Born June 6, 1925, Al Grey was one of the most recorded trombonists of all time. In addition to dozens of albums as a leader, Grey served as a sideman to Count Basie, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and countless other quintessential artists. His sound and phrasing are unmistakable, but he is perhaps best remembered for his innovative approach to the plunger mute.
Once again, we want to share with you an interesting repair that came through our shop. We recently had a vintage Martin cornet come in that the customer received as a beginning student in the 1960’s. It had sat for some time and was in need of some TLC. Our Brass Repair Coordinator, Spencer Guyer, did the work on this repair and brought this instrument back to life! As you can see from the pictures below, the final repair was stunning.
“Whoever has skill in music is of good temperament and fitted for all things. We must teach music in schools.”
Last time we discussed potential items to practice over the summer and I mentioned we would focus more on improving our technique. While a very broad and often times all-encompassing term, I would like to focus on a few areas of technique and try to assist brass players, mainly the trumpet players in the audience, in forming a schedule to maximize their time.
Music has a mysterious power. In his TedTalk, Stephon Alexander explores the parallel between jazz music and the functioning of our universe. Stephon’s journey in becoming a physicist started in high school when he encountered a teacher who believed in his potential and introduced him to the magic of jazz while fostering a connection between John Coltrane and Albert Einstein. The narrative takes us to the present day with the world of physics attempting to understand the origin of the universe, which may in fact have its own parallel to a jazz improvisation. In closing, Stephon challenges us to live a life of improvisation.
Stephon Alexander is the EE Just Professor at Dartmouth College of Natural Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, focusing on theoretical cosmology, quantum gravity and particle physics, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Stephon studied at Brown University and conducted postodoctoral research at Imperial College, London and at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Laboratory. He also plays jazz saxophone and sees improvisation as an extension of his scholarship. Stephon is the current President of the National Society of Black Physicists.
Interested in more of Dr. Alexander’s work? He recently appeared on The Portal podcast discussing jazz, theoretical physics, politics, race, and other timely topics. His book The Jazz of Physics is available at book store.
According to a German Institute for Economic Research study, teens who take music lessons outside of school score significantly higher in terms of cognitive skills, have better grades, and are more conscientious and ambitious than their peers.
A lot of on-site summer music camps have been cancelled, but there are still plenty of options available to study online. Here are just a few I found for low brass players.
Daily care and maintenance of your instrument is very important to how well your instrument performs. Watch this quick video below for a few, quick tips on caring for your baritone or euphonium.