So You’d Like a Faster Slide? By John Upchurch

www.davidbrubeck.com proudly presents an excerpt from the original:

So You’d Like a Faster Slide?
By John Upchurch

davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights ReservedMost people who come to me for a slide adjustment or alignment preface their remarks with “my slide is pretty good, but would you take a look t it?” More times than not, the basic problem with the slide is a buildup of lubricating cream on the inside of the outer slide. This buildup is seldom uniform in thickness and so the slide is not only sluggish, but is uneven in action. If any of this sounds familiar, read on! The solution is quite simple.

For organizational purposes, this article is divided into the following section: Cleaning, Application of Lubricants, Testing Slide Action and Emergency Repairs. Take a hint from the proverbial IQ Test and read all of the instructions before you start any actual work.

Cleaning
Few, if any of us, would allow plaque to accumulate on our teeth since the proper maintenance of the teeth is vital to our livelihood. On the other hand, the inside of the slide often divulges all manner of organisms when cleaned. Here are a few simple steps for a thorough cleaning:

1. Run hot tap water into the complete slide on the bell end. If your hand can tolerate the heat, it won’tdavidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved hurt the slide. Once the water comes out of the mouthpiece receiver, hold the slide vertically and work the inner slide up and down. Don’t move the outer slide unless you want a bath. Do this as many times as is necessary until no flakes of “goo” are when the water is poured out. The idea here is that by expanding the brass slightly by heating it, the residue is forced to break away.

2. Having washed the slide, it is now time to begin cleaning. Buff the inner slide with a piece of old sheet. Rub firmly until the slide gets slightly warm and begins to shine. To clean the inside of the outer slide use a pushrod. This is the best $1.00 you will ever spend! Snakes and brushes are satisfactory for the “U” bend, but not for the inner slide surfaces. Tear a five-inch by four foot piece of old sheet and wrap one end around the end of the pushrod. Make sure that it fits snugly into the outer slide. Wrap the remainder of the sheet around the pushrod. Some of it should extend beyond the end of the handle. Use the pushrod like a plunger and work it back and forth in the slide, changing the rag end several times. Do this until the rag comes out completely clean when fitted tightly. Do both slides.

3. The slide is now one half clean!
You will be surprised t how much more residue can be removed using Conn Superslick and Formula 3 (Editor’s note: now Superslick & Superslick Plus) as a cleaning agent. We will now move to the application and then return again to cleaning.

Application of Lubricants
davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved1. For best results, don’t use cold cream. It promotes “slide cheese” even when used in modest proportions. Super Slick has no organic materials for the bacteria to use as a growing medium. Apply Super Slick to the stockings of the inner slide. A good measure is that one jar should last one player for three years, cleaning two times a week. Once the Super Slick is inside the outer slide, buff the inner slide until it shines brightly. NO SUPERSLICK STAYS ON THE INNER SLIDE!

2. Place one drop of Formula 3 on each stocking and then rub vigorously into the entire inner slide surface. Use the thumb and two fingers and rub until the slide gets warm. (Editor’s note: be sure to grip the appropriate inner slide tube. Hold the upper inner slide firmly when working with the upper slide, and the lower when working with the lower inner slide.)

3. Spray water liberally over the entire inner slide surface. At this point, water should bead up on the inner slide just like it does on a car that is freshly waxed. Place the inner slide inside the outer slide and work the slide in for a few minutes. Wet it down heavily again.

4. You are now ready to do the second cleaning job. Wipe the inner slide and buff until shiny again. Use the pushrod and a clean rag and chances are that you’ll be shocked at the black rag that comes out after the previous “thorough cleaning.” Repeat the pushrod application, changing the rag end until it comes out clean.

5. Reapply Super Slick and Formula 3 and wet down the slide again. You are now ready to check the alignment.

Testing Slide Action
To check your slide action, hold it horizontally, in first position, in the left hand, with the slide out to your right. Bend the left wrist slightly allowing the water key end of the slide to drop slightly. Have the right hand ready to catch the outer slide if you go too far. If the slide is pulled out by gravity when the water key end is less than two inches below level, then you are on the right track. If it doesn’t move by two inches or lower, the slide needs work. If it does move, but stops or changes speed, you can expect a dent or a flat spot.

Copyright John Upchurch All Rights Reserved
Used by permission of John Upchurch-The Slide Doctor
slidedr.com
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“THE CRAFTSMAN’S BENCH” TM presents John Upchurch: The Slide Dr. Comes Clean!

“THE CRAFTSMAN’S BENCH” follows “Seven Positions” and “The Arranger’s Chair” as the third regularly recurring series on davidbrubeck.com The legendary Slide Doctor, John Upchurch, has consented to respond to a wide ranging field of questions. Who better to launch a promising series on the trombone from an oft neglected vantage point of the craftsman?

1. How did you become involved in music?
Dad was an operatic tenor and turned down a full ride to Curtis Institute of Music to attend Purdue University. So the gene was present. I started piano at age 6, bassoon at 4th grade and tuba at 5th grade. Was a member of the famed West End Elementary Band in Atlanta, GA. Actually went to Stetson University as a Music Education Major with a concentration in tuba. Luck and fate led me to buy a Conn 6H after my freshman year and I took lessons from Bill Hill that summer. When I arrived back at Stetson in the fall, there was a shortage of trombonists and a plethora of tuba players. Don Yaxley convinced me to become a trombone player and the door for a new career was opened.

2. What are your most memorable moments?
bach42withwilliams8bell1Coming from humble beginnings, I still find it difficult to imagine that I performed (as an extra) with the Philadelphia Orchestra and backed up entertainers like Glen Campbell and Liberace. The Potsdam Brass Quintet performances (there were many) were so important to me. I kept looking around during our performance in The Kennedy Center and wondering who sat here before me! The Crane Trombone Ensemble, which I founded and conducted, performed the opening night concert at the ITW in Nashville in 1975 and was unique in that the program featured premiers of works by Washburn, Del Borgo and Frackenpohl, (all Crane faculty members.)

3. When did you get into the repair business?
In Potsdam, there were about 21 trombone majors and I had an additional seven or eight at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. Out of necessity, I checked out every book in the Crane School of Music Library about instrument repair and quickly became frustrated by the lack of available information. So I ordered a Ferrees Catalogue, purchased the tools and essentially became self-taught. I always had another gig, from studio teacher to Dean of Fine Arts, to Dean of Admissions to Vice-President for Enrichment Programs. Fixing slides was a hobby until 2000, when we put up the initial “Slide Dr. Web Site.” In a few short years, there were so many slides coming in that I no longer had time to be a Vice-President and retired from Brenau University.

4. When and how did you become the slide doctor?
Beginning in the 1970’s, I fixed a few slides out of necessity. During this time, I attended the ITW’s in Nashville and worked the display for a “new” instrument company called Yamaha. I set up all the slides on the display and players were introduced to a new level of slide function. Henry Romersa invited me to do a clinic at the ITW on Thursday at 8 a.m. As everyone knows, this is not a really good hour for trombonists to be alert. So I enlisted Tom Senff to offer a slide for repair to start the clinic. Tom told the gathered players that the slide belonged to his dad, who had played it in the Goldman Band. He added that he was reluctant to have anyone work on it, as it was such a treasure! I looked carefully at the slide and then slammed it over the edge of a table bending it into an “L.” The collective gasp sucked all the air from the room. Then it took several minutes for the laughter to subside, as players realized they had been victims of an elaborate hoax. To add to the laughter, I asked, “Does anyone else have a slide they would like for me to fix?”

Buddy Baker is credited with giving me the title “The Slide Dr.”, partly due to the fact that I had an earned Doctorate from Indiana University with concentrations in both trombone and tuba, which was not that common in the 1970’s. With several more ITW and Eastern Trombone Workshop clinics and about 50 university clinics, we had established a reputation that became the business plan many years later. The business plan had but three statements: 1) Honesty is not just the best policy: it is the only policy. 2) It takes as long as it takes. (Translated: No slide goes home until it is as good as the components will allow us to make it.)
3) The customers are always “right,” even when they are dead wrong.

4. Which trombones have you most enjoyed playing?
Candidly, I have loved all my instruments. Perhaps the most notable was a gold plated Earl Williams, Model 6, named appropriately, “Goldilocks,” with an arrowhead for a balance weight. Not being a terrific jazz player, I elected to sell it to someone who is a terrific jazz musician, so that it could be properly utilized.

5. Are there any brands or models of slides that, in your experience, seem sturdier than others?
Most of the major brands made in the states have excellent designs in respect to being “sturdy.” However, the cases that are provided with them have not always been player friendly. Cases with the slide located on the bottom (when carried) often result in severe sideways bowing, attributed directly to the case design. We call players who use gig bags “consistent customers.”

5. More delicate?
The Selmer Bolero has always been a very popular small bore instrument because it is light, responds easily and the tone quality is wonderful. These qualities were the result of small thin tubing braces and softer brass than is found in other models. Careful players have no problems, but allowing it to slide around in car trunks could be fatal. Just standing the horn once on the slide could bend the slide tubes.

6. Any slides that are easier to repair?
This is an interesting question. Why? Most slides are assembled the same way and are fixed the same way. The tubes need to be round, straight and parallel. Simple enough? So what constitutes “easier to repair.” Availability of uniform parts in a timely fashion! The manufacturers who provide repair parts that fit, are quickly delivered and do not require a bank robbery to finance make the repair easier. Shires and Edwards/Getzen have superlative customer service to repair types!

7. More difficult?
Because most manufacturers use proprietary designs, parts from instrument “A” may not work on instrument “B”davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved even if they are the same bore size. Recently, there has been a move to reduce the number of parts by combining several components into one piece. In the past, the taper that went into the bell, the ring and lug assembly just below it and the cork barrel were separate units. Today, some manufacturers have combined these into one easy to install component. Slides with many small parts in the inner slide are quite difficult to assemble without the proper devices to keep the components aligned while soldering. The small parts are so close together that the solder melts on all the joints at the same time.

Our real “forte’” has been aligning slides with tuning in the slide. We developed a method to use the crook width as a starting point and add components to assemble the outer slide with dead-solid-perfect geometry. We then assembled the tuning slide over the completed outside slide so that it moved correctly. Then it was easy to adjust the width of the inside slide to match the geometry on the outer slide.

8. Can you share some of your favorite stories regarding your prominent clients?
I hardly know where to start to answer this one. There have been so many memorable events. In brief:

A terrific bass trombonist from Japan, on first testing his slide after a setup remarked, “Ah so, you have the hands of a god.”

Probably the best-known current jazz performer dropped the outer slide a few minutes after the setup was complete and we had to start over.

A good friend, known for performing “General Speech” in full McArthur costume, was accustomed to holding the slide parallel to the ground and using his right hand to turn the page. Just the air pressure resulted in the 4th position getting flatter and he had to grab the slide.

A friend, who later became President of the ITA, was on the road in New Orleans. He called, frantic, because the soundman had knocked his horn over and dented the slide. The next gig was in Little Rock. How do we fix this slide in such a short time frame? I was Chair of Fine Arts in Brevard at the time, so I suggested that he take the slide to the airport and send it on Delta and call me with the flight arrival time in Asheville. I picked up the slide, did a quick, albeit careful repair and took it back to the airport…shipping it that afternoon to Little Rock. He was able to pick up the slide and make the gig on time.

As we all know, some players live by a different time clock. At 11:30 P. M. we received a call from a player in New York. “Can you fix my slide?” Groggily, I explained the process and a few days later a poorly assembled slide arrived at my door. Took it apart and straightened the components and rounded the tubes and assembled it correctly. Flash forward about a week. It is 11:30 again and the phone rings. “Hey the slide is great!. It was assembled at the factory from left over parts in the parts bin and never worked right. I decided if you could fix it I would send you my good slides.” And he did.

9. Do you recall the slide that was in the worst shape?
Easy answer: Bach 50 slide that was in a wreck in an open top Jeep. (And in a gig bag to boot!) All four tubes were bent about 15 degrees sideways about 5 inches above the crook. The creases were severe enough that we had to start with the smallest mandrel in the shop to even be able to insert one up the inside of the inside tube. It became a celebrated challenge. Eight hours of labor later, the owner said the slide functioned even better than before the wreck and had all the original components.

10. What were your major innovations in cleaning, repairing and treating slides?
When we first started cleaning the inside of outer tubes, the industry standard was either “bright dip” or diluted Muriatic Acid. We discovered that Wright’s Brass Polish worked just as well and was water based and posed no biohazards.

Earlier, I mentioned that repairing slides required that the tubes be uniformly round, straight and parallel. As far as I know, we were the first to look for ways to reduce or eliminate “friction” with methods other than using different lubrication.

Quite by chance, I discovered that polymer products sealed the inside of outer tubes, greatly slowed the process of oxidation and provided a much slicker, smoother surface adjacent to the inside tubes. We recently introduced a new, highly effective polymer treatment called Great Slide. You can learn about how it is used and see how effective it is at www.greatslide.com.

11. What are your thoughts on the following slide lubricants?
Pledge: In the 1970’s it was quite popular with some players. When we flushed the outside slide with the diluted Muriatic Acid, large gobs of old wax, we labeled “Slide Fish,” swam out. Enough said?

Pond’s Cold Cream: Still popular with some players. Works unless you need to have slide technique faster than a “quarter note at 120.”

Slide Oil: Just can’t say enough nice about it!

Superslick and Plus Treatment: Still our mainstay after over 40 years.

Formula 3 (cream) and Formula 3 silicone: See Superslick

Slide-O-Mix: In our PowerPoint presentation, we have a video that shows what happens when players use these products and DO NOT ever remove any, let alone remove as much as they apply each time. The video isn’t pretty! The high-tech products are not easily removed using just soap and water and require more effort. However, if used properly and cleaned out diligently, they function well.

Rapid Comfort: See Slide-O-Mix

Trombotine: This product has been around for well over 50 years. It is a vegetable-based product and can grow cultures in your slide if not cleaned on a regular basis. Again, if used properly, it works quite well.

Are there any others that should be mentioned?
We are currently working to perfect a formula for a detergent base lubricant that (if we are successful) will lubricate the slide and clean it at the same time. We would like for it to be a companion product for Great Slide Polymer Treatment. Stay tuned for further developments.

Which of the lubricants is your favorite?
The advent of Great Slide Polymer Treatment makes the use of lubricants very close to unnecessary. The slides (with all else equal) are lightning fast without using any lube. So just a tiny amount of Superslick cream on the INSIDE of the outer tubes and a dime size drop of Plus Treatment spread all over the inside tubes works wonderfully well and is very popular with many of our customers.

12. Rotor oil?
Clean the rotor with graphite oil and then lubricate it with Al Cass “Fast.”

Why?
Once the rotor spins freely, 360 degrees, the light oil will keep it from getting dry. Oil the axles on a regular basis. If the rotor gets dry and sticks, run water up the slide receiver to free it up. The mistake that some players make (we believe) is squirting oil down the tuning slide into the rotor. Oil works as a solvent, breaks the crud inside the tube loose and then flushes the mess into the rotor. Be sure to oil the axle on the trigger.

13. Axial valve lubricant?
See rotor oil. It is the same process, different component shape.

14. Tuning crook lubricant?
Waterproof bicycle ball bearing grease!

Why?
Cheap! Easily located, does not dry out and can be removed easily with soap and water. There is just enough “sticky” quality to allow the slide to move when you want to move it, but not move any other time.

15. Do you have any thoughts on the recent developments in valve options?
Alas, this is a tough one! Love the straight through valve that is found on the Christian Lindberg, Yamaha 682B and is also available from Shires. However, with weight issues trumping the improved valve response on the newer designs, the old fashioned rotor, with porting done like Larry Minick did, is attractive to some of us older players.

16. Best tenor trombone you have ever played?
At the time, I was sure that the trombone I had was the best one I ever played. Then along would come another that was a little different and maybe I thought that is was better, so I changed. I picked out a Conn 88H at the factory in the late 1960’s and it was (so I thought) the best horn I ever played. Ed Garbett, the Educational Director of Yamaha, sent me a Yamaha YSL643, in 1971. It was one from the first shipment of six sent to the United States and the slide was amazing! Played this all over the country. There were other trombones in “the stable,” but for one reason or another, they were passed on to others to be used more often.

17. Best bass?
When Don Yaxley passed on, I was able to buy his Bach 50, with the Minick in-line conversion. Played that one until I got a Yamaha 613H, which I still have and still play. Not only does it meet my musical requirements, but the Yamaha 613H, with a balance weight, is neutral from front to back. The result is considerably less left hand pain on long sessions. I owned and played two different Edwards bells with dual Thayer valves, that were outstanding in tone, response and clarity, but the pain in the left hand was a deal breaker for me.

18. Which client was roughest on his horns?
I can answer this with a little story: Perhaps the most talented trombonist I know, major symphony player et al, has a unique solution to the slide dilemma. He has a house full of slides. When things got bad, he would send six or eight to have them set up. He plays maybe eight or ten hours a day, so I cut him a great deal of slack and was happy for the work!

19. What does the slide bring to musical expression?
Please forgive me for getting on my “soapbox.” Please pay attention. I feel that these are highly important.

First the pros:
It is our firm belief that the trombone is the EASIEST instrument to apply the musicians’ creed to “BE ON-TIME and IN-TUNE!”

The trombone has many voices and can be sweet or growl, as the music requires. (See the book, “God’s TROMBONES.”) The slide enhances the space between these effects, both lyrically and obnoxiously. It can even be humorous!

From a technical standpoint, I dislike the term “alternate positions.” The truth is that, properly used, they become “easier positions.” In the 1970’s and 80’s, Bill Watrous taught us the amazing value of “easier positions.” Valve instruments, excepting the few that come with continuously variable tuning slides, can have severe intonation issues, requiring the use of different valve combinations to attempt to get the note in tune. No so with the slide!

Now the cons:
Sadly, many players have never experienced a slide that functions properly. They started their career with a student line slide that didn’t function properly and graduated to more expensive slides that still were less-than-stellar! You would be shocked to know how many fine players handed their slides to me, to proudly show how well they worked and it was all I could do not to change facial expressions. I learned quickly, to say something like, “If you are willing, I believe I can make this slide both faster and smoother.” What I really would like to have asked was, “How can you play so well with such a handicap caused by this slide?”

Next to playing out-of-tune and around the beat, sloppy legato has to be the most grating issue I hear. We developed a series of exercises designed to fix this. Starting in 1st position, quickly move the slide to 4th and play a top space ”G.” Do you glissando into the note or does the note speak on time? Reverse the process, going from “G” back to “F” in first. Gradually shorten the no sound, time gap, between first to fourth position. When you can eliminate the no sound gap and connect the two notes cleanly, try the same process using first, second and then fourth positions. Not first, second and a half and then fourth.

Players who stand the horn on the slide almost always have slide tubes that are not straight. Players who do this will likely never attain the technique displayed by Rick Simerly playing “Giant Steps,”

Finally, the trombone is the only instrument that I know about that changes internal volume when changing from one note to another. Moving the slide from first to six, rapidly, can open a weak embouchure resulting in no tone: just another reason to anchor the lower lip to the lower teeth, ala’ Dudley Doright, of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show fame.

I never would have imagined, the day I purchased that used Conn 6H, that my life and career would take so many crazy turns. So many people were instrumental in my success. I look at what we are attempting to do as “payback” for the assistance given me along the way. The clinics we do are designed to help players to understand the many issues that are related to the use of the slide. We call the clinic, “Seven Simple Secrets Simplify Slide Success.”

Please visit slidedr.com for more information on the Slide Doctor and his repairs

c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

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Seven Positions with Jeremy Morrow

Seven Positions is a short, written, shoot-from-the-hip interview series launched by davidbrubeck.com. Each position is a response to a question. Positions one through five will remain consistent while the sixth and seventh positions will be tailored to each interview. We are proud to have Jeremy Morrow, recently appointed bass trombonist with the New World Symphony, join us for the fifth installment of Seven Positions.

The New World Symphony (NWS), located on Miami Beach, is America’s Orchestral Academy, and home to dozens of gifted young orchestral performers drawn from the most outstanding musical institutions throughout the United imagesStates and the world. Each orchestral “fellow” receives lodgings, a stipend and the experience of working with NWS Founder and Artistic Director, Michael Tilson Thomas. After winning their chair, each fellow is introduced and invited to perform for Tilson Thomas. Rather than a perfunctory excerpt of a few measures, Jeremy Morrow performed the entire breadth of “New Orleans” by Bozza.

Taken by Jeremy’s musicianship and passion for the bass trombone, Tilson Thomas decided on the spot to commission a new composition for the young musician. The result, Dicke: “O Bury Me Not”, will be given its world premiere at 7:30 pm on Saturday the 20th of April at the New World Center. Morrow, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, holds the promise of performances yet to come and adds the refreshing perspective of thoughtful youth to Seven Positions.

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?

It’s really quite simple for me. I play on whatever is the vehicle for my best sound. Smart practice and expressive intent makes a good instrument have the sound I desire.

2nd Position
How do you conceive of describe, or visualize an ideal tone quality?

I think of my ideal tone quality as a pure golden ball. In every playing setting (orchestra, chamber, solo, etc.), the golden ball can be bouncing in different courts, but purity of sound should be achieved at all times. My teachers spent a great deal of time stressing this point, and I certainly think it is one of the most important qualities of a great musician.

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?

Lots of time playing slow and low melodies. Butter …

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?

Listening is huge. Listening not just to those who play your instrument brilliantly, but to those who can do inspiring things in other realms. I believe that listening is not just hearing with the ears, but understanding the intentions of the performer. Channeling the expressive abilities of all types artists and performers is something that I pursue regularly and enjoy doing!

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical and one non-musical.

One of my biggest musical heroes is Brian Wilson (yes, from the Beach Boys). His journey from California surf pop-star to the very imaginitive, expressive, and deep musical genius he became is often overlooked. Wilson’s compositional abilities and understanding of music created an introspective experience for listeners that is quite amazing-(listen to “Pet Sounds” and the finally released “Smile Sessions”!). I know you’ve asked for one musical inspiration, but I can’t fail to mention my teachers from Northwestern, Michael Mulcahy, Peter Ellefson, and Randy Hawes, who have influenced me more than I probably even know!

Non-musically, Michael Jordan is a huge inspiration to me. His combination work-ethic, talent, ability, outlook on his game, and charisma are things everyone can learn from. I often think about the feeling of achieving his greatness on the musical level.

6th Position-JeM
How would you compare the preparation and literature for bass trombone and tenor. What are the expectations?

Bass trombone is much less frequently written for than the tenor. The existing literature certainly offers reasonable variety and all sorts of challenges for the performer, but I am excited that the instrument’s capabilities are being further realized by composers, and that more and more exciting new music is being written.

The expectations for bass trombone performances (especially in the past), have not seemed to be at quite the high level of the expectations for tenor trombone performances. This is perhaps due to the naturally (and traditionally) heavy nature of the instrument. I do believe this tradition of the non-virtuosic bass trombone is changing as we speak. More great music is being written, and the demands for mastering the instrument are increasing. It is an exciting time for bass trombone repertoire and the future of the instrument.


7th Position JeM
As a young musician, how do you envision the future of classical music and attracting new audiences. Will traditions change?

The future of classical music is clearly hazy. Many think it is dying. In many ways, it is indeed fading away. I truly think the most important and necessary issue to consider is the audience. The relationship between the audience and the stage must change. The traditional divide of orchestra musicians simply playing a concert with an audience watching is not enough these days. Sure, a performance with invigorating musicianship and excitement is attractive, but the modern world has so much media an audience can find attractive. Hearing a symphony orchestra play is an absolutely special experience that cannot be legitimately copied, but today, I feel as though orchestras as a whole must approach performances as ways to connect with the audience and bring them in to the experience. It is more than just “hearing.” Technology is becoming a popular way to bridge the gap, as are educational and social events. At the New World Symphony, outreach to the audience is a large part of the performance vision. From displaying image and video above the orchestra during the music to personally speaking with patrons in the lobby after concerts. Orchestras must attract a diverse audience to be successful, so extreme variety in programming is imperative. I think the key to “saving” classical music is to make performances more relatable and intriguing to the person that knows nothing or very little about the art.

T1
Best trombone playing you’ve ever heard?

Perhaps most moving trombone solo performance I ever heard was Dave Taylor at the Summer Trombone Workshop in Philadelphia. He played arrangements of Schubert lieder that nearly made me cry. The best orchestral trombone playing I’ve heard live was a Chicago Symphony Bruckner 8 performance – there was so much passion and power; I’ll never forget it.

T2
Best trombone playing you’ve ever done.

I’m really not too certain about this one. I’ve performed ‘New Orleans’ by Eugene Bozza a few times and really been happy with the music I made. I also used to play in a great trombone quartet at Northwestern, ‘Gold Standard 100% Whey Trombone Quartet’ — we had some very musically absorbing performances that have stuck with me.

davidbrubeck.com c 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

Interested in more “Seven Positions” tm Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Stefan Schulz

c. 2013/2014 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

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DUO BRUBECK and Friends at Trinity Cathedral, Miami

DJ French BassPlease join us for an evening of beautiful music amidst the newly renovated Trinity Cathedral in downtown Miami. Sponsored by Music In Miami (musicinmaimi.net), this concert is free of charge. Music in Miami and her musicians are dedicated to providing excellent chamber music at no cost. Join Pianist Bronwen Rutter, Guitarist Tom Lippincott, the MDC Kendall Brass Sextet, a Special Guest Artist and Bass Trombonist David Brubeck on a journey “from Classical to Jazz“..

The music of Hugo Wolf, Frederic Chopin, and Eugene Bozza will serve as rhapsodic prelude to lively rhythmic explorations of compositions by Jule Styne, George Gershwin, Chic Corea, Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Lennon & McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers. DUO BRUBECK offers a truly unique and original sound.

davidbrubeck.com c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved

Music in Miami

DUO BRUBECK, featuring Tom Lippincott, is an exciting and innovative jazz duo which celebrates the rich tradition of guitar and trombone duos, with a twist!

Inspired by the jazz duos of trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and Jim Hall, and J. J. Johnson and Joe Pass, Brubeck and Lippinocott met while students at the University of Miami in 1989. Both musicians played guitar and trombone in their youth only to choose different paths. David & Tom’s love of these timbres and their combination have led to the creation of “Duo Brubeck”.

A lifelong devotee of jazz improvisation, Lippincott was inspired by the piano, “Although I love the guitar, I’ve often been envious of some of the things pianists can do that guitarists cannot. In my quest to be able to play more extensive contrapuntal ideas and play chords with more notes that cover a wider range, I thought: why not have a guitar built with both?” Lippincott’s solution was to seek out an eight string guitar. The guitar he chose features an additional B, (a fourth below the traditional low E), and another A a fourth above the top string. The Eight String Guitar has allowed Lippincott to expand the roles of the guitar to simultaneously play bass, melody, and chordal extensions.

Brubeck’s divergence came at the age of 14, when he fell in love with the bass trombone, rather than the more typical tenor trombone. This lower voiced instrument is typically melodic, or provides a rhythmic bass. Inspired to combine both melody and bass lines by alternation, Brubeck created an implied homophony reminiscent of jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin.

Brubeck’s original solo compositions for bass trombone using this technique are entitled “Stereograms”. More than 30 have been published by the International Trombone Association, and have been performed and recorded around the world, and even been adapted for baritone saxophone and tuba.

DUO BRUBECK combines both of these approaches to create a truly unique and seamless weave of melody, chords, and bass lines from instrument to instrument. The glistening sound of DUO BRUBECK is a fascinating and pulsating rhythmic melange of complimentary waves of sound.

Photo Courtesy Mrs. Anna Ukleja, Cleveland Clinic Florida Arts & Medicine Institute

davidbrubeck.com c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved

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Brass Articulation: A Sumo with a Loaf of Bread? Reprint from the Journal of the International Trombone Association

Articulation 1

Articulation 2

Articulation 3

Originally published in the July 2012 ITA Journal, Volume 40 Number 3. Thanks to Editor Diane ITA J ST Brass Art.022Drexler and the ITA Journal for permission to include their graphics, and the privilege of being published in the journal. Special thanks to my distinguished peer review committee for their insight and feedback.

davidbrubeck.com c 2011 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

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The Pedagogy of Arnold Jacobs: Part 5 of 5

davidbrubeck.com 2 Courtesy Flamingo Gardens c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights ReservedWhile some believe that Mr. Jacobs advocates a full breath, that is not precisely the case. He advocates a comfortable breath, or about eighty percent of ones vital capacity. Determining a person’s vital capacity, (or their lung volume in liters) can be done by measurement or by estimation based upon a person’s age, height, weight, and sex. After measuring this, Mr. Jacobs will then allow a person to fill to capacity and then play. They soon realize that this is a sensation that they are unaccustomed to, because they have been breathing regularly at a level which is nowhere near full capacity. Instead of focusing upon the high, middle, low, or even the yogi breath, Professor Jacobs turns to the scientific and the measurable. The point he argues is that it is important to suck in and blow out as much air as possible, and let the body worry about where it is going.

Here again, he emphasizes the goal and does not try to regulate the function (such as the placement of the air). According to him, the anatomy of the lungs does not support the theory that the air should go into only one area or prefer to go to one area first. This refutes not only those teachers who advocate a low breath first, but also those who insist that your chest not move as you expand-the former idea does not follow the path of the Jacobs #1bronchial tubes, and the latter restricts ones ability to suck in air. Support is another misconception which Mr. Jacobs says is largely responsible for students preoccupation with pressure and misdirected muscle tension. “Blowing breath is support” he says, “not muscle tension in the body, but movement of air. Support at the mouth,” (where air passes the lips and can be felt) he would say and, “not in the stomach.”

If one blows out as far as one can and then relaxes, some air is drawn back into the lungs. Similarly if one inhales as much as one can, and then relaxes, some air will escape. This resting lung capacity of zero pressure is the point between the two extremes. If one takes a complete breath, then the natural relaxation pressure (the tendency for the elasticity of the lungs, gravity’s downward pull on the chest, the diaphragm’s natural recoil, and the equalization of pressure) is at its greatest. As the air escapes, the pressure reduces gradually until one gets below the point of resting lung capacity where greater air pressure is required to move the air.

Active effort in exhalation is only required when the oral pressure required is greater than the relaxation pressure. Thus the less pressure required, the greater portion of the breath that may be used. If great pressure is needed, a lesser percent of air can be used until the relaxation pressure is less than required. (As relaxation pressure decreases, internal pressure increases davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reservedwith a steady tone held at a given dynamic). The most effective range of capacity at which one operates comfortably, as advocated by Mr. Jacobs, is between 80 and 25 percent. Below 25%, one gets into the negative respiratory curve, and greater pressure is required than is desirable. Mr. Jacobs encourages his students to breathe a lot (it’s free) and to avoid dipping below thirty percent where they would have to work too hard and use more pressure to move the air.

Arnold Jacobs combines years of professional playing at the highest levels, interaction with some of the greatest performers of our time, and an expansive and lifelong scientific curiosity, with the knowledge of psychology and human nature which an experienced teacher often develops. As a result, he has constructed a remarkable and comprehensive pedagogy that is as simple as it is successful. By employing several insightful and innovative concepts, and focusing on the fundamentals of wind and song, his approach offers a philosophy which can find use far beyond the studio.

“When David Brubeck’s ˜The Pedagogy of Arnold Jacobs” first came out, I was at Mr. Jacobs’ home. He was very impressed about it and had me read it on the spot. As usual, Mr. Jacobs was correct, it was an outstanding article that I eventually quoted half a dozen times in “Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind”. David Brubeck did a fantastic job and this is a must-read for anyone interested in the teachings of Arnold Jacobs.” Brian Frederiksen

TUBA Journal Jacobs018Originally published in the TUBA Journal, Fall 1991 Volume 19, Number 1.

Photo of Arnold Jacobs courtesy of www.windsongpress.com

C. 1991 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved. www.davidbrubeck.com

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Trombone Slide Motion, An Alternate Position, Reprint from the Journal of the International Trombone Association

slide jpeg 1
slide jpeg 2
slide jpeg 3
slide jpeg 4
slide jpeg 5

Originally published in the April 2011 ITA Journal, Volume 39 Number 2. Thanks to Editor Diane ITA J Slide Motion020Drexler and the ITA Journal for permission to include their graphics, and the privilege of being published in the journal. Special thanks to my distinguished peer review committee for their insight and feedback.

davidbrubeck.com c 2010 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

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Stereograms Performed by BSO Bass Trombonist James Markey, and Recorded by Joshua Hauser, Trombone Professor of Tennessee Technological University

James Markey presented Stereograms Nos. 6, 19 and 7 in recital on the 18th and 19th of February as part of the University of Alabama Guest Artist Series. The newly appointed bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony, Markey, performed a suite of three stereograms which was very well received by the audience in attendance.

edge [ej] Joshua Hauser,  tenor and bass trombones Eric Willie, Percussion

edge [ej] Joshua Hauser, Tenor and Bass Trombones Eric Willie, Percussion

The first Stereogram, No. 6, is dedicated to Luis Satterfield and is evocative of the style of the band Earth Wind & Fire. The middle movement, dedicated to the great sideman of Duke Ellington-Laurence Brown, casts a mournful and cathartic mood: the last selection, dedicated to David Taylor, virtuosically celebrates Taylor’s influential stint in the Bob Mintzer Band. ‘Stereograms’ are rhythmic concert etudes for solo bass trombone which feature two or three parts within a single melodic line.

Tenor and Bass Trombonist Joshua Hauser and Percussionist Eric Willie have just released a bold and visionary album of music which celebrates their unusual duo. Their album, ‘edge [ej]’, features an inspired collection of duos lovingly assembled and performed by the dynamic pair. Some of the compositions were written with Hauser and Willie in mind, and they have made each of the others their own as well.

Stereogram No. 11, Miami, is included on ‘edge [ej]’ and given a delightful rendition by Hauser. ‘Miami’ is wonderfully complimented by the accompaniment which was skillfully arranged and executed by Willie. Both are Professors of Music at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN.

davidbrubeck.com c 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

Stereograms are available from Hickey’s music and other fine retailers.

Stereograms Not. 1-20, Advanced-Intermediate Original Compositions for bass trombone/bass clef instruments
https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku050091.php

Stereograms Nos. 21-30, Advanced-Intermediate Original Compositions for bass trombone/bass clef instruments
https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku092661.php

Stereograms A-M, Beginner-Intermediate Arrangements for bass trombone/bass clef instruments
https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku099768.php

11 Stereogram BBone page 111 Stereogram BBone page 2

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“Seven Positions” Hosts Douglas Yeo, Bass Trombone and Internet Pioneer

‘Seven Positions’ is a short, written, shoot-from-the-hip interview series launched by davidbrubeck.com. Each position is a response to a question. Positions one through five will remain consistent while the sixth and seventh positions will be tailored to each interview. We are elated to have Doug Yeo as our fourth respondent.

Doug Yeo is Professor of Trombone at Arizona State University, and owner of the most MTT_newoutstanding and pioneering trombone related website-yeodoug.com. Mr. Yeo is perhaps best known as the former bass trombonist for the Boston and Baltimore Symphonies and for his remarkable solo recordings: Take 1, Proclamation, Cornerstone, Two of a Mind and Le Monde du Serpent. Yeo is an integral figure in the development of Yamaha bass trombones, and has published extensively in various journals and on his own site. Doug Yeo and his mentor, Ed Kleinhammer (the former Chicago Symphony Bass Trombonist), have authored the influential book “Mastering the Trombone”. Yeo’s impact on the bass trombone has been profound.

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?

There are a lot of trombones on the market and each one works best for someone. The trombone that is best for you is the one that works best for you. I never look at equipment because of endorsements – each player is unique. So you have to try everything. Everything. For me, I’m looking for an instrument that allows my expressive voice to be heard with the same kind of effort I would express that voice in other ways. Beauty of tone is paramount to me so I’m looking for an instrument that allows my sound to speak like I speak. But remember this: Dennis Brain played Mozart on a garden hose with a funnel on the end. And he sounded like Dennis Brain. I would still sound like me no matter what I play. It just happens I feel bestDoug Yeo Proclamation playing my YAMAHA YBL822G. That works best for me. Something else might look best for you. Try before you buy. If you have a teacher who tells you that you MUST buy a particular brand and model of trombone, find another teacher. Unlike religion and mathematics, playing trombone has no truth statements. There are a lot of ways to approach the trombone. Find the way that works best for you and use the equipment that allows you to express your way the best.

2nd Position
How do you conceive of describe, or visualize an ideal tone quality?

The sound is in my head. I cannot describe it in words nor can I replicate it on anything but a trombone. Ideal tone can be warm, cold, hard, harsh, fuzzy, bright, brilliant, dark, supple, vibrant, dull, painful, diffuse, rich and myriad other words. What kind of tone is ideal depends on what kind of tone I’m trying to achieve. I’m not a “one sound all the time” person – my sounds is different on Stravinsky, Bruckner, Sibelius and, when playing, “Jesus Paid it All” in church.

Doug Yeo Take 13rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?

Relaxation. Keep your wrist relaxed. Our body is made of hinges. Use the hinges closest to the slide before your use any hinges further away. So use your fingers before your wrist, use your wrist before your elbow, use your elbow before your shoulder. Too many players move their slide only with their elbow because their right wrist is frozen. We articulate with air and tongue and valve – not with the hand slide. So make your slide motion relaxed and easy – whether you’re playing legato or marcato. Then remember this: warm air = warm sound; cold air = cold sound. In most legato playing, we want warm sound – keep the tongue relaxed like you’re yawning (one of the basis points of my teacher – Edward Kleinhammer – and his pedagogy) .

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?

Inspiring role models – either musicians or other kinds of artists, or the handiwork of God, the first and greatest artist, exhibited in all of creation.

sunrise_2012_11_14Photo courtesy of Doug Yeo, “View from my Driveway”

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical and one non-musical.

Sunrise over the Sierra Estrella range, seen every day from my driveway in Arizona. It is unspeakably beautiful and inspires me to work each day to implement Paul Hindemith’s inspired words: “Your task it is, amid confusion, rush and noise, to grasp the lasting, calm and meaningful and, finding it anew, to hold and treasure it.” (“The Posthorn” from Hindemith’s “Alto Horn Sonata”)

George Roberts playing, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” with an ease and comfort in his playing that I have tried to emulate over the last 40 years since I first heard it.

6th Position-DY
As someone trained in the ‘Chicago-Style’, how would you assess the strengths of that approach? What modifications have you made to it?

It is usually misunderstood. I trained under Edward Kleinhammer who played bass trombone in the Chicago Symphony from 1940-1985. Many people think that great brass section he played in (what I call, “old Chicago” to differentiate it from the current, “new Chicago” section) was all about playing loud and long. Actually, they were about unity of concept. From Adolph Herseth on first trumpet to Arnold Jacobs on tuba, the old CSO brass section played with unanimity of concept. The whole was much greater than the sum of the parts. Today, we usually hear orchestra sections made of tremendous players but they don’t add up to be better than the individuals because too many individual voices are competing for attention. I have tried to be purposely contextual in my playing.

7th Position DY
Most musicians meet their limitations. You seem to be a rare individual who has succeeded as an ensemble player, a conductor, a soloist, a writer, and an educator. How do you do it?

I don’t do it. God has done it. I have an insatiable curiosity and that has led me down many rabbit trails in life. These trails have led me to a life filled with discovery and wonder. I still sleep 8-9 hours a day. I learned long ago that if I am tired, ill or dead, I can’t do anything. I have tried to help people discover their own joys in living. I don’t think I ever set out to purposely do all that I have accomplished; truly I have tried to faithfully follow God’s leading in my life and it has taken me to some unexpected places. I find it remarkable, and feel very blessed.

T1
Best trombone playing you’ve ever heard?

Dick Nash playing, “The Shadow of Your Smile” with the Henry Mancini Orchestra.DOug Yeo Two of a Mind

T2
Best trombone playing you’ve ever done.

Mahler Symphony 2 in Salzburg, while on tour with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa

davidbrubeck.com c 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

Interested in more “Seven Positions” tm Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Stefan Schulz

c. 2013/2014 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

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Interview With Trombonist Jay Armstrong, Co-Founder of CUSTOM MADE EARL WILLIAMS DONELSON, TN Trombones

Earl Williams BACmusic.comJay Armstrong is a kind and generous gentleman who performed on an Earl Williams 9 as the Principal Trombonist for the Nashville Symphony. A student of Emory Remington while at Eastman, Jay entered into the Williams Legacy and expanded it by re-tooling and moving the production to Donelson, TN. Earl Williams’ custom trombones are legendary, and have retained their exalted status even amid the rich new tradition of modern custom trombone craftsmen-many of whom still admire and imitate them. photos courtesy of THE HORN DOCTOR BACmusic.com

When did you first play on an Earl Williams Trombone?
Probably 1962 or ’63. I took a few lesson with Donald S. Reinhardt (Philadelphia – – – 1720 Chestnut Street, as I recall) and during one lesson he had a Williams Model 6 in his studio. He raved about the wonders of the horn, and that was certainly when the ‘seeds’ of desire were implanted in my head. (I played the horn and loved it.)

What is it about them that makes them so desirable?
For me, the beautiful sound. Big, warm sound from what would seemingly be a ‘small’ horn. A Model Six (.500″ bore) sounds like a much ‘larger’ horn. The Model Four, for example, doesn’t have the ‘brittleness’ that one normally associates with a .490″ horn. The Eight/Nine models sound like .542″ bore horns, though they have a .520″ bore. The Ten has an incredibly large, dark, refined sound.

Did you have knowledge of any special alloy used by Earl?

Earl, to our knowledge, had no ‘special alloys’. He just used “cartridge brass”. A ‘special alloy’ would only be possible in a ‘large’ order of product. Quantity of product was beyond the scope of the relatively small operation of Williams Trombones. (Both for Earl and for us.)

When did you begin the Donelson Earl Williams Brand?
Probably late 70’s. The ‘bell stamp’ used to say “Burbank, California”, and we had a new stamp made saying “Donelson, TN”. As I recall, our ‘bell stamp’ (information) went through four changes,

Cropped EW Stamp

Cropped EW Stamp

although I don’t recall when the changes were made. We used ‘three lines of information’ for a while, then changed to ‘four lines’, and then changed to ‘four lines’ including the model of the instrument.

Did you seek to imbue the Donelson horns with aspects of both the Williams Wallace and the Burbank horns, or only the Burbank ones?
We built instruments based on the Burbank instruments.

Which Williams model did you perform on the most? Have you found any other horns to compare to it?
I spent ten years as Principal with the Nashville Symphony, and during that time I only played my Williams Model Nine. (I did build for myself a Model Eight bell [without F-attachment] which I used on my existing slide section, but the bell was “raw” and sort of corroded but sounded good.) I was always satisfied with my Nine, and I’ve never been one ‘on-the-search’ for something better. Whatever different horn I might play, I never found another that I felt as comfortable playing as my Nine.

Were there any historic deficiencies in the Williams you sought to overcome?

The Williams curved water key was always a problem. It was a manufacturing hassle, and an operational hassle. Many of Earl’s mandrels and draw rings were worn (and abused), and tolerances were difficult to maintain, so we replaced many of the drawing mandrels and bending fixtures to have a better ‘fitting’ final product.

The Earl Williams trombone bells are special. Can you comment on any aspects that make them unique? Is the thickness a factor?
We always manufactured the bells to the same ‘thickness’ as Earl did, and we never experimented with “heavier” or “lighter” bells, or bells made of different materials or alloys. Whether ‘thickness’ of bell material is a MAJOR determining factor, I don’t know.

I think the most ‘unique’ factor of the Williams bells are the tapers of the bells, which allow the ‘throat’ to be relatively enlarged. For example, if an EIGHT bell is placed next to a Conn 8 bell, or a Bach 42, the difference of ‘throat size’ (the ‘enlarged’ taper) can easily be seen. Same for all the Williams bells. Each respective model seems ‘larger’ (in the bell)bach42withwilliams8bell3 than a competitors instrument. We used a small family-owned company in Elkhart, IN for our bell manufacturing and specified the thickness of the brass to be used. They cut the ‘neck’ patterns using our patterns and their stock. Our bells were difficult for them to ‘work’ because of the thickness. But, we were following the specifications that Earl had made.

The bell spinners were true craftsmen. They had a thriving business supplying bells from MANY manufacturers. From the bell spinners, I would return to Nashville with a small quantity of flat ‘neck patterns’, then manually stamp the ‘information’ on the neck, and UPS them back to Elkhart where they were brazed and shaped into rough cones. Several months later I would return to Elkhart with our flare mandrels and ‘final spin’ mandrels, and, within a couple days, I would leave with a couple dozen new bells. Our bell manufacturing process was labor intensive and inefficient. We were a long way from the efficiency one experiences when visiting, for example, Steve Shires’ shop.

I think another important factor in the construction of Williams bells is the use of a ‘bead wire’ and having that wire soldered in place. A soldered wire seems to add a solidity to the overall sound of the bell . . . and from the bell. We built all the Donelson bells with a ‘soldered bead wire’. The ‘bead options’ are (1) no wire, or (2) wire with no solder (risky because one might experience a ‘bell rattle’ on certain notes / harmonics), and (3) bead wire with solder. Option 3 is best (I think); however it takes more ‘labor time’ and adds more ‘complication’ to the finished bell.Our bells always had a nice ‘ring’ to them, and I think part of the reason was because of the soldered bead wire.

Were any bells spun in Tennessee?

All the bells we used in completed instruments were spun by the ‘bell spinner’ in Elkhart. We did spin some bells in TN, but none were of the quality to satisfy us. They were never used and ended up in the trash bin.

Which famous trombonists do you consider most closely associated with Earl Williams trombones?

Milt Bernhart is the first to come to mind. Dick Nash, of course. I recall being surprised by the trombonist with Herb Albert as he played a Model 7. (I forget his name. I can picture his persona, because he had that ‘south-of-the-border’ thing going on.)

Which players are associated with the Donelson Earl Williams?

I recall that Dick Nash used one of our horns, and Sam Burtis visited us one time and used one of our horns. When Doug Elliott was playing with the Airmen of Note, the Air Force bought two of our horns and they were used by Doug Elliot and the lead player with incredible high chops whose name escapes me.
[Editor’s note: Doug Elliot writes, “Rick Lillard and I visited Jay’s place when we were in Nashville with the (Airmen of)Note taping a show for ‘Nashville Now’, and ordered our Model 4’s.”]

Did Eastman’s Legendary Trombone Professor Emory Remington, ‘The Chief’, ever comment on the Earl Williams trombones?
No. Two reasons. First, the Williams were mainly ‘West Coast’ horns being used in the recording studios. The instruments were not well know East of the Mississippi. Second, The Chief was big into Conn 88H’s . . . and the Remington mouthpiece usually supplied with that horn. It was VERY rare at Eastman (at least through the 60’s) for there to be any other brand of tenor used other than Conn. I seem to recall some Holton or Bach basses, but tenors were almost always Conns. (The Choir had a ‘unity’ of sound partly because everyone played the same horn.)

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“Seven Positions” with Jazz Bassist and Bass Trombonist Chris Brubeck, of the Dave Brubeck Quartet & The Brubeck Brothers

When the final backdrop rolled away at the Kennedy Center Ceremony honoring the legendary jazz pianist, bandleader and composer Dave Brubeck, the band revealed was comprised of his four sons: Darius on piano, Dan on drums, Matthew on ‘cello and Chris on Bass Trombone. Chris Brubeck’s commanding presence and musicianship brought the bass trombone to the forefront of a nationally televised audience. This is nothing new for Chris, and it is difficult to imagine a bass trombonist who has accomplished more widespread exposure for the ChrisBrubeckinstrument in recent years. Whether on tour with his father in jazz’s most storied venues, leading the Brubeck Brothers on tour and up the Gavin Charts, or performing one of the revolutionary bass trombone concertos he has composed, Chris Brubeck is one of the most visible and successful bass trombone soloists in both classical music and jazz. And he does it all while holding down his ‘day job’ as a bassist and composer. Chris Brubeck is delightful third installment of Seven Positions.

1st Position
What do you look for in either instrument?

I have to confess that I am about as far from being an instrument, mouthpiece or valve gadget guru as you can be. What I am is a creature of habit and a versatile musician. I spend more time playing my 1969 Rickenbacker Fretless Bass than I do playing my bass bone. I bet there are a number of things about my horn that hold me back a bit, but there are a lot of things I like about my old Holton horn too.
I play a Holton TR185 which arrived by mail to our Connecticut house the day before I went to The National Music Camp in 1963. The summer before, I went to the New England Music Camp and the French Horn instructor, Louis Stout had a deal with Holton and hooked me up with the process of ordering and buying the horn at a discount. I knew he wouldn’t steer me wrong. I know it is unbelievable, but I have played this one bass trombone ever since. It was supposed to have 2 triggers but arrived only with one and I flew off to Michigan the next day one valve short but challenged enough about learning how to use the F attachment. I was playing a Selmer pea shooter before that and I knew I had, for whatever reasons, a naturally good low range and a naturally bad high range. I figured why fight Mother Nature and decided to concentrate on bass trombone.

2nd Position
How do you conceive of (describe/visualize) an ideal tone quality for each instrument?

There are lots of wonderful and different approaches to making a sound on the instrument. I would add from a personal taste perspective that I don’t like the diaphragm vibrato approach so much. I believe that the trombone is the only Western brass instrument that HAS the ability to create a vibrato with a slide. I often think about how much I love recordings of the Hammond B3 and how the spinning Leslie speaker kicks in at different times to add expression to the music. We “spin” our sound as brass players too and I think it is an appropriate tool to use on the trombone varying a straight tone or a slight vibrato to end a phrase. That notion comes a lot from hearing Paul Desmond on the alto sax all my life and checking out how he lyrically tapered his phrase ends. I loved J.J. Johnson’s sound and had a book by him when I was starting out. By contrast I totally love Wycliff Gordon’s “rough and tumble” approach as well. What I also really like and strive for is a big Classical music taboo. In the same way that I like the coarse sound of a singer like Joe Cocker over Johnny Mathis, I like to hear notes “split” and 2 octaves seep through the tone in a subtle way.
Regarding my bass, I got it before the world or I heard Jaco Pastorius who revolutionized the electric bass concept with his new sound, but I got my fretless Rickenbacker because it sounded MORE like an upright than anything like Jaco’s tone. I wanted to use the more upright bass sound in rock and took it into my jazz life. I grew up listening to Eugene Wright in my Dad’s group and he was a meat and potatoes kind of player from Chicago. I really gravitated to that concept of “holding the fort” while every one else was exploring off the musical charts. Plus it was very practical to put my bass guitar in an overhead bin on the plane and not have to buy a seat for Mr. B. Fiddle. This meant also that I always had to check my trombone down below in cargo. Thankfully Protec is finally making a hard plastic molded case that doesn’t cost a fortune, protects your horn adequately and isn’t made out of canvas and balsa wood as in previous years.

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?

My most influential teachers were Dave Sporny at the Interlochen Arts Academy and, by total contrast, Glen Smith at the University of Michigan in the early 70s. Sporny was an all-around player who exposed me to a lot of literature but he totally understood jazz. Smith wasn’t into jazz very much and he made me play a lot of Bach with an emphasis on connecting the notes and phrases in a warm legato style as smoothly and as musically as possible. At the time I was studying with Smith I missed jazz input from a teacher, but in the long run some of his emphasis on legato phrasing rubbed off and contributed to whatever legato game I’ve got.

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?

One of my pet theories (and perhaps peeves) is that music doesn’t come alive unless the performer understands61-g+1oYMcL._SL500_AA300_ where to place accents to enable the line and phrase to make musical sense. Beyond the accents I feel that the performer has to commit to a mood or a “vibe” they want to express when playing a piece. I feel the soloist has to convey an emotional story to the audience and have the technical competence to let the audience relax and appreciate where the musical approach is taking them.

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical and one non-musical.

I know in my case it’s a rather predictable response but I would be fooling myself if I didn’t admit that my father, his talent, his musical eclecticism and hard work ethic, were a major influence on the kind of musician and composer that I have become. I know you only asked for two inspirations but I’m going to also throw in that I was deeply inspired by the Beatles and also by Bach and Stravinsky. For a non-musical inspiration, I think I’d have to pick Mark Twain. I have loved reading his works since I was a kid and got re-acquainted with him a few years ago when I was commissioned to write a piece based on his life. Twain had a deep social conscience and used his abundant imagination and sense of humor to make powerful insights into the American psyche.

6th Position-CB
What challenges and attributes does the bass trombone bring to small group jazz?
Sometimes it’s hard for people who are not trombone players to understand and utilize the differences between 58390945bass and tenor trombone. Depending on the player, usually a bass trombone player can’t be expected to pull off all of the “traditional” tenor sax and trombone leads in the bop jazz combo setting. Yet, if you do it right, it can be a fine instrument in a small ensemble. On the other extreme end of the spectrum, I used to play with a horn funk band sometimes and be asked to replace the bari sax functions in a Tower of Power-like horn section. That was challenging and fun. There was a lot of funky huffing and puffing!

7th Position CB
What is your vision of the role the bass trombone in jazz?
This kind of goes along with my last answer. I think if you know what you’re doing with it, the bass trombone can be really versatile. In my jazz group, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, we usually have tunes where I’m doubling the melody with electric jazz guitar and it’s a really cool sound. On the other hand, we usually do one track on each CD where my bass trombone is the lead instrument and everything from the key that’s chosen to the accompaniment is built around featuring the bass trombone. It is certainly an instrument that is capable of holding its own and making a soulful melodic statement. Most trends in music are cyclical; it is hard to believe that there was a time in jazz where the trombone was as much the dominant solo instrument as the sax is today. I keep thinking there has to be a breaking point where the audience says they just can’t bear to hear one more tenor sax player (especially in the smooth jazz recording world) that is derivative of Grover Washington, Jr. My fervent hope is that bass trombone and trombone will prove to be a pleasing alternative in the future.

T1
Best trombone playing you’ve ever heard?

I’ve heard some amazing trombone playing in my life and I cannot possibly narrow it down to one performance. I can mention several times when I’ve been lucky enough to her live something that really stuck with me for years. I remember being blown away at a jazz festival in Germany when I heard Albert Mangelsdorf put on an amazing display of multiphonic playing. 18477682I certainly remember being blown away hearing Doug Yeo playing John Williams’ tuba concerto with Boston on bass trombone. Fortunately for me, I also got to hear him play both my trombone concertos with Boston, and it was really thrilling to hear him tear through them with such technical mastery. In more recent years, I’ve heard the wonderful jazz player, John Allred, play who I think deserves much wider recognition. There are dozens of players who deserve to be on my short list — I’ve heard many wonderful musicians play this instrument. Right now there’s probably some kid in Kearney, Nebraska who no one has heard of yet, who is playing his buns off!

T2
Best trombone playing you’ve ever done?

For a long time, I felt the best trombone playing I ever did was on a magical afternoon when I was a kid studying at the Interlochen Arts Academy. We were on tour playing at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and got to hear the famous Chicago Symphony rehearse. The brass section at that time was legendary! We young brass players were thrilled to meet the Chicago Symphony musicians backstage after their rehearsal. To my utter shock and delight, Edward Kleinhammer offered to play some duets with me. In my fantasy memory of that occasion I was so inspired by his generosity and musical presence, that I played at the top of my classical game. Only God knows if this was true or whether my memory has been distorted through the haze of shock. Another time I played at Carnegie Hall back in the 70s and was featured playing a ballad with my father’s quartet. I got lucky that night — everything my brain thought of doing, my lips and slide accomplished! Also for whatever reason I really connected deeply with the audience. In that case I had a bit of outside confirmation because there was a review in the NY Post where the critic called it “some of the best trombone playing I’ve ever heard.” Lord knows what his previous listening experiences were, but sometimes things work out well. I’m also quite proud that in the last 3 months I’ve played each of my 3 trombone concertos with 3 different orchestras (in Moscow, California and France) and gotten a wildly enthusiastic reception. If you had told me back when I was a student at Interlochen that I’d be able to do that when I was 60, I would have thought you were nuts!

davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

Interested in more “Seven Positions” tm Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Stefan Schulz

c. 2013/2014 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on “Seven Positions” with Jazz Bassist and Bass Trombonist Chris Brubeck, of the Dave Brubeck Quartet & The Brubeck Brothers

“Seven Positions” with James Markey of The Boston Symphony Orchestra and The New York Philharmonic

James Markey is an inspiring and insightful respondent for the second installment of Seven Positions. Though still very much a young man, Markey has made a significant signature on the solo bass trombone with the releases of his recordings “On Base” and “Offroad”. Sterling flexibility and sensitive musicianship are hallmarks of these virtuosic recordings, which are highlights of a remarkable career that includes notable positions and performances on bass and tenor trombones with The Boston Symphony, The New York Philharmonic, and The Pittsburgh Symphony.

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?
No instrument can make you do what you ordinarily can’t. An instrument can, however, make you unable to do something you ordinarily can! When I look for an instrument, I’m looking for one that will have the fewest encumbrances and hindrances to my playing – the one that will get in the way the least.

2nd Position
How do you conceive of an ideal tone quality?
Good question. I like to think of tone as not born in a vacuum! We need to listen to recordings of people, brass players and non-brass players alike, and listen for some of the characteristics of sound that make them sound beautiful. Every instrument/player at the highest level has both breadth of sound AND clarity of sound. The mix changes among instrumental groups and families, but there’s still a mix. The more we hear others play, the better idea we have in our head of what a beautiful sound is.

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?
One word – coordination. Most players move the slide much too early. Remember, the slide just moves in and out. The tongue however goes up first to stop the air, then down to release it. If you move the slide at the same time you start to move the tongue, you’ll get a smear – plain and simple. You need to STOP the air with the tongue first, and THEN move the slide. This means the tongue starts to move before the slide does. A good way to practice this is to try “reverse smears”. Move the slide WAY too late – almost with the tongue on the beat and the slide a sixteenth note too late. Gradually move the slide earlier by small degrees until the slur is clean. In some cases, it’s mind blowing how much later you can move your slide and still get a good legato!

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?
Once again, the key here is listening. Music is a language. If you want to learn how to speak French beautifully, you have to live in France. Sure, recording yourself speaking French can be a great tool, but if you don’t actually know what French should sound like, you’re not going to get very far! And you mustn’t take it for granted that you understand good phrasing and musicianship. We ALWAYS have much to learn about things one COULD do to sound beautiful. Once you have this vocabulary, you can put it together to form “musical sentences”. But if you don’t know the words, or decide that you like the word “dinosaur” instead of “sandwich”, you’re going to confuse a lot of people when you start talking about lunch!

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical and one non-musical.
Musical: conductors with great energy. Dudamel and Haitink come to mind specifically, although there are many others. Alan Gilbert’s ability to singlehandedly rescue a performance that could have gone disastrously awry or stopped completely! Non-musical has to be the sacrifices that so many people made on my behalf when I was an aspiring musician. Joe Alessi refusing to accept payment for my lessons because he knew our family’s background, my high school band and chorus director paying for me to attend the party following HS graduation, the time and energy numerous colleagues have spent with me when I’ve gone through difficult times both playing and otherwise. I’ll never forget these kindnesses and sacrifices, and they reflect for me, even in small ways, the greatest sacrifice ever made–in Jesus.

6th Position
What’s the best part about playing each different chair in an orchestral trombone section?
It’s always incredibly interesting to have different parts going around. When you’re first, you’re sitting on the top of the section as the highest voice, riding the foundation laid by the lower voices. In the second chair, you’re filling out the section between the bookends, the meat of the sandwich, and as the bass, well, you’re the foundation of the trombones! Especially in bass, sometimes you’re the third trombone, sometimes you work in conjunction with the tuba as the bass line, and it always makes life interesting when you see how your part fits in and what kind of role you need to play.

davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved7th Position
What additional perspectives have you gained as an organist, and how has it helped you?
Playing organ has done a couple of things for me. First, it has taught me to be able to think of three things at one time (LH, RH, and Pedals). This is useful when you’re trying to play with good attacks, AND good energy, AND watch the E’s above the staff because they’re sharp. 🙂 When you’re used to thinking of three lines, it makes thinking of one line in three different ways so much easier. Secondly, it’s really emphasized the importance of harmony to the melody. Having an understanding of where the stresses are in the melody, based on the harmony, really helps to form phrase shape, etc.

T1
Best trombone playing you’ve ever heard?
On a consistent basis: my lessons with Joe. I remember things he said well, but I remember his playing so much better. Talk about an invaluable resource! Just trying to sound like him helped hone my attacks and articulations, energy of sound, shape of phrasing, etc.

T2
Best trombone playing you’ve ever done?
I have to honestly say probably the last two auditions I’ve taken – for the bass trombone positions in the Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony. But that’s probably because, unlike recitals, I don’t have a live recording to go back to listen to!

davidbrubeck.com c 2012 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved.

Interested in more Seven Positions Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo</a
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Stefan Schulz

c. 2013/2014 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on “Seven Positions” with James Markey of The Boston Symphony Orchestra and The New York Philharmonic