TrumpetMaster - View Single Post

asd · 01-05-2007, 11:18 AM

Not that long ago, if playing jazz was your passion, as a trumpet player, there were gigs from the highest masters that were avaible and were won by audition, reccomendation, combination of both. Art Blakey and so forth.

Same with big bands. Gerry Mulligan and so forth (playing the solo chair.)

Now that the majority of our great leaders are dead, or highly inactive, who is it that you aspire to play with these days?

And the irony of all of this is that there has never been a time, in recent history, that there have been so many trumpet players, or quality horns (read: expensive.)

I'm still a bach trumpet; bach mp kind of guy (although my 5C from 1973 when I was in HS has truely worn out and I've replaced it with a Curry which is really a Bach in many ways--at least the 5C.

Guess I'm old school, but I wonder where all of these players with GR mouth pieces and Monette equipmment and the explosion of trumpet equipment/manufacuters play and perform. There have always been choices, but not like today.

Do we really need $1000 of dollars of equpment to play in a community organization or even in college?

For example, I really like red wine. And I know a bit about it. And I live in France. Now you can get a bottle here for 2 bucks or thousands. I have the wine "chops" to understand what makes a $75 bottle of wine worth it. But any higher and I just don't get it or am I able to understand the dynamics that make that wine "great." But there are people who can "taste" wine right up to those $800 bottles of Burgundy or Bordeux.

If you carry that anaolgy to trumpets and mouthpieces can people really hear/feel/conceptulize the diference between a really good Bach (and i mean good) and these new instruments that seem to be cropping up every day??

Almost every great orchestral player in the very close past used Bach equipment exclusively. Many still do. And bach has always been inconsistant, you had to search hard for a good horn. In the old days, you might play 10 horns at Giardenellis until you got the one that was right for you.

I'm really asking two questions in this post.

01-05-2007, 11:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
asd Banned Pianissimo User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 56	Today's Gigs in Jazz Not that long ago, if playing jazz was your passion, as a trumpet player, there were gigs from the highest masters that were avaible and were won by audition, reccomendation, combination of both. Art Blakey and so forth. Same with big bands. Gerry Mulligan and so forth (playing the solo chair.) Now that the majority of our great leaders are dead, or highly inactive, who is it that you aspire to play with these days? And the irony of all of this is that there has never been a time, in recent history, that there have been so many trumpet players, or quality horns (read: expensive.) I'm still a bach trumpet; bach mp kind of guy (although my 5C from 1973 when I was in HS has truely worn out and I've replaced it with a Curry which is really a Bach in many ways--at least the 5C. Guess I'm old school, but I wonder where all of these players with GR mouth pieces and Monette equipmment and the explosion of trumpet equipment/manufacuters play and perform. There have always been choices, but not like today. Do we really need $1000 of dollars of equpment to play in a community organization or even in college? For example, I really like red wine. And I know a bit about it. And I live in France. Now you can get a bottle here for 2 bucks or thousands. I have the wine "chops" to understand what makes a $75 bottle of wine worth it. But any higher and I just don't get it or am I able to understand the dynamics that make that wine "great." But there are people who can "taste" wine right up to those $800 bottles of Burgundy or Bordeux. If you carry that anaolgy to trumpets and mouthpieces can people really hear/feel/conceptulize the diference between a really good Bach (and i mean good) and these new instruments that seem to be cropping up every day?? Almost every great orchestral player in the very close past used Bach equipment exclusively. Many still do. And bach has always been inconsistant, you had to search hard for a good horn. In the old days, you might play 10 horns at Giardenellis until you got the one that was right for you. I'm really asking two questions in this post. Last edited by asd; 01-05-2007 at 11:42 AM.