Jazz Trumpet"Blow Your Own Trumper!" Yes, Here Are The Best Persons For You To Tell That To! They Are The Best To Have Blown The Jazz Trumpet Thru' The History Of Jazz ..... From The Ubiquitous Louis Armstrong & Miles Davis To Freddy Hubbard & Wynton Marsalis ..... Each With His Own Style Of Playing The Jazz Trumpet.
Here are brief notes on a half-dozen of the best jazz trumpeters of all time - accompanied by some of their best-loved music.
Louis Armstrong arose from a background of abject poverty. Born in 1901 and later abandoned by his father, he grew up in the ghetto of Storyville in New Orleans. In his early teens, for illegally firing a handgun, he was sent to a reform school, the Coloured Waifs Home, in 1912. The penalty changed the course of Armstrong's life. Whilst confined, he was taught to play the bugle and the cornet. He embraced the music enthusiastically. After his release, Louis earned his living as a musician - borrowing musicial instruments and playing in any band that would take him. In 1917 he joined the most successful band in New Orleans, headed by cornetist King Joe Oliver. Moving to Chicago with King Oliver, Armstrong married the band's pianist, Lillian Hardin, in 1924. He then headed for greener pastures in New York, encouraged by Lillian. During the ensuing years, he switched to the jazz trumpet and made classical recordings with his Hot Fives and Hot Sevens bands. Over the next few years, Satchmo - as Louis was nicknamed - led ever larger bands very successfully. He also introduced his gravelly-voiced singing style. By the 1940's he was fronting his All Stars bands - an ever-changing line-up of greats like Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, Velma Middleton and many others. And Armstrong continued to lead a succession of All Stars bands for the rest of his life. Louis Armstrong made several triumphant musical tours and appeared in a number of films, including "High Society". He scored several hits in the pop charts. A consumate performer, Louis was also popular with white audiences. In 1968, he secured a No.1 hit in the UK with "What A Wonderful World". He continued, against doctors' orders, to sing and to play the jazz trumpet into his seventies. In July 1971, he died in his sleep, aged 71.
1 What A Wonderful World In 1956 Louis Armstrong acted in "High Society" - also starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinnatra and Bing Crosby. He sang these songs:- a) Now You Has Jazz
1 Hot Fives and Hot Sevens, 1925
He began by playing the jazz trumpet in carnival bands, and then made it to New York in 1930.There he cut his first records five years later. He made further records in 1938. His style was described as "flaring and fizzing". And he was bent on cutting his own path, taking on all-trumpet-comers in "cutting contests". In the early 1940's, Roy joined the "white" bands of Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw. But the racial prejudice made him form his own band. Unfortunately it was not successful. He then toured Paris with Benny Goodman for a year. His spirits revived, Roy was back in the US in 1951. Working with Coleman Hawkins, whom he admired, he made some recordings on the jazz trumpet. The 1960s did not see much recording. However, in the following decade, the 1970s, Eldridge's output improved with Norman Grant's all-star packages. In 1980, a stroke ended Eldridge's bandstand career.
1 Heckler's Hop
John Birks Gillespie started playing the jazz trumpet in his early teens - mostly self-taught. He won a music scholarship, but he quit university in 1935 to resume his life as a jazzman. His musical technique was dazzling, and his bubbly character earned him the nickname "Dizzy". Disenchanted with the traditional big bands, Gillespie experimented with new sounds. He eventually recorded "Hot Mallets" with vibrophonist Lionel Hampton's band in 1940 - a good example of "bebop" music. In that same year he met Charlie Parker and they became collaborators in developing the bebop sound until the 1950s. Dizzy's trumpet was accidently damaged in 1953 - with the bell bent upwards at an angle. Ironically, he found the new angle better for picking the notes. Thus the bent trumpet became Gillespie's trademark. Highly respected, not just among jazz musicians, he received a special Presidential assignment in 1956 to make goodwill tours of South America and Africa as a "jazz ambassador". And, for the next 35 years, Dizzy led many goodwill bands around the world, playing the jazz trumpet. He was also confirmed in his reputation as one of jazz's finest composers. "Salt Peanuts", "Hot House", and "A Night in Tunisia" are all Dizzy originals. Dizzy Gillespie died in 1993 at age 75.
1Live At The Downbeat Club 1947
Miles was born in 1926 into a comfortable home, unlike many of his jazz peers' lives of poverty. His 13th birthday present was a trumpet from his dentist father. At age 18, he joined the Juilliard School of Music. But New York's exciting jazz world lured him to another jazzman, Charlie Parker. And by 1948 Miles had played the jazz trumpet with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and John Lewis. In the early 1950s, addiction to heroin caused Miles' career to stall for long periods. But, back in 1956, he formed small bands that included the likes of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. During this period, he recorded "Kind of Blue", "Milestones" and "Porgy And Bess". Miles' restrained style of play was labelled "cool jazz", as opposed to the furious pace of other players. Davis was also a pioneer of "electronic jazz". In 1968 he electrified his band and played his trumpet through a synthesizer. He experimented thru' the 1970s - changing band members and trying our new sounds on the jazz trumpet. During the 1980s, Miles regularly participated in jazz festivals at Montreux, Switzerland. In 1981, after a lay-off, he made some important recordings. He then continued to tour and record only when he felt like it - for he was assured of his legendary status. He died in a Californian hospital in 1991.
1 Birth Of The Cool 1957
Born in 1938 in Indianapolis, Freddie learned the trumpet in high school. He was also part of a local group, the Jazz Contemporaries. In 1958 he moved to New York. There he played with such greats as Eric Dolphy, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton and JJ Johnson. Freddie then found fame by joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1961. The ensuing years saw him recording with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock and Max Roach. He also toured Europe with Quincy Jones. After leaving Art Blakey, Hubbard led his own quintet in 1966. He recorded some of his finest jazz trumpet albums in 1970 - Red Clay, Straight Life and First Light. But later, with another label, he made several dud recordings that damaged his reputation. He toured with Herbie Hancock in 1977. In the 1980s his recordings showed his former glory, which soon again faded, dragged down by "personal problems". Finally in 1993 he damaged his lip and did not recover his playing skills on the jazz trumpet.
1 Open Sesame 1960
Marsalis was born in 1961 in the birthplace of jazz itselfl - New Orleans. His trumpet training began at age 12. He entered the Juilliard School of Music to study the classics at 18 years of age. But shortly after, he also joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. 1982 saw Wynton's recording debut on the jazz trumpet. And over the years, he made more than 40 jazz and classical recordings. In 1983 & 1984, he won both jazz and classical Grammy Awards. In all, he has received nine Grammies. Residing in New York, Wynton has three sons. His own father, Ellis, and his three brothers are all musicians. Together, they make up America's "First Family of Jazz". Patriah Ellis plays the piano while brothers Branford plays the saxophone, Delfeayo the trombone, and Jason the drums. Wynton has had an extremely rewarding musical career. He has received honours and awards from various countries, including the U.S, Britain and France as well as the United Nations. Marsalis is the artistic director JALC - Jazz At Lincoln Center. He is also the music director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He hosts many "Jazz for Young People" concerts and has earned international respect as teacher and spokesman for music education.
1 Black Codes (from the Underground)
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