Remote Recaps from ITF 2022 Day 3: Classics, Premieres, and Tromboats
Day 3 of the International Trombone Festival saw temperatures of 88 as a high and 65 for a low … at least in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the 2023 International Trombone Festival. Dates will be July 12-15, 2023.
Surprisingly with all of the live tweeting this week, I have NOT annoyed anyone (so far), and my Twitter follower count has actually increased by about 7 people/trombonists.
I would say today was probably the most educational/inspirational from a verbal standpoint. See below for why:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Trombone Section Masterclass
- Introduced me to an unfamiliar, but beautiful trio piece. Red Silk Shawl by Jennifer Mitchell.
- This DSO section is really showing two things…
- 1) Texas trombonists are simply on a different level of playing.
- 2) Starting early in the listening process as a student (we’re talking high school age) can lead to a lot of wonderful success.
- You can tell this section loves just hanging out with each other outside of the concert hall. The genuine friendship certainly plays into their sectional sound. Plus, the fact they went and played quartets on a boat in a Texas lake could catch on…especially if they go with the band name, Tromboats (their name choice, not mine).
- Some superb playing from Martin McCain (Bass Trombone) and Artina McCain (Piano). Honestly, probably the finest I have heard from this group, especially on the Weber Romance (that Pedal C!) and Amazing Grace.
- In a Festival filled with recently written music and world premieres (not a bad thing), it was a breath of fresh air to hear some classics from Defaye, Bourgeois, and Gräfe.
- Ellefson excelled at a very challenging program and this might have been the first time I have heard the Gräfe in a live setting. This concerto needs to be played more.
- My first time hearing Yu Tamaki and this was a real treat!
- Tamaki showcased a wide range of technical and lyrical playing that defines a confident command of the instrument.
- I certainly want to dive more into Yasuhide Ito’s Sonata for Trombone. A beautiful piece.
- It is hard to believe this was Steve Davis’ first ITF. Hopefully, it will not be his last.
- His tributes to Curtis Fuller and Slide Hampton were magical as well as his words: “If you play jazz trombone, be a fan of the rhythm section.”Side note: the rhythm section of Amy Shook (Bass), Todd Simon (Piano), and Todd Harrison (Drum Set) have been absolutely stellar this week.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Trombone Section Excerpts
- There were so many good nuggets of wisdom in this session that I have to include them:
- Darren McHenry on chords: “The key is the speed of adjustment.”
- Brian Hecht on chords: Listen to others and the composite of the chord. Don’t listen to yourself on the chord.
- Brian Hecht, again, on chords: Practice the instant adjustment within a split second. Get your first instinct to be correct…. aka., practice with drones.
- Even though they were missing Chris Oliver due to illness, it is clear that this section has taken shape because of their friendship. They are vocal about that, and it is what makes their sectional sound spectacular.
- This was one of the performances I really wanted to catch. I had ideas on how his solo sound would be, and it was exactly what I had hoped. A warm and vocal bass trombone sound.
- All of the music he played was written specifically for this performance. Every piece was a world premiere with works by well-known writers for the trombone. Verhelst, Mollá, Ferro, and others.
- I hope Martin Schippers records a solo album soon.
Christian Lindberg Solo Recital
- It has been quite some time since Maestro Lindberg has been to an ITF. The buildup was exciting, and the playing was equally thrilling.
- Playing the Šulek from his 1983 album The Virtuoso Trombone brought a flood of memories for that being the standard recording.
- The pieces that stood out, however, were the Schubert and Tchaikovsky songs. Beautiful, passionate playing.
ITF Jazz All-Stars with the Central Arkansas Jazz Orchestra
- Due to some technical glitches with the live stream, some of the above tweets were about Michael Dease’s newest album Best Next Thing. The live stream kicked in with Ido Meshulam and Nick Finzer trading solos on Fussbudget.
- Some exceptional playing by Steve Davis, Charlie Hollaran, Michael Dease, Nick Finzer, Ido Meshulam, and Delfeayo Marsalis.
- Hearing charts arranged for 5 (then 6) trombones and big band was outstanding.
- A memorable night to where I will go back and listen again and again.
Looking forward to Day 4 (the final day) of this magnificent festival.
FYI – ITF 2023 will be in Salt Lake City, Utah. July 12-15, 2023, at the University of Utah.
That’s all for now. Hello sleep.
