Video – Dennis Gonzales

Trumpet Players Extravaganza

A dedicated lot of extraordinary musicians and trumpet players will present their sixth ‘Festival of New Trumpet Music,’ beginning this Saturday. The festival will run from September 13 through the 28 at various venues around New York City.

Festival of New Trumpet Music is a two-week celebration of the diverse contemporary music scene, including its international contributors. Through a series of commissioned works, concerts, master classes and panels it focuses on the multitude of ways the trumpet is being sounded, and in the most grassroots sense it brings players and communities together in an embrace of creative culture. This year’s festival will open with their first award of recognition. The award will be presented to Wadada Leo Smith for his visionary musical and cultural analysis, his revolutionary approach to composition and of course his brilliant brass playing. In addition, FONT Music 2008 is commissioning new music from three extraordinary players: Chris DiMeglio, Nabaté Isles, and Reut Regev. Participants will also witness a host of new collaborations amongst trumpeters of varied persuasions, including performances by Dave Douglas, Ralph Alessi, Avishai Cohen, Ingrid Jensen, Jeremy Pelt, Ambrose Akinmusire, and many others. FONT asserts that, “far from an exhaustive survey, these two weeks are but a small sampling from the vast ocean of current practice – how it has changed the world of brass and been changed by it.” FONT Director, Curator and Trumpeter, Dave Douglas says, “the sea change here is in the radical, dangerous proposal for the coexistence of all music, a dismantling of all the institutional barriers erected to preserve the separation of genres and communities. Our mission in brass is to proclaim this all over the city, with a clear tone and a pure sound, as a font of inspiration: that all music is one.”

Trumpet players and fans, this is one festival you don’t want to miss!

Bill Chase – Jazz Rocks!

Jazz Rocks!!

This has always been one of my favorite jazz genres. I mean it was the first sort of rock I heard. Although my mother was a very capable singer with a beautiful voice, the music available in the household was fairly limited, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole. Soft stuff, you know. No Elvis or Beatles or anything close. When I started playing the trumpet, I gravitated to the trumpet records by Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt, and of course the old ‘Echoes of an Era’ Maynard Ferguson Orchestra stuff. So, when my friends showed up one day with the Bill Chase ‘Pure Music’ album, I was completely blown away. Mind you, I was all of 12 years old at the time. To this day, that is still one of my favorites. Although, I now find myself listening to Bill Chase’s ‘Ennea’ album more than the others. Strange what age will do to you! I mean if you want a practice work out, start transcribing and playing some of that stuff. Four highly skilled trumpet players playing just absolutely amazing. Songs like Poseidon and Zeus. Oh yeah!
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