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Re: Vibrato

Cameron.....Uninspired is a great way to describe not only Alan Morrison's
playing (and I was always a Grimethorpe fan) but many others.  Playing with
inspiration seems to be a gift now matter if you are playing jazz,
orchestral or brass band or whatever.  A very true artist inspires... how
many are there?  You can be great at either trumpet or cornet but how many
really inspire.  Timofey Dokschutzer comes to mind first.  Clark Terry,
Bobby Hackett, Derek Garside, Jack Sheldon, Adolph (Bud) Herseth, Chet
Baker, Rafael Mendez, Conrad Gozzo, Philip Smith.  If you (the list) don't
know who these great artists are, then you have serious gaps in your
musical taste and knowlege. The list of uninspired, but great trumpet and
cornet players, is much too long to post here.

To further comment on your point about being able to play one instrument
better than the other or differing styles,  Wynton Marsalis is a wonderful
classical trumpet/piccolo/cornet player (purely as a soloist) but as a jazz
trumpet player he is only playing rehashed material and is very uninspiring
for the most part.  As great a classical soloist as he is, he could never
play 1st trumpet in an orchestra by his own admission.
Phil Smith who is a superb (if not the best) 1st trumpet player in an
orcherstra (NY Phil.) is less inspiring on cornet and he will be the first
to say that he can't play a melody like his dad, Derek Smith who is now
becoming a faint memory to most.
I have worked with all three so I know first hand.

A word about Philip McCann.  I agree with Jeremy Wise and so many others. 
I find his vibrato to be distasteful and unmusical even within a vibrato
infested brass band
environment.  He has a puny sound and no dynamic range.  From what I
understand from other's who have sat next to him, he brings very little to
the "table" and is difficult to work with.  Not my idea of a Principal
cornet. When I met him, I found him to be aloof and full of himself. Having
said that,  he is accurate and always there on solo passages...and that's
what they want in contests isn't it?  But don't get that confused with
music.  Sorry to offend you old guard brass band enthusiasts but get your
head out of the sand and "listen."
----------
> From: Cameron Mabon <cmabon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Vibrato
> Date: Friday, May 22, 1998 7:37 PM
> 
> On Thu, 21 May 1998, Ngbland wrote:
> > 
> > I THINK ALAN MORRISONS STYLE OF PLAYING IS THE 
> > ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG CORNET PLAYERS AND HIS CLEAR 
> > SOUND AND GUESS HOW HE STARTED?? ON TRUMPET
> > IN A BIG BAND, NOW ALL YOU OLD STICK IN THE MUD BRASS
> > BANDS PERSONS...etc.
> 
> Mmmm. Again, it is all a matter of personal taste, but I've never liked 
> Alan Morrison's playing. I thought his solo albums (of which I have heard

> two: "Cornet Roundabout" and something else with a similar title) were 
> well done, but a little uninspired. 
> 
> Incidentally, I think I am probably a "STICK IN THE MUD BRASS BAND
PERSON", 
> but I am not old. (That said, I'm not 37, nor am I called Dennis...). 
> Believe it or not, there are lots of young stick-in-the-muds. My dad is 
> one too (although he is at least 37, but still not old). :-)
> 
> > ORCHESTRAS I'M SURE WOULD WELCOME BRASS BAND PLAYERS
> > WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES AND GAIN DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
> 
> Indeed, many top brass band players have gone on to play in major 
> orchestras at the highest level (e.g. Maurice Murphy and James Watson?). 
> But one doesn't need to go on to play in an orchestra to prove one's 
> ability as a player or a musician. Furthermore, it is possible to be a 
> good cornet player and a bad trumpet player and vice versa. There are 
> people who do both very well, but they are not necessarily better 
> musicians than those who have decided to specialise in one or the other.
> Also, there is nowhere better for developing technique than a brass 
> band. 
> 
> > BUT IF I SUGGESTED USING A TRUMPET IN A BRASS BAND IF THE COMPOSER
WANTED THAT
> > STYLE AND SOUND IMAGINE THE UPROAR!!!!
> 
> I don't think there would be an uproar. James Watson played trumpet solos

> with Black Dyke on their recent "Cathedral Brass" CD and there are, no 
> doubt, countless other examples of non-brass band instruments being 
> imported for solo items. 


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