| Here is an interesting story about horns, bells and players that I would like to share and I think that it really applies on this topic.
In the big band that I'm currently playing with, the lead player is using a UMI Benge 90B that has had a lot of aftermarket, custom work done to it. Some of you might be thinking "UMI Benge, YUK!" but believe me, this is one fine playing trumpet and the lead player has awesome presence back in the band and among the section. However, I’ve heard that he doesn’t project out front as well as you might think considering how loud he seems to be in the band.
We had a gig last summer where our normal lead player couldn’t make it and we pulled in a guy named Paul Dubois (I think that’s the spelling of his last name) to play the gig. Paul was playing an old Schilke X3 with a Warburton mouthpiece. In the section, you could always hear Paul, but he never sounded loud, just very solid. Paul is an excellent musician and I'll say that I wish that I had his lead chops and the musicianship to phrase the way he does.
Anyway, the last tune comes up, an arrangement of “America” that was done by one of the members of the band. The third book player decided that he needed to hit the restroom, and since most of the arrangement has overlapping and parts anyway, he took off to the restroom and I moved over to his stand to play the 3rd part. I got a bit carried away during the big buildup toward the end of the tune and when it was over, I thought that maybe I had been pushing a bit too much, and that maybe the second player and I overpowered Paul a bit.
Well, the third player comes back from the restroom with the comment that in the restroom, all you could hear was lead trumpet. Again, from where we were, Paul sounded solid, but he never really sounded loud, which is a testament that there is certainly a difference in projection qualities in horns and players. Our normal lead projects well within the section and Paul tends to project further out.
I don’t know if this difference is more in the horns, or if it a difference in players. There is certainly a big difference between a Benge 90B and a Schilke X3, but then again, there is also a big difference between two players.
I just though that I would share that because I think that it pertains to the subject at hand, even if neither of the horns are Bachs.
Oh, one last thing. I play a LB Bach 25 and Josh, the 2nd player, plays on an Edwards, although I don’t know the model or configuration.
__________________ Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius |