arturo Sandoval

Arturo Sandoval and his trumpet have travelled down such fascinating roads, HBO made a movie about him. Considered one of the great jazz trumpeters, Sandoval was born in Artemisa near Havana, Cuba, in 1949. He picked up his instrument early, and although he began taking classical lessons at age 12, it didn't take long before he fell in love with jazz. It was in Havana, in 1977, that he met the great Dizzy Gillespie, who was performing there. Sandoval played with Gillespie during that stint, which began a mentoring relationship that lasted for years. "After that I started playing with him almost every year until he passed," said Sandoval in a recent interview from his home in Miami, Fla.

Sandoval has over the years moved into the role of elder statesman of jazz, like Gillespie, as educator and acclaimed musician. He is a professor at the Florida International University, where the Arturo Sandoval Trumpet Scholarship was created in 1996 to benefit low income students. He also teaches through clinics at institutions around the world.

Full article: Elder Statesman of Jazz

Applications Being Taken for Jazz-MU-Tazz Workships, Clinics

2005-06-23T13:36:00.000-05:00

The seventh annual Jazz-MU-Tazz Festival returns to Marshall University Monday, June 20 through Saturday, June 25, 2005. Applications are now being accepted for the workshops and clinics, which are open to high school and college students. The classes take place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Jomie Jazz Center on the Huntington campus.

Participants take classes in jazz improvisation, history and music technology. Students rehearse and receive hands-on training during the classes. Dr. Ed Bingham, professor in Marshall's music department and MU's director of jazz studies, said the program provides high school students with a high level of jazz training and allows college students to be active with the program.

"The Jazz-MU-Tazz program provides a more intensive experience to enhance what high school students are doing in their jazz bands at school and also allows students who don't have jazz bands at their schools to learn about the program," Bingham said. "It also allows college students to learn about the program while providing our jazz students with the opportunity to stay involved throughout the summer."

The students also will work closely with noted trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling, who has preformed with The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, The Lincoln Center Classical Jazz Orchestra and many others. Stripling also has had many television and musical performances, including the lead role of the Broadway-bound musical, "Satchmo." Millions have heard his trumpet and voice on TV commercials and theme songs, including "20/20" and CNN.

Applications must be received by Friday, June 10, 2005. The cost of the program is $200 a person. For more information or to register for the program, persons may contact Bingham at (304) 696-2452.

See Press Release: Jazz-MU-Tazz Returns to Marshall June 20-25

Need an Inspiration?! Paralyzed Trumpet Player Performs Again

2005-06-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

A trumpet player who was told he would never play again after becoming paralysed is to perform with a specially designed instrument.
Clarence Adoo has been in a wheelchair since a car accident 10 years ago left him unable to move from the neck down.

The accomplished musician is now due to give a solo performance at a music festival in Orkney using a computer-aided instrument. It is operated by a head-mounted sensor and highly controlled breaths. The instrument, called Head Space, was designed by electronic music specialist Rolf Gelhhaar and composer John Kenny. Mr Adoo, who formerly played with Northern Symphonia, will be unveiling the instrument at the St Mungo's festival on Wednesday where he will be appearing with the Royal Scottish Academy's brass section.

Since his accident, Mr Adoo has continued to exercise the sophisticated breath control required of a professional brass player and with the new instrument will use a tube and the head sensor to access a library of sounds. He hopes his performance will inspire other disabled musicians

See: Paralysed musician performs again

Australian Trumpet Maestro James Morrison to Perform at Southport Jazz Festival

2005-06-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

The Southport Jazz Festival opens its four day run on Thursday and from July 9 the eight-day Wigan International Jazz Festival gets underway. Friday and Saturday are good nights for big band fans with Australian trumpet maestro James Morrison plus the Wigan Jazz Club Big Band and the Count Basie Orchestra.

Full article: Southport Jazz Festival

See also: Trumpet, Band, Brass, Jazz & Blues Festivals Around the World

Music Schools for Trumpet Musicians

2005-06-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneek peak at my current project: Music Schools for Trumpet Musicians.

By the time I'm done, I'm sure this has got to be THE most comprehensive listing available on the web. It'll probably take me a week or two, depending on how crazy I am about finishing this page.

Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra's Inaugural Performance To Feature World-Renowned Trumpet Virtuosos

2005-06-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

The debut performance of the newly formed Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra on June 23 at the Royal Thai Navy Auditorium, which features some of the world's foremost trumpet players as guest soloists, will be one of the highlights of the International Trumpet Guild Conference 2005 being held in Bangkok. Under the musical direction of chief conductor Shuichi Komiyama, the Thailand Philharmonic is a collaboration between the Thai government and Mahidol University's College of Music. It will be Thailand's first full-time orchestra, with its inaugural season scheduled to begin in November.

The orchestra will perform Emerald Rhapsody, a piece written especially for the occasion by Eric Ewazen, one of America's most influential composers for brass instruments. Adding stature to the performance will be guest trumpet soloists Jens Lindemann, David Hickman and Paul Merkelo playing alongside the orchestra's principal trumpet, Joseph Bowman.

Dr Bowman, professor of Trumpet at Mahidol's College of Music, is excited at the idea of performing with internationally-acclaimed trumpet maestros, particularly Jens Lindemann, whom he considers one of the greatest in the world. "He's right up there alongside Yo Yo Ma," he says.

The International Trumpet Guild's 30th Annual Conference (ITG 2005), which will be held from June 21-24 at the Grand Hotel on Ratchadaphisek road, will bring together many of the world's top trumpeters in a series of presentations, clinics, master classes, recitals, evening concerts and even a nightly jam session at the conference hotel.

Full article: Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra's Inaugural Performance To Feature World-Renowned Trumpet Virtuosos

Mouthpieces Central -All About Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn & Piccolo Mouthpieces

2005-06-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am on a roll this weekend! Just finished another page on Trumpet Musician. It's all about mouthpieces. Check it out HERE

Comprehensive & Up-to-Date Trumpet & Mouthpiece Manufacturers List Completed

2005-06-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

I just completed the "Trumpet & Mouthpiece Manufacturers - Makers - Distributors" page on Trumpet Musician. This is THE most up-to-date information available, even more so than ITG's list (which you will find have many broken links).

You can check out the page here: Trumpet & Mouthpiece Makers

June 15th is Application Deadline for the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition

2005-06-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

The competition is sponsored by the International Trumpet Guild in cooperation with the Herb Alpert Foundation. The entry must be received no later that June 30, 2005 for consideration. The competition is open to trumpeters born after October 15, 1975. The competition will be held on October 15, 2005. Full details and rules of the competition can be found in the January, 2005 ITG Journal, or online at http://www.trumpetguild.org/resources/caruso.html, or by contacting:

Vern Sielert
ITG Caruso Competition
UW School of Music
P.O. Box 353450
Seattle, WA 98195-3450
Phone: 206-543-1189
E-mail: caruso@trumpetguild.org

June 15th is Deadline for Application for the 5th International Jan Koetsier Competition for Chamber Brass

2005-06-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

The competition will be held in the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich, Germany. The competition is open to brass quintets with an average age of not more than 27 years. The competition will be held on November 5-6, 2005. For more information, contact:

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München - Rektorat
Arcisstr. 12
D-80333 München
Phone: +49 (0)89/289 27475
Fax: +49 (0)89/289 27439
E-mail: Rektor@musikhochschule-muenchen.de
Web site: http://www.musikhochschule-muenchen.de

CSUS Summer Jazz Camp From July 10 - July 15

2005-06-01T16:54:00.000-05:00

The Jazz Studies Department at California State University Sacramento is proud to host the CSUS Summer Jazz Camp featuring the Jim Widner Big Band. It is an intensive week of big band rehearsals, sectionals, master classes, improvisation, theory, and arranging. The centerpiece of this camp is the Jim Widner Big Band in residency. This band consists of professional jazz musicians from throughout the country who instruct camp participants each day. The camp is open to instrumentalists of all abilities and ages ranging from middle school to senior citizens. Nightly performances by the Jim Widner Big Band are a highlight for the camp participants and the community. Students not only learn from, but also study with, play with, and listen to jazz musicians of the highest caliber.

For more information: CSUS Summer Jazz Camp

Mark Pender, From NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," to Perform at University of Oregon

2005-05-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

Trumpet player Mark Pender, from NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," will be the guest artist as the University of Oregon Green Garter Band plays jazz, blues and funk at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Beall Hall. The program will include music by James Brown, Ozzy Osbourne, Maynard Ferguson, Real Big Fish, Tower of Power and Earth Wind & Fire, along with special arrangements from the Mark Pender Band.

Reserved-seat tickets are $12 ($8 for students and senior citizens). Tickets will be sold at the door but also may be purchased in advance by calling: (541)346-4363.

See event calendar: GREEN GARTER BAND with Mark Pender, Trumpet
See also: Program.

Nebraska Jazz Orchestra Offers Summer Camp

2005-05-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Student jazz musicians in Nebraska may be happy to know that the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra announced its 2005 Nebraska Jazz Camp, to be held July 18-22 on the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus in Lincoln.

The jazz camp, which is open to seventh grade musicians and older, is led by faculty at the university. Serving as clinicians, instructors and performers, faculty members will focus on topics such as improvisation, theory, standard jazz literature and electronic music. Students will participate in big bands, combos and jam sessions; take part in master classes; attend classes; and attend local jazz performances and social events off-campus.

Complete details: Nebraska Jazz Orchestra Offers Summer Camp

Biography Toots Gillespie's Horn as Innovator of Bebop

2005-05-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

"Dizzy Gillespie, the trumpeter who would forever become associated with the birth of bebop, acquired his nickname as a teenager when he prowled Philadelphia's saloons and jazz clubs toting a $15 horn in a paper bag while dressed in shaggy pin-striped suits from a local thrift shop.

The older musicians who affectionately applied the label couldn't have foreseen how apt it was - that the wacky prodigy would soon be flicking spitballs behind the back of bandleader Cab Calloway and lighting matches between the toes of dozing bandmates. Later, he'd affect a hipster get-up consisting of a zoot suit and tilted beret, and play a horn with an up-tilted bell while ballooning his cheeks past the usual limits of human flesh.

The joke, of course, is that "Diz" was an innovator of intense focus and intellectual depth. In his biography, Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie, writer and concert producer Donald L. Maggin has ample fun with Gillespie the prankster but tells the more enlightening story of Gillespie the pioneer who steered jazz out of a swing era that was dying of natural causes and into the revolution of bop.

In bebop's formative period, the late 1930s and early 1940s, Gillespie found like-minded spirits in drummer Kenny Clarke, guitarist Charlie Christian, pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist Charlie Parker, innovators in their own right who shared a yearning for a new sound. But it was Gillespie who formed the early bands, organized the tours and schooled young acolytes in the odd, syncopated rhythms and lightning-fast runs that were trademarks of the new style."

See full review: Biography Toots Gillespie's Horn as Innovator of Bebop

Durham Brass Festival 2005 Lineup Announced

2005-05-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

In its fifth year, the Durham Brass Festival can proudly blow its own trumpet by announcing an exhilarating line-up of some of the hottest names in traditional and modern day brass. The brass festival runs from June 11th through July 14th.

Audiences can savour the atmosphere created by music etched with passion and delivered by musicians and vocalists who enforce the desire that epitomises the grandeur of brass music. The festival blends different creative elements to conjure up a magical musical buzz.

For more information: Durham Brass Festival 2005 Schedule

The Billings Symphony To Hold Auditions On June 24 For 2005-06 Season

2005-05-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

The Billings Symphony will hold auditions June 24 for musicians interested in performing with the orchestra during the 2005-06 season. While there are specific positions that are currently vacant, auditions will also be held to fill the substitute musician list for all sections.

Current vacancies include principal trumpet, principal harp, assistant principal second violin, section violin I & II, section viola, and section bass. Individuals interested in auditioning, must contact the Billings Symphony at 2721 2nd Ave. N. to arrange an audition time, and to pick up audition materials no later than June 17.

The Billings Symphony Orchestra is a semi-professional, adult, paid orchestra, and all musicians must successfully complete a double-blind audition prior to engagement. Double-blind auditions are held with the auditionee performing behind a screen where they cannot see the audition committee and in the same fashion, the audition committee does not know their identity.

Auditions for adult musicians (18 years of age and older), will be held on Friday, June 24 and any positions not filled by adults will be open to students (ages 13-18) to compete for one-year performance internship opportunities on Saturday, June 25.

For more information, call the Billings Symphony at 406-252-3610.

Full article: Billings Symphony Auditions

Trumpet Player Arturo Sandoval Performing This Weekend

2005-05-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

Arturo Sandoval will be performing this Saturday, May 28th, in Englewood, New Jersey at the Bergen Performing Arts Center.

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was voted Cuba’s Best Instrumentalist from 1982-1990. Sandoval exploded on the world jazz market, evolving into the most acknowledged guardian of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist.

For tickets: All That Jazz Series - Arturo Sandoval

K&M Putting Finishing Touches on 21-Foot Trumpet For Elkhart

2005-05-25T15:21:00.001-05:00

It's not a horn of plenty, but it's plenty of horn. Goshen, Ind., artist John Mishler calls his towering trumpet "Jazz Parade." At 21 feet tall, 11 feet wide and weighing an estimated 3,500 pounds, the stainless steel horn headed for Elkhart, Ind., from K&M Machine-Fabricating in central Cass County, could make a Gillespie dizzy with its big, beckoning, bent bell.

"This is kind of an abstract tribute" to Elkhart's heritage as the Band Instrument Capital of the World, as well as acknowledgement as host city of a jazz festival coming up June 24, 25 and 26 that involves more than 150 musicians and 500 community volunteers on seven stages, including in a 1924 theater.

Full article: K&M Putting Finishing Touches on 21-Foot Trumpet For Elkhart

2005-05-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

"Jazz Parade"

NPR : Dizzy and Chet, a Jazz Odd Couple

2005-05-24T17:18:00.000-05:00

Musician and Day to Day contributor David Was reviews recordings by two trumpet players who had an odd relationship -- Dizzy Gillespie and Chet Baker.

Hear the program: NPR : Dizzy and Chet, a Jazz Odd Couple

4th Annual Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute 05/30-06/12

2005-05-23T13:20:00.000-05:00

This is an intensive 14-day residency in baroque period performance at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. The Institute was launched in 2002 in order to offer young musicians and seasoned professionals alike an opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of baroque music. Trumpet is added to the qualified instrumentation this year!

For more info: Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute

The Memorial Day Challenge For Trumpeters, Cornetists, and Buglers Is On!!!!

2005-05-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Now that Memorial Day is well within everyone's sights it's time to inspire your local media to do a story about "The National Moment of Remembrance". Make sure you tell them about BAA's challenge to every horn player in America!

How cool would it be on Memorial Day at 3pm if every Trumpeter, Cornetist and Bugler in America could be heard sounding Taps during the moment!

Maybe with our assistance, live Taps can someday be heard on Memorial Day in every neighborhood, park and monument in the country. Please consider joining in on this very simple request and encourage brass players in your area to join in! Remember, all who participate and send in an entry form, will be entered in a drawing for a Getzen American Heritage Field Trumpet!

See http://www.fieldtrumpet.com.

See also: The Memorial Day Challenge Is On!!!!

'Taps' Line Highlights Need For Buglers

2005-05-22T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hannah Sollecito had one thing on her mind Saturday as she stood in Woodlawn National Cemetery and began to perform the plaintive military dirge known as Taps.

"I just wanted to hit the notes," she said. "I knew if I could do that, the emotion would come through."

The 15-year-old Baldwinsville resident was the first in a line of 866 musicians along a 41-mile stretch from Woodlawn to the Bath Veterans Administration Medical Center to play the melody. It was composed by her ancestor, Gen. Daniel Butterfield, and a brigade bugler named Oliver Wilcox Norton in 1862.

Almost 150 years later, some military officials are concerned that the ritual of live musicians playing Taps to honor veterans at their funerals is becoming less common. Saturday's event, known as Echo Taps, was organized to remind the public of the importance of recognizing veterans in this way, raise awareness about caring for national cemeteries and inspire a new generation of buglers.

Full article: 'Taps' Line Highlights Need For Buglers

Great American Brass Band Festival to Feature Trumpet Player Vincent DiMartino

2005-05-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

The 16th annual Great American Brass Band Festival has added a few new events and changed at least one location of a tried-and-true part of the celebration.

The June 9-12 festival, which is expected to draw more than 40,000 visitors to Danville, is recognized year after year by the Southeast Tourism Society and the Kentucky Tourism Council as one of the top summer events in the Southeast.

This year's festival will feature some of the world's top virtuoso soloists, including trumpet player Vincent DiMartino and euphonium player Steven Mead. Bands play on three stages from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Centre College Main Stage. The majority of events are free.

See article: GABBF to Feature Vincent DiMartino

For more information: Great American Brass Band Festival

Scottish Brass Band Week May 20-29

2005-05-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

A great line up of events will take place this weekend onwards as bands get set for the Scottish Brass Band Week.

For more info: Scottish Brass Band Week

Marine Corps Band Holding Trumpet Tryouts

2005-05-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Marine Corps Band will hold tryouts at six Mid-Willamette Valley (West Salem, Oregon) high schools. The band is auditioning for bassoon, French horn, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, euphonium and percussion.

For more information about the tryouts, call Michael Dukes at (503) 370-6163 or Faye Hutchison at (503) 326-3016.

See also: Marine Corps Band Holding Trumpet Tryouts

Trumpet Summit Sounds Clarion Call For Jazz Fans

2005-05-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

This weekend at The Jazz Kitchen encompasses two kinds of shows it has long been associated with: bringing back old-time Indianapolis stars and focusing on local masters of a particular instrument.

Tonight will be the club's first Trumpet Summit, with Indianapolis and Bloomington represented by a wide range of talent -- Pat Harbison, Tom Mullinix, Jeff Conrad, Clifford Ratliff, Mike Hackett and Ansyn Banks. The focus on the trumpet follows such successful predecessors as evenings spotlighting vocalists, guitarists, tenor saxophonists and (generally in a duo format) pianists.

Full article: Trumpet Summit Sounds Clarion Call for Jazz Fans

41-Mile Long Line of Buglers & Trumpet Players To Perform Taps

2005-05-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

On May 21, 2005 there will be an attempt to connect two National Cemeteries together with a line of buglers playing Taps. This effort will require 600 to 800 buglers to form an audible connection between Elmira, NY Woodlawn national Cemetery and the Bath, NY National Cemetery, a total distance of 41 miles.

The primary reason for this event is to raise the public awareness and to recruit individuals to play Taps for our deceased veterans as part of their final honors.

For more information: EchoTaps

Meridian Seminar @ ECU

2005-05-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Meridian Arts Ensemble will hold a one - week Brass and Percussion Chamber Music Seminar at East Carolina University at Greenville NC, from June 12 - 17, 2005. The Seminar is open to students age 13 and older, and will consist of a rigorous schedule of coachings, masterclasses, rehearsals, and concerts by the faculty and students.

Up to 10 groups will be admitted: individual applicants as well as pre-formed ensembles are encouraged to apply. There will be one Honors Ensemble, which will receive a full scholarship, and will study one major work composed after 1950. Additional scholarships will be available, based on need. The faculty will consist of the six-member Meridian Arts Ensemble, and the East Carolina University brass and percussion faculty. Thompson Hanks Jr. (New York Brass Quintet) will be this year’s Master Teacher during the Seminar, leading coachings, large ensembles, and masterclasses.

For more information: http://www.ecu.edu/music/meridian/

The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival: May 13-15

2005-05-11T12:43:00.000-05:00

The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival will take place May 13-15, 2005. Festival activities are restricted to the 15 finalist bands, however, the public and visiting bands are invited to attend both days of competition and the Essentially Ellington Concert.

For more info: Essentially Ellington

Free Bobby Shew Clinic 05/13

2005-05-10T14:21:00.000-05:00

Bobby Shew will present a free clinic on May 13th, 4 p.m., at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA (75 miles south of San Francisco, on the Monterey Bay).

Cabrillo Community College
Room 205 in the theater building
1600 Soquel Drive
Aptos, CA

Shew will also appear that night at 8 p.m. with the Cabrillo College Jazz Ensemble, traditionally one of the top college big bands in the country (Cabrillo alumnus tenor saxophonist, Donnie McCaslin, is up for a Grammy under the Jazz Instrumentlist catagory this year).

For more info: Jon Nordgren, Director of Instrumental Music (831)477-5653.

See also: Official Web Site of Bobby Shew

Humboldt State University Brass Chamber Music Workshop Deadline May 15th

2005-05-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

The deadline for Application/Deposit for the 32nd Annual Humboldt State University Brass Chamber Music Workshop to be held on the campus of Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA (USA) is May 15th. There are two single week sessions, with a limit of 65 participants per week. The first week runs from July 24-30, and the second session is planned for July 31-August 6. For questions call 408.377.3493 or send an e-mail to ttuba@earthlink.net.

For more information and an application: http://www.humboldt.edu/~extended/special/brass/index.html

Hanover Wind Symphony in Concert TONIGHT, Featuring Phil Smith of NY Philharmonic as Soloist

2005-05-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

The concert will be held in the Community Theater, Morristown, NJ (USA). An admission fee is required. Tickets are available at the box office, 973-539-8008 or online at http://www.communitytheatrenj.org. For questions and further information, contact the Hanover Wind Symphony at 973-ANDANTE or online at http://www.hanoverwinds.org.

For more information: Hanover Wind Symphony in Concert, Featuring Phil Smith of NY Philharmonic as Soloist

Allen Vizzutti in Concert with the Jazz Mechanics Big Band May 12th (Ontario, Canada)

2005-05-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

Allen Vizzutti in concert with the Jazz Mechanics Big Band at Earl Haig S.S., 100 Princess Avenue, North York, Ontario, Canada. The concert begins at 7:30 PM, and tickets are available by calling 905-874-2800.

Trumpet Trio (Herseth, Severinsen, Lazarus) Wows Crowd at UW-L Trumpeter Festival

2005-05-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

Trumpet students, teachers and players were in trumpet heaven Sunday. They brought their cameras and snapped pictures of trumpeters Doc Severinsen and Adolph Herseth talking to one another during a break at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Trumpeter Festival. And when Charles Lazarus, a member of Canadian Brass, joined the two, the flashes from cameras filled Toland Theatre.

Anyone who plays trumpet knew this was a rare occasion and a special treat with these three trumpeters on one stage. What was even better was they all played together in a concert Sunday night to conclude the three-day festival described by UW-L trumpet teacher David Cooper as "my dream." It was a fantastic concert which drew a standing-room-only crowd in Toland Theatre.

It was a standing ovation right away when Herseth, Severinsen and Lazarus joined together in Benjamin Britten's "Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury." They were joined by four other trumpet players, including Cooper and Robert Dorer and Craig Hara, both from the Minnesota Orchestra, in "Fantasia for Seven Trumpets," and the crowd went wild. Severinsen, known as the flamboyant Grammy award-winning music director of Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show,'' said he wanted to come to the UW-L trumpet festival because his mentor and one of the most prominent trumpeters in the country, Herseth, was sharing his talents in master classes. Herseth, Severinsen and Lazarus shared stories about their careers in a panel discussion earlier in the day.

Full article: Trumpet Trio Wows Crowd at UW-L Trumpeter Festival

Trumpet Virtuoso Allen Vizzutti Special Guest at City of Brampton Concert

2005-05-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

The City of Brampton Concert Band, under the direction of Darryl Eaton, is featuring world-renowned trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzutti as special guest at its concert on Saturday, May 14, at 8 p.m. at St. Paul's United Church, 30 Main St. S.

Vizzutti has visited 35 countries to perform with numerous artists and ensembles. He has performed on more than 100 motion picture sound tracks, as well as countless TV shows and commercials. He has also recorded with artists like Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond.

Musicians interested in attending a clinic with Vizzutti have two opportunities. One is on May 12 at 11:45 a.m. at Earl Haig Secondary School, 100 Princess Ave., North York. The other clinic is on May 13 at noon at Mayfield Secondary School, 5000 Mayfield Rd., Brampton. Ticket prices for the clinic are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

For tickets, call 905-874-2800. For more information, visit the band's Web site at www.bramptonconcertband.com

Full article: Trumpet Virtuoso Allen Vizzutti Special Guest at City of Brampton Concert

2005-05-04T22:32:00.000-05:00

Allen Vizzutti

Trumpet Player Benny Bailey Dies at 79

2005-05-03T23:19:00.000-05:00

Trumpeter Benny Bailey, who played with Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton before he became a fixture on the European jazz scene, has died in his home in Amsterdam, friends said Tuesday. He was 79.

Born in Cleveland on Aug. 13, 1925, Ernest Harold Bailey played R&B after studying at the Cleveland Conservatory of Music, but found his niche in bop. He joined Gillespie in 1947, then played five years with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. He left Hampton during a European tour in 1953 and decided to stay, spending many years in Sweden with Harry Arnold's big band. His two daughters still live in Sweden, Van Beeck said.

In the late 1950s, he recorded with Stan Getz and Quincy Jones, returning briefly with Jones to America in 1960. He returned to Europe and worked mainly in radio and recording studios in Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere. He toured with many bands, and in 1986 became a member of the Paris Reunion Band. In 2000, he recorded The Satchmo Legacy, an album that Van Beeck said was among Bailey's finest work.

Full story: Trumpet Player Benny Bailey Dies at 79

2005-05-03T23:18:00.000-05:00

Benny Bailey

Jazz Italian-Style

2005-05-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

The jazz scene in Italy is a thriving, fascinating adventure. Italians seem to have a natural affinity with jazz. Their conversation, lifestyle, architecture and even design all seem musical. In Italian jazz you hear the obvious influences of the great jazz musicians of the past, especially American, but are always aware of the more classical traditions of Europe in the technique and structure - it all adds up to a rich and exciting music. And Melbourne will get a taste of it from May 5 to 15 when Umbria Jazz pays a visit.

Jazz came to Italy early in the 20th century in the same way that it spread across the world when local musicians tried to play like their New Orleans idols. A few of those originals, incidentally, had Italian blood; think of Nick La Rocca, leader of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, whose recording of Tiger Rag was the first jazz recording. It is said that Louis Armstrong listened to Caruso records as inspiration for his trumpet technique.

Full article: Jazz Italian-Style

John Schnell on Being a Trumpeter, Future Surgical Technologist and Pilot

2005-05-02T00:58:00.000-05:00

When John Schnell grows up, he wants to be a pilot. That's after his career as a surgical technologist. But for now, the 56-year-old South Portland resident is content to work as the principal trumpeter with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

It's a job Schnell has done well for 30 years, and he has no plans to give it up. He dreams about being a pilot and is working toward becoming certified as a surgical technologist, but the symphony provides a rock of stability in his life.

At the PSO's season-ending Classical concert, Schnell will solo in the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto. The program will open with Franz Liszt's Les Preludes and conclude with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. The concert is a great way for Schnell and his brass-playing mates to close the season. Generally, they are asked to play softly. But this program encourages them to "BLP" - trumpeter's lingo for "blow like pig."

More on his story: Not One to Toot His Own Horn, But Schnell Does Love to Play

Military Bands in Europe Will Trumpet Sound of Freedom in Honor of V-E Day

2005-05-02T00:49:00.000-05:00

With performances planned across Europe for the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, you’d think the upcoming week for military musicians in Europe would be extraordinarily busy. But for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe bands, it won’t be terribly unusual, said Maj. Scott Guidry, USAFE band commander. His musicians play “well over 400 commitments per year.” Of course, that’s not one band, but may be combinations ranging from one or two people, to a 50-piece ensemble, Guidry said.

Whether it’s a memorial or a celebration, music sets the mood. So it follows that Army, Air Force and Navy bands will be in great demand for 60th anniversary events marking the end of World War II in Europe. Musicians with USAFE, Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Army Europe, the 1st Armored Division, V Corps and other organizations will be playing from Rome to the edge of Siberia’s Ural Mountains in Ekaterinburg.

Full article: Military Bands in Europe Will Trumpet Sound of Freedom in Honor of V-E Day

Jazz Man Jothan Callins Dies at 62

2005-05-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

Jothan Callins, a prominent Birmingham jazz musician, died Saturday. He was 62. Mr. Callins and his band, The Sounds of Togetherness, performed across America and all over the world, his family said. "You name the greatest jazz musicians and he collaborated with them," his brother Joel recalled. Joel Callins said his brother died at Baptist Princeton Medical Center after a long illness.

Mr. Callins' more than 500 original compositions, including tunes like `Birmingham Blues," were performed by a host of musicians, including the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and NBC's "Tonight Show" band. Mr. Callins, a trumpet and keyboard player, performed with artists like Sun Ra, Lionel Hampton, Chuck Mangione, Stevie Wonder and B.B. King.

Full story: Jazz Man Jothan Callins Dies at 62

Jazz Festivals Around the World

2005-04-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

I just posted a whole bunch of jazz festival dates from around the world on my Jazz Festivals page. Check it out! For now, I just have the dates, name of the festival, and their official web addresses. In the near future, I will post more comprehensive information about each festival, including the performers, tickets, travel, maps, lodging, transportation, etc., etc.

I will delete the old festivals as they pass and add new ones that I come across. If I missed any that you would like to share with others, please let me know. Or, if there's information you would like me to add to this or other TrumpetMusician.com pages, I welcome your input. Thanks!

Philip Smith Performance Mentioned in NY Times Review

2005-04-29T03:31:00.000-05:00

Check out NY Times' review of the New York Philharmonic concert on April 27th. There's a mention of Philip Smith's solo in Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet and strings (1933).

See the review here: A Direct Heir Brings Two Russian Composers to Life

UK: Trumpet Player Required for Quintet

2005-04-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

Brass Quintet based in North West London, UK, is looking for a dedicated musician to play 1st Trumpet. Must be able to attend regular rehearsals-only serious musicians need apply! For further information Contact Esther at: EHopkins@bulldoghome.com.

Closing date: Wednesday, June 1, 2005.
See the listing here: Trumpet Player Required for Quintet

Jon Faddis Headlines 2005 Tri-Cities Jazz Fest This Weekend

2005-04-27T23:43:00.000-05:00

Mentored by jazz great Dizzy Gillespie and considered one of the top jazz trumpeters in the world in his own right, Jon Faddis will headline the 2005 Tri-Cities Jazz Fest at East Tennessee State University Friday, April 29.

For more information: Tri-Cities Jazz Fest

Jon Faddis

Music Composer-Arranger-Trumpeter Salvador (Tutti) Camarata dead at 91

2005-04-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

Salvador (Tutti) Camarata, who worked with everyone from Bing Crosby to Billie Holiday to Disney teen heartthrob Annette Funicello in a long and distinguished career as a composer, arranger and trumpeter, has died at the age of 91. Camarata died April 6 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after a brief illness, said his son, Paul Camarata.

In addition to his Big Band work in the 1930s and '40s, Camarata was the musical conductor for several TV series in the United States, including Startime, The Vic Damone Show and The Alcoa Hour. He was also the vocal supervisor for the 1963 movie Summer Magic, which included musical performances by Hayley Mills and Burl Ives.

Camarata studied music at the Juilliard School in New York before embarking on a career as a Big Band trumpeter in the 1930s. He was both lead trumpeter and arranger for Jimmy Dorsey's band, arranging such hits as Tangerine, Green Eyes and Yours. He left Dorsey in the early 1940s to work as an arranger for Glen Cray and the Casa Loma Orchestra and for Benny Goodman's band. He also arranged music for Crosby, Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and others.

His own recordings include Tutti's Trumpets, recorded in 1957 and considered a classic for trumpet composition. In the 1970s, he orchestrated and conducted a series of albums for the London label that showcased the work of Bach, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

Full story: Salvador (Tutti) Camarata dead at 91

World's First Self-Teaching Trumpet Makes Learning Fun and "EZ"

2005-04-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

Yamaha Corporation of America, Consumer Products Division, debuts the EZ-Trumpet, expanding the successful EZ line of portable keyboards and guitars that teach users how to play by following lit keys and chords that show where to place their fingers. All of Yamaha’s EZ instruments allow users of any level to pick up an instrument and play it in minutes, giving beginners instant satisfaction and the confidence to keep learning.
The EZ-TP offers three selectable play modes that assist in learning how to play the instrument. Singing Play Mode allows the performer to sing along with the trumpet sound and play along with built-in accompaniment. With Waiting Play Mode, the EZ-TP’s valves light up to show correct finger placement and timing for each note of the song that the user is learning. The accompaniment even pauses until the user has played the correct valves. Normal Play Mode allows the user to play the EZ-TP as a conventional trumpet, with optional accompaniment.

Full story: World's First Self-Teaching Trumpet

Past comes to life through Clark Terry's trumpet

2005-04-08T23:02:00.000-05:00

When you hear Clark Terry play, you are listening to the whole history of a culture. Every note, every phrase, every attack, feint and jab, has a meaning — and a reason for being. That's why, even at 84, this trumpet and flugelhorn veteran is still such a treasure.

Terry played with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, then, after going to Europe with the legendary Quincy Jones big band in 1959, became the first African-American musician on the NBC staff. That led to a long stint on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," where Terry's sound and notorious sense of humor became a staple in American living rooms.

Full article: Past comes to life through Clark Terry's trumpet

2005-04-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

Clark Terry

2005-04-01T23:21:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog! Please look around. If you like what you see, please tell a friend. Be sure to check out my main site (with LOTS of great trumpet information) at: www.TrumpetMusician.com.