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Originally Posted by bftrumpet Would you share some of your stories/experiences with Mr. Gilbert Johnson? I was his teaching assistant at the University of Miami shortly before he passed away and have the utmost respect for him as a teacher and a performer.
Ben Fairfield |
I had the pleasure of playing a few free-lance gigs in Philly with Gil. Gil had the best posture of any player I sat next to. I have tried to emulate his bell above the stand approach.
Control, scary control was his strong suit. We spent tons of time on initial attacks. The Rene Laurent "Études Pratiques" was a book we worked from. Gil was always early at my lesson, so lots of times I sat outside the studio listening to him play. The long-belled Bach piccolo trumpet was just about the only high trumpet around at the time, other than the Selmer picc. He worked on that first etude on all the horns he had on hand.
Gil played this much maligned horn with a glorious rich sound. I heard him play a remarkable Brandenburg with the Philadelphia.
He was a master of conductor baiting. I was an extra with the orchestra when they performed and recorded the Berlioz Requiem. Ormandy was having big time trouble keeping the brasses toghether. We were scattered all over the Academy of Music. The first performance was a disaster. Ormandy called the whole brass section in for a pep talk."Men, I beat like a metronome, why can't you follow me?" Johnson and Krauss were choking back laughter
Ormandy was conducting in his usual spastic way. Gil suggested that Ormandy turn round and look in the direction of the musicians who were off stage, actually in the boxes next to the stage. Ormandy thought for a second and then he agreed. When we left the conductors room, an explosion of laughter rocked the brass section
Gil was a great guy.
Wilmer