Jazz Posts

My Top Three Christmas Albums with Trombones

Thursday, December 19, 2019 No Comments

With the holiday season upon us, I’d like to give you some listening suggestions for some incredible Christmas music that heavily features trombones.

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite

On this timeless classic, Duke Ellington took favorites from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet and adapted them for jazz orchestra. This is album is one of the all-time great jazz records that shows Ellington’s genius in transforming music that we’ve all heard time and time again into something both familiar and completely unique.

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Tommy Dorsey

Thursday, November 14, 2019 No Comments

Tommy Dorsey

November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956

Throughout his 35 years career as a professional trombonist and bandleader, Tommy Dorsey established himself as one of the most popular musicians of his era. It’s often forgotten that the musicians we study now were the elite popular musicians of their time. During the 1930s and 1940s Dorsey had 286 Billboard chart hits, including 17 number one singles. 

In addition to his commercial success, Dorsey’s signature style has been adopted by generations of musicians. His slide vibrato, phrasing, and fluidity have inspired countless trombonists, and Frank Sinatra cited Dorsey as one of his primary influences. Sinatra was a member of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra from 1940-1942, and he can be heard on 80 records with the band. In the classical realm, Dorsey’s playing has been attributed as one of the primary inspirations for Henri Tomasi’s “Concerto for Trombone.”

For more information about Dorsey please visit https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-dorsey-mn0000934072/biography

Music In The Gig Economy – A masterclass with Richard Dole on navigating your freelance career as a musician.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 No Comments

Richard Dole is an active tenor/bass trombonist and educator in Indianapolis and the surrounding region. He has toured or performed with Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Steve Lawrence/Edie Gormé, Barry Manilow, the Hollywood Concert Orchestra China tour, and in 2008 traveled with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra to Egypt for a US State Department Tour.

Whew!  This makes him a perfect candidate for teaching a masterclass on how to navigate a career as a freelance musician.

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Introducing the New Bobby Shew Signature YTR-8310ZII Yamaha Trumpet

Thursday, March 7, 2019 No Comments

 

Last week we featured the Limited Edition “Kangakki” Xeno Trumpet. This week we are taking a look at another new offering in the Yamaha trumpet line-up, the second-generation Bobby Shew Signature Trumpet, YTR8310ZII.

The Z model trumpets, released in 2004 and developed in cooperation with world-famous trumpet player Bobby Shew, have been Yamaha’s top jazz trumpet model. This newly revised model introduces the latest Yamaha structural technology and other features refined through tireless evaluations by Bobby and the Yamaha Research & Development team. The new 8310ZII has been refined to give players a more flexible instrument to meet the changing needs of modern trumpet players. From solo performance to lead in a big-band, this extraordinary instrument delivers brilliant tone and great power with a solid tonal core for all types of commercial trumpet playing with particular improvement of support for upper-register playing.

From the Yamaha website:

“The original Custom Z was born of Yamaha’s long and close partnership with legendary trumpet player Bobby Shew. In 2018, Yamaha and Bobby collaborated to create a second-generation YTR-8310ZII that further refines the brilliant tone and well-balanced playing resistance that contemporary styles demand. Bobby needed one versatile, efficient instrument that can wail out powerful lead lines and also play soft, mellow ballads with the musical nuance that Bobby is known for. Yamaha has developed the new Custom Z to satisfy all of Bobby’s playing requirements while retaining the highest level of precision and consistency.”

FEATURES:

  • Two-piece Valve Casing
    The two-piece casing design helps produce a more solid tonal core with better projection
  • New Leadpipe
    The redesigned leadpipe results in a better response that provides smooth playability on detailed passages
  • 3rd Valve Slide Stopper Screw
    The new longer screw helps with tone stabilization and enhancing upper-register playability
  • New TRC-810E Case with Custom Z logo keychain dangle

This model is a great lightweight horn designed for jazz and commercial playing making it a great addition to any serious jazz or lead trumpet players arsenal!

We had the opportunity to see the new model in person at NAMM this past January. Check out some footage we grabbed above!

 

Product Feature: Yamaha YSL-891Z Jazz Trombone

Tuesday, August 7, 2018 No Comments

yamaha-ysl891z-tuning-slide

The YSL-891Z is a professional level jazz trombone that was developed with Wycliffe Gordon and Andy Martin. It features a .508 yellow brass slide with an 8 inch yellow brass bell. The YSL-891Z plays very evenly throughout its range, and it offers adaptability in sound and response with its two interchangeable leadpipes. When compared to similarly sized instruments on the market (e.g. King 3B) the YSL-891Z feels and plays a bit lighter. In addition to being an excellent instrument the YSL-891Z has a sleek, durable, and functional case.

When comparing the YSL-891Z to my vintage King 3B the instrument is lighter and more nimble. The YSL-891Z fits nicely in between the sounds of a Bach 16M and a King 3B. To my ear it offers slightly more projection than the Bach, and it feels a bit more agile than a King.

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