How Many Trumpet CD's Do You Own?

Here is a little test for all you trumpet students out there. Ready? Here goes...

• Can you name10 famous trumpet players?
• Do you know who Philip Smith  is?
• Who is Bud Herseth?
• Have you ever heard of Clifford Brown?
• Who is Wynton Marsalis?
• How many CD's by trumpet players do you own?
• Who is your favourite trumpet player?

It's a sad fact that most people from the general population couldn't answer any of these questions fully. Maybe we shouldn't expect they would be able to. The thing that is really perplexing to me is that many, (maybe even most), trumpet students at the elementary and high school level couldn't answer any of these questions fully either!

Just think about that! Students of the trumpet not being able to answer some really basic questions about performers of their chosen instrument! I presume if they are trying to learn how to play the trumpet, they must like the sound of the instrument. Why then would they not seek out recordings and info on some of the planet's most accomplished practitioners of the art?

Most great trumpet players I have known, when they were learning to play the trumpet, would listen to and emulate their favourite players. They would try to copy the sound and memorize solos from recordings of their trumpet heroes.

When I was learning to play the instrument (and I'm still learning!), I was always scouring music stores for recordings by players I liked the best. I would try to copy how they played, sounded, and even how they acted! I was always fascinated with the differences in tone and style among great players. I attended every live show that I could that featured trumpet players. The buzz I would get from seeing these live performances would last for months! Nobody told me I “should” listen to as many great trumpet players as I could... I just wanted to. It seemed to me that the best way to learn about what was possible to accomplish in terms of technique and great artistry, was to just listen. Listening to great players also kept me inspired when I became frustrated during those inevitable learning plateaus.

This quote by J.B. Arban sums it all up very well:

"Those of my readers who are ambitious and who want to arrive at this exalted pitch of perfection, should above all things, endeavor to hear good music well interpreted. They must seek out, among singers and instrumentalists, the most illustrious models, and this practice having purified their taste, developed their sentiments, and brought them as near as possible to the beautiful, may perhaps reveal to them the innate spark which may some day be destined to illuminate their talent, and to render them worthy of being, in their turn, cited and imitated in the future".

(Quoted from: Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet (Cornet), by J.B. Arban, Published by Carl Fischer #021)

When I recently asked a group of young trumpet players what music they listened to I was surprised that none of them named any trumpet players, or even bands or groups that featured the trumpet, or even a horn section!

So, you ask: how do I know who to listen to?

Well, here is a list of some well known trumpet artists and recordings I think are great. This is a good place to start. In no particular order:

Miles Davis:

Kind of Blue (If you only own 1 jazz recording this should be it. An absolute must have)

Miles Ahead (with Gil Evans)

Milestones

Porgy and Bess (with Gil Evans)

My Funny Valentine

Clifford Brown:

Study In Brown

More Study in Brown

The Best of Max Roach & Clifford Brown Live

Quartet In Paris

A Night at Birdland Vol. I & II (With Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers)

Wynton Marsalis:

Hot House Flowers

Black Codes from the Underground

Carnaval, With The Eastman Wind Ensemble/Donald Hunsberger

Maynard Ferguson:

MF Horn II

Message From Newport

MF Horn 3 & 4 Live at Jimmy's

Louis Armstrong:

Anything!

Bryan Lynch:

Tribute To The Trumpet Masters

Spheres of Influence

Note: these recordings may be hard to locate in stores, but can easily be purchased on line directly from the label at: www.sharpnine.com

Chet Baker:

In Paris Vol.1 & 2 (The Barclay Recordings)

In New York

Chet

Empire Brass:

The Glory of Gabrieli (this CD will blow you away!)

Firedance

Sergei Nakariakov:

Baroque Trumpet Concertos, With The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra/Hugh Wolf

The Canadian Brass:

Go For Baroque

Renaissance Men

Amazing Brass

Arturo Sandoval:

I Remember Clifford

Lee Morgan:

The Sidewinder

Search For The New land

Freddie Hubbard:

Super Blue

Red Clay

Hub Tones

Ready For Freddie

Terrence Blanchard:

Simply Stated

Romantic Defiance

Tom Harrell:

Moon Alley (likely hard to find)

Stories

Play of Light

Nicholas Payton:

Payton's Place

Dear Louis

Roy Hargrove:

The Vibe

With The Tenors Of Our Time

Eddie Henderson:

Think On Me (likely hard to find)

Re-emergence (Available on line at www.sharpnine.com )

Woody Shaw:

Rosewood

Master of The Art

This list is by no means complete! It merely lists a few of my favourite recordings. I have not even tried to list recordings by other instrumentalists. I do believe that most would agree: these are all great recordings that deserve to be part of your collection. Remember to listen to the greats whenever you can, besides who would object to listening to great music? Hope this helps you get started.

Regards,

Terry