Guess The Trumpet Player Winner

Thanks to all who listened to last Friday’s track and to those who ventured a guess. I thought that this week’s player was pretty easy to identify and sure enough, the correct answer came rather quickly – from someone who really knows her trumpet players. The winner of the twenty-third edition of the Outside Pants Guess The Trumpet Player contest is…….my mom! Nice work, Mom.

So the tune is the title track off of Lee Morgan’s 1964 (though it was posthumously released in 1981 – why the wait? It’s a killing record!) Blue Note record “Tom Cat.” Morgan was one of the best. Period. He’s been one of my favorites since I first started listening to jazz back in high school. He’s funky, bluesy, ballsy, romantic, gritty, dirty, beautiful, evil, saucy. The Sidewinder, The Cooker, The Rumproller, The Gigolo, The Procrastinator, The Rajah, Morgan the Pirate, Howdy Doody. One of the baddest ever. And “Tom Cat” is a lesser-known record in Morgan’s discography, but it is really well worth picking up. Swings all the way through – as if that’s a surprise.

I never really knew much about Lee Morgan as a person until I read the excellent 2008 biography by Jeff McMillan entitled "DelightfuLee: The Life and Music of Lee Morgan.” The book was meticulously researched and compiled. If you like Lee Morgan and/or enjoy reading about the lives of musicians/artists, this is a great read. Morgan was a mess of a human being after he got hooked on junk while playing with Art Blakey’s band. He was so young then. Only twenty when he first started with Buhaina. And if you want to read an excellent account of his death, check (via trumpeter Jason Palmer’s website) out the story of the woman who shot him: Helen Morgan.

Lee Morgan made some amazing music. He was an incredible talent on the trumpet. He was a gifted if under-appreciated composer. He was a giant. Oh yeah, he was also a Philadelphian.

Upcoming Gig

I forgot to mention this earlier, but if you find yourself in South Philly this evening, please stop by Cianfrani Park at 8^th and Fitzwater. As long as the weather is clear, I’ll be playing from 7-9:30pm with reedsman/composer/bandleader Daniel Peterson and his band Truth and Consequence. It’s free and there’s some great musicians playing. The line-up:

Daniel Peterson – reeds
Larry Toft – trombone

Bart Miltenberger – trumpet
Anam Owili-Eger – piano

Mike Lorenz – guitar

Chris Pryzbelowski – bass

Wayne Smith, Jr. – drums

Hope you can make it.

Guess The Trumpet Player

Hello Readers, it’s time for the twenty-third installment of “Guess The Trumpet Player.” The last few have been a bit weird for some people’s tastes, so this week we’re taking things back to the roots. I love this trumpet player and it’s really hard to pick just one tune, but the riff in this tune is one that I’ve hummed and played for years. It’s a fun song and when the drummer hits that press roll in between the sections (you’ll hear and feel just what I mean)…look out!

Click the link (it’s safe), click play, listen, guess the trumpet player. The first person to leave the correct name of this trumpet player in the comments section of this post wins a CD – your choice of Outside Pants Vol. 1 – Old School Players or Outside Pants Vol. 2 – Ron Miles Mix or Outside Pants Vol. 3 – Brownie Mix or Outside Pants Vol.4 – Dave Douglas Mix. The contest ends with Monday’s post.

Here’s the tune: http://www.box.net/shared/0ut7temzyyxh44aa5ft0

Practicing: Aperture and Wind Control

One of the problems I have as a trumpet player is that I generally don’t feel like I have enough time each day to practice all of the things that I need to practice. Because of that I have to make the most of the time that I do have so that when I am in a gig situation I will have the skills and stamina that are required. Some of my gigs are long and loud and I need to be in good trumpet shape to have the requisite endurance. Part of having good endurance is making sure that one’s playing is efficient. One way of conserving endurance on a long hard gig is to make sure that one is remembering smart technique – proper posture, drinking water, and using air efficiently. One way to keep the air moving efficiently and to give the lips the best shot they have of staying fresh and supple is to be conscious of one’s aperture.

For me, when I get tired on a gig, my lips get fatigued and my chops spread. The aperture gets too large to contain the air column and then I resort to mouthpiece pressure to push the aperture closed. We all know what happens next. Crappy, splatty sound, loss of range and flexibility, and a quick decline in endurance. Some lip flapping can provide temporary relief, but for when I’m done, there’s not much more left. My best playing of the day is done. To counteract this from happening it helps me to actually think about my aperture from time to time when playing. I remind myself periodically to keep my lips closed (not forcefully but gently) when I start a note, letting the air create the necessary size of the aperture. When I do this, my sound is much better and consistent and I generally have more endurance. Keeping control of one’s aperture is a key component of finding the overall balance/coordination necessary to play as effortlessly as possible, which for most trumpet players is the key goal so that we can actually focus on making music.

So with this concept in mind, check out this cool little aperture “test” I found online (can’t remember where, sorry). The idea is simple, as is the actual music (don't forget to use a metronome). I like to play through this  exercise a few times at the end of a practice session. If I had been playing correctly and efficiently I can play this little tune very quietly, with a soft tongue, and a nice pretty tone throughout. I can’t play the whole thing twice like the note about Herbert Clarke says, but I can consistently get  24 or 25 bars before I run out of air. And it feels good. Playing through this exercise during one’s warm-up could also be beneficial; making sure that one’s aperture is only as open as necessary and that the air column is moving steadily and consistently. I know it sounds simple when playing through this, but the quiet, focused playing really allows the body to do what it needs to do to find the proper balance/coordination. If you practice this, please let me know what you think. It’s not the Grail or anything, but I do think it’s quite helpful.

Guess The Trumpet Player Winner

Thanks to all who listened to last Thursday’s track and to those who ventured a guess. There were less guesses than normal this week, but no one came up with the correct player so…the winner of the twenty-second edition of the Outside Pants Guess The Trumpet Player contest is…….no one!

Well, if you heard the tune and made it past the first three minutes of solo ring modulated trumpet, then you know that the Beatles tune was McCartney’s classic “Hey Jude.” But this is one crazy version of the tune – complete with a bizarre circus-on-hallucinogens verse and a screaming trumpet section climax with more ring modulated trumpet soloing over top! So who was the trumpet player? Don Ellis! Live at the Fillmore. The whole record is great, but this Hey Jude makes me laugh every time. I won’t get into much about Ellis because I already did – back when I first started this blog. As corny as Don Ellis can get, I still really enjoy his music. 

And now, here is real proof that not only did Don have a great band (although the sax solos here get on my nerves), but they were also all impeccable dressers (like Sun Ra in Vegas) – and dig the “telephone cord” coming out of Don’s proto-electric trumpet:

 

Indian Lady – 1968 Part One

Indian Lady – 1968 Part Two

Guess The Trumpet Player

Hello Readers, it’s time for the twenty-second installment of “Guess The Trumpet Player.” And guess what? It’s “Deranged Beatles Cover Thursday!” Today’s track is maybe the weirdest (and IMO, one of the coolest) covers of a Beatles song I’ve ever heard. And it was recorded live in concert! This whole track is fun but if you find the solo trumpet intro bit annoying (and yes, that is a solo trumpet) just skip ahead to the 3:09 mark when the tune kicks in. However, if you want the full experience play from start to finish at a high volume. It’s worth it. I wonder if Paul ever heard this version??

Click the link (it’s safe), click play, listen, guess the trumpet player. The first person to leave the correct name of this trumpet player in the comments section of this post wins a CD – your choice of Outside Pants Vol. 1 – Old School Players or Outside Pants Vol. 2 – Ron Miles Mix or Outside Pants Vol. 3 – Brownie Mix or Outside Pants Vol.4 – Dave Douglas Mix. The contest ends with Monday’s post.

Here’s the tune: http://www.box.net/shared/snx7ugomvn3hoz5th88x

Guess The Trumpet Player Winner

First things first – sorry for the absence of posts. I was camping all weekend and I’m also painting my living room and dining room. Not much free time so this will be a light week. I have some larger, more in-depth posts in the works including a first for Outside Pants: a musician interview. Now, back to today’s post…

Thanks to all who listened to last Thursday’s track and to those who ventured a guess. Nobody guessed who this trumpet player is so…the winner of the twenty-first edition of the Outside Pants Guess The Trumpet Player contest is…….no one!

And the correct answer is….Cuong Vu. And this tune is the title track off of Vu’s latest record “Leaps of Faith.” Now when I posted this track I knew that some people were going to dig it and others were going to find it a little hard on the ears. From the responses that I received, that turned out to be pretty much right on. Since Vu came out with his 2000 debut album as a leader, “Bound” (Omnitone), he’s been documenting an ever-developing sound, one that involves a whole lot of texture. He uses lots of delay and reverb and sometimes some distortion. But really it’s his ability to create his own natural effects that makes him unique. He plays with a dry, flat sound with no vibrato when he uses a “straight” sound; and he has a huge arsenal of splatty sounds, gurgles, choke-tunes, and split buzzes (something I’d really love to learn how to do – ever heard Peter Evans do this? Ridiculous!). Vu uses these sounds to develop and highlight his melodic themes, many of which evolve into grand, almost epic statements. He’s not playing bebop – or jazz even. Chord changes are not the focus. His music has a pop sensibility but it’s steeped in some avant-garde music too. But really it’s just sound and noise. Melody and rhythm are important, but for me, Vu’s sound and approach to the trumpet is what makes him unique.

I have four of Vu’s records and honestly, I don’t like everything on all of them. There’s something in his rhythmic approach that leaves me a little flat even if it is very unique to him. Too stilted (is that really a word?). I do really like this new album though. “Leaps of Faith” has an interesting instrumentation. Trumpet, two electric basses (which often times are played like and sound like guitars), and drums. And he does some standards on this record – “All The Things You Are,” “Body and Soul,” “My Funny Valentine,” George Harrison’s “Something.” These standards are not the versions you are used to but I think that’s why I enjoy them so much. They are re-imaginations of the tunes. Almost unrecognizable sometimes. And the original tunes are all uniformly good too. But the thing that really struck me when I listened to this album is the influences I heard in Vu’s playing; influences I have never recognized before. The chromaticism of Miles Davis and Tomasz Stanko and the melodic nature of Bill Dixon’s playing. Never heard these guys in Vu’s playing before, but I think they are definitely there. And this is a good thing, I think. At least in my mind it is. So if you like your music a little adventurous, a little spacey but also a little chaotic, and if you like weird trumpet sounds, this might just be the record for you. It’s my favorite Vu album thus far. Check it out.

Guess The Trumpet Player

Hello Readers, it’s time for the twenty-first installment of “Guess The Trumpet Player.” Something a little different this week. I think you will either like this track or you’ll think it sounds terrible. I like it.

Click the link (it’s safe), click play, listen, guess the trumpet player. The first person to leave the correct name of this trumpet player in the comments section of this post wins a CD – your choice of Outside Pants Vol. 1 – Old School Players or Outside Pants Vol. 2 – Ron Miles Mix or Outside Pants Vol. 3 – Brownie Mix or Outside Pants Vol.4 – Dave Douglas Mix. The contest ends with Monday’s post.

Here’s the tune: http://www.box.net/shared/38on0tcp55

Book Review: Jeanne Pocius’ “Trumpeting By Nature”

So I was practicing the other evening. Just working through some Schlossberg exercises. The windows were open so I guess the neighbors could he me playing. Nothing new, I’m sure they’re used to it. But one of my neighbors is a trumpet player – Merv Gratz. I’ve written about Merv before so I won’t get into that now. But, anyway, Merv stopped by:

“Hey Man, practicing is sounding good. Hey, a student of mine brought me this book. Ever heard of this lady “Jeanne Pocius?”

“Isn’t she the Chop Doc? Doesn’t she live up in Boston?”

“Yeah well, this book is interesting. Check it out. What are you working outta Schlossberg? Man, I gotta go dig that book out. Alright, my man, lemme know what you think of the book.”

“Cool. Thanks, Merv!”

So later that night I started reading through “Trumpeting By Nature.” It’s excellent and I’d highly recommend it to trumpet players of all levels. It’s a reading book though, not an exercise book (although there are some exercises in the back). The book is really comprehensive and covers pretty much most areas of the trumpet. One online book review that I found states “Jeanne's approach is a flexible (like one's playing should be) cafeteria-style menu of information, technique, philosophy and encouragement.” I’d say that this synopsis is right on.

The book covers tons of technical/mechanical aspects of trumpet playing: info and advice on lip position, anchor spot, jaw position, hand position/grip, tonguing techniques, pivot, lip/mouthpiece buzzing finger technique, use of air. It’s really thorough. If you are prone to the whole “analysis leads to paralysis” disease (something I can be guilty of, for sure), then tread lightly here. For me, when I think too much about what I am doing physically I almost end up in a worse position than when I started. That said, this material is important and Jeanne lays everything out in an easy to understand manner, often with photos and diagrams to illustrate what she’s talking about. Very well-done and very helpful.

“Trumpeting By Nature” also includes some really sage advice on practicing, specifically efficient practicing, info on mouthpieces and various equipment, info on lip balms and recovery/injury advice. Jeanne also discusses teaching techniques and professional playing advice. All good stuff. Stuff you may have already known but the reminder is good.

Chapter 11 (appropriate for broke trumpet players everywhere) is titled “The Daily Diagnostic CHOPCHECK™: Creating and Using a Daily Practice Routine.” This chapter might be the most valuable chapter in the book. In Jeanne’s words the CHOPCHECK™ is like a “GPS system to help trumpet players navigate through their performance day.”  I like this. I’m already doing this, pretty much, with my first practice session of the day. A way to get the body ready to cover all aspects of trumpet playing. A warm-up, really. A proper warm-up. I have created my own flexible practice routine. It’s flexible because it caters to what I need on any given day. And it also caters to how much time I actually have. So this chapter was an affirmation that I am doing things correctly – for the most part. But the reminder is necessary sometimes.

So all in all, the three things that I have gotten out of this book are:

1. I am my own best teacher. I know what I need to work on. If I am honest with myself and my playing I can diagnose and treat most issues myself. Not a substitute for a good teacher, but I can do a lot of work on my own.

2. Try it three times. When going for a passage, a note, a phrase, try it three times. Once or twice is not enough. If I keep failing over and over then I will be reinforcing a negative mindset and potentially reinforcing bad habits. Three times is the magic number. Laurie Frink told me this too. The influence of Carmine Caruso and James Stamp is clearly in Pocius’ pedagogy as well.

3. I’m doing alright. For the most part I am playing the trumpet properly. I’m doing ok. When I am practicing regularly and properly, I am playing the trumpet naturally. Letting my body make the notes, not forcing the trumpet to do it. Like Stuart Smalley said “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me.”

So, yes, go out and buy this book. It’s a winner. And thanks to Merv for stopping by. We have to get some duets going one of these evenings.

Guess The Trumpet Player Winner

Thanks to all who listened to Thursday’s track and to those who ventured a guess. The winner of the twentieth edition of the Outside Pants Guess The Trumpet Player contest is…….the winner of last week’s contest, Philly trumpet player Adam Hershberger. Nice work, Adam!

And the correct answer is….Jesus Alemañy.  The band he leads is called ¡Cubanismo! and this tune is called “Pa'Que Gozen” and it was written by the Cuban Maestro Arsenio Rodriguez.

I am not a huge fan of high note trumpet playing. I admire the skill and technique that is required to play up in that register, but it just doesn’t move me all that much. When it’s used sparingly but to great effect then yeah, I really enjoy it. But high notes just for the sake of high notes, no, I’m not into that. But there’s something about the upper register of Jesus Alemañy that I really, really like. He has a crazy fire up there. His sound sizzles and it’s as big as a house, never getting thin like some players when they push the limits. His articulation, phrasing, and time are perfect. And his band ¡Cubanismo! is smoking! I really like Cuban music and this band is just a lot of fun. Check out Jesus and the crew playing “Mambo UK” (if this doesn’t get you moving, then I just don’t know what will):

Guess The Trumpet Player

Hello Readers, it’s time for the twentieth installment of “Guess The Trumpet Player.” Something new this week. It’s been hot outside lately and today’s track seems to fit all of this sunshine. Hope you dig it. Wish I had some chops like this!

Click the link (it’s safe), click play, listen, guess the trumpet player. The first person to leave the correct name of this trumpet player in the comments section of this post wins a CD – your choice of Outside Pants Vol. 1 – Old School Players or Outside Pants Vol. 2 – Ron Miles Mix or Outside Pants Vol. 3 – Brownie Mix or Outside Pants Vol.4 – Dave Douglas Mix. The contest ends with Monday’s post.

Here’s the tune: http://www.box.net/shared/54x6sh899g

Doing Some Math With Threadgill

I’ve been listening to and independently studying “jazz” music (in quotes because that word seems to encompass a lot of different musics and now, ultimately, the word just isn’t that accurate anymore - but we still seem to use it...) for a bunch of years now. I try to learn as much as I can about the Greats, but sometimes there are important figures whose work I just have never gotten around to exploring beyond just a surface level. The great Chicago composer, reeds/flute player, and musical thinker Henry Threadgill is one of those seminal figures who I have just kinda missed. I have a few of his Novus/RCA records from the 80’s and I like those, but maybe I haven’t really taken the time to truly listen to them. Critics, writers, and scholars all seem to go crazy over Threadgill, but I just don’t know enough to form my own opinion. After reading the latest post on Ethan Iverson’s “Do The Math” blog, I think that I will have to start doing some investigation.

If you aren’t familiar with Ethan or Do The Math, you should really check out the blog. Ethan is a fabulous pianist and he is best known as being one third of The Bad Plus, one of my favorite jazz bands – and they are a real band with a band sound and identity. Ethan uses his blog as a platform to delve into some pretty heady musical ideas and analyses (and the occasional post about what books he’s into or links that he’s discovered). He also has conducted and posted transcriptions of some fantastic musician interviews. I think the coolest thing about these interviews is that Ethan, being an established and very competent musician himself, knows the right questions to ask. These interviews are some of the best musician interviews out there, regardless of genre. Check out the site and do some searching. There is a lot to be learned.

Anyway, recently Ethan posted a three part interview with Henry Threadgill that he did for the BBC’s “Jazz on 3” program. There’s audio in the links too. Then Ethan posted a follow up with his analysis of some seminal Threadgill records. There are some really interesting ideas presented by Threadgill here and I have to think that one of the reasons why we get to hear these ideas is because Ethan was the one asking the questions. Interesting reading. It definitely helped convince me that I need to really explore the music of Henry Threadgill.