Eddie Henderson’s latest album is Collective Portrait. Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist
Eddie Henderson had no choice. His mother was a dancer at the original Cotton Club, and counted Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan as friends. His birth father was in a major vocal group, The Charioteers. And his stepfather was a doctor to the stars: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and more. With all of that talent surrounding him during childhood, he just had to turn out a jazz musician.
Hosted by Matt Lavelle, this new monthly series will present trumpeters from all walks of life. This month, Amir El Saffar will be presenting a clinic on “Trumpet Micro Tones and learning the Maqam”. Amir ElSaffar (born near Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an Iraqi-American trumpeter and vocalist. In addition to being a classical and jazz trumpeter, he is also a skilled interpreter of Iraqi maqam, which he sings and plays on santur. In 2002 he began studying the maqam tradition in Baghdad and London, with Hamid al-Saadi, one of the most renowned maqamsingers in Iraq. He has released a CD of this music and also applied maqam techniques to his trumpet playing. ElSaffan has performed with Cecil Taylor, Simon Shaheen, Randy Brecker, Miya Masaoka, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Samir Chatterjee.
THE 9TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC CELEBRATES TRUMPETER/COMPOSER KENNY WHEELER AT THE JAZZ STANDARD
(New York City, NY) – JAZZ STANDARD, one of the nation’s premier jazz clubs, presents the 9th Annual Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT) series, “Kenny Wheeler Celebration,” from Thursday, October 20, through Sunday, October 23, 2011. Program schedule and artist bios are outlined below.
The FONT series celebrates Kenny Wheeler, one of the most creative and iconic of progressive trumpeters. Wheeler, a Canadian residing in the UK since 1952, celebrated his 81st birthday this year. He will make a rare New York appearance in this series devoted to his music and vision.
The Festival also presents a cadre of progressive New York trumpeters, among them Ingrid Jensen, Shane Endsley, Nate Wooley, Jonathan Finlayson, Tony Kadleck, and Jon Owens. As part of this celebration, Kenny Wheeler will be featured with Ingrid Jensen + Brass, will play his music alongside John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, and will also convene a New York Quintet, featuring Jon Irabagon, Craig Taborn, Matt Brewer, and Rudy Royston.
Kenny Wheeler commented on being honored by FONT Music and returning to NYC: I first came to New York in the late 40′s. I was with a big band attached to the American forces and I had joined with the sole purpose of getting to New York. I just wanted to find and maybe talk to Miles. I couldn’t find him but in the process I had a really short (even for me) conversation with Charlie Parker. I was so disappointed I had missed Miles that it wasn’t until hours later I realized I had actually spoken to Bird! By that time though New York had gone from being in my head to being in my blood, heart and soul. It’s where most of the Jazz I listened to before and after that trip was born.
Although I have played in New York a few times over the years every time I come back I still feel the same excitement I felt that first time I visited all those years ago. For me New York is the place to play. The fact that I am being honored with a New York week and that so many fantastic trumpet players are involved is overwhelming. I am so proud and, before my nerves get the better of me, I would just like to say thank you to all of the people who have put this event together and thank you to New York for giving me the opportunity to come back and play here again.
Performance #1 – 3:30pm (approx 35 mins)
Performance #2 – 5:00pm (approx 35 mins)
June 21, 2011
Central Park Boat Lake
In 2010, Make Music New York presented an extraordinary performance of Xenakis’ Persephassa from boats in the Central Park Lake, named one of the year’s top ten classical performances by New York Magazine and Time Out New York. Building on this phenomenal response from audiences, critics, and the City of New York itself, MMNY turned to MATA with the challenge of creating something entirely new and magical for the Lake in 2011.
On June 21st, MATA presents TILT Brass and friends performing SWELTER, a large-scale musical event in Central Park as part of Make Music New York. The performance brings together dozens of brass players positioned around Central Park Lake to play a new ambient music-scape by three Australian sound artists Julian Day, Luke Jaaniste and Janet McKay, which the audience will experience from row boats on the water.
SWELTER is part of Day, Jaaniste & McKay’s ongoing project Super Critical Mass, which has appeared in various spaces around the world since 2008. MATA leads the charge with this event in presenting the project’s US Premiere. In each event, Super Critical Mass brings together large numbers of the same kind of instrument (e.g. 30 clarinets, 80 flutes) and uses simple instructions to create complex and beautiful site-specific works. The instructions respond to different skill levels so that a wide range of players can participate, from young performers through to world-class professionals.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!!
It’s not too late! To be involved as a performer, you’ll need to attend two rehearsals, as well as a dress rehearsal on the day of the performance, between Saturday 18th and Tuesday 21st June. You’ll work with the sound artists as well as the stellar musicians of New York’s own TILT Brass. The experience will be unique, explorative and lots of fun, and is open to professionals and skilled amateurs alike!
Please see our website,www.matafestival.org for details or contact Artistic Director Yotam Haber at .
Make Music New York is recruiting trumpet players all over Nyc for MMNY’s trumpet mass appeal on the first day of summer June 21, 2010.
Trumpets from all over NYC gather at Bowling Green to serenade lower Manhattan at sunset. The program includes new arrangements of the classic Gershwin tune “Summertime” as well as Rimsky Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” Led by Nicholas Mauro
How to join: Own a trumpet and contact Nicholas Mauro for details and any questions about the program.
“Benefit for Brass” concert to raise funds for a 2nd volunteer seminar with Fundacion Brass Band del Ecuador, a school & community safehaven for underprivileged students and families in Quito, Ecuador.
Featuring members of Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Brooklyn Qawwali Party, Imogen Heap, Michael Bolton, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Ursa Minor, Bjork, Josh Ritter, and the Saturday Night Live band.
Ars Nova Workshop, in partnership with the New York-based Festival of New Trumpet (FONT), is pleased to present the first annual FONT Philadelphia mini-festival showcasing three adventurous projects. Curated by Taylor Ho Bynum and Dave Douglas.
Open Circuit International Trumpet Ensemble
Taylor Ho Bynum (USA), cornet
Jean-Luc Cappozzo (France), trumpet
Franz Hautzinger (Austria), trumpet
Joe McPhee (USA), trumpet
Itaru Oki (Japan/France), trumpet
Herb Robertson (USA) , trumpet
William Parker (USA), bass
John Betsch (USA/France), drums
Meridian Arts Ensemble + Dave Ballou
John Ferrari, drums
Daniel Grabois, horn
Benjamin Herrington, trombone
Brian McWhorter, trumpet
Jon Nelson, trumpet
Raymond Stewart, tuba
Dave Ballou, trumpet
Chicago Underground Duo
Rob Mazurek, cornet + electronics
Chad Taylor, percussion
International House Philadelphia
3701 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 Map
Price: $12 General Admission TICKETS
Bobby Bradford accepting the FONT 2009 Award of Recognition
This week I heard a recording of the music Nadje Noordhuis wrote for FONT this past June. What a beautiful sound and thoughtful composer. She says she’s recording it soon and I recommend checking that out if you can.
Ambrose Akinmusire shared the stage with Avishai Cohen — truly inspiring to see trumpeters playing TOGETHER. No competition, just music. Clearly pushing each other to new creative heights, playing original music and a few re-arrangements of music by Bobby Bradford. They say there’s nothing new under the sun, but when you see two creatively and technically gifted trumpeters side by side playing in two widely divergent styles it just drives home how many personal developments have taken place on this instrument in the past decade or so. Those developments are shot through all the music of our time, on all instruments, but hearing these two trumpeters it couldn’t be any clearer. Both of these guys are pushing new frontiers in terms of phrasing, intervallic leaps, and rhythmic interplay with the rhythm section. Most of all — leaps of imagination. Let it be said that the rhythm section was exemplary and constantly inventive – Vijay Iyer, Chris Tordini, and Marcus Gilmore.
On Friday Jeremy Pelt invited Eddie Henderson and David Weiss with the rhythm section of Marc Cary, Vicente Archer, and Gerald Cleaver. I’m not being sarcastic or ironic when I say it made me want to go home and practice. I love Jeremy’s sound and fluid facility. He has also been important to FONT as a board member, and every time he has a chance he highlights his hero Dr. Eddie Henderson, who played just as beautifully and lucidly as ever. They played some engagingly rearranged Bobby Bradford pieces and originals. It’s such a pleasure to hear a three trumpet gig that isn’t a high note fest, a rehash of old classics, or a battle of one-up-manship. Just pure music made now in our time.
Peter Evans and Nate Wooley joined me yesterday for a short performance and discussion of “extended techniques” for the trumpet. I’m putting that in quotes because we all had the same point to make that these kinds of things have been around a long time. Peter made a good point about Round Midnight being the first major bestselling example of extended trumpet techniques. Breathy, close-miked harmon mute with a lot of reverb and microtonal pitch bending? How bizarre!
That aside, there really are things these two guys are doing that have only developed in the last decade or so. Trumpeters like Peter and Nate, Greg Kelley, Axel Doerner, Ed Harkins, Franz Hautzinger, Jaimie Branch, and others (if you know of others I’m leaving out, please reply in the comments or send me an email) have started using split tones, circular breathing, slap tonguing and many other techniques as the basis for their music. Nate said a lot of the impetus for the work he’s doing comes from listening to electronic music and sound/noise music. That kind of makes sense when you hear his uninterrupted tones affected by sheets of aluminum flashing covering the bell–with your eyes closed you would be hard pressed to identify it as trumpet music. When asked why he started developing these sonic resources on the trumpet, Peter said he does it because it’s fun. It was fun playing with Peter and Nate, I hope we get a chance to do it again some time. The session was recorded and FONT will produce a transcript of the conversation and possibly some sound samples.
Bobby Bradford played a beautiful gig with David Murray, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Dresser and Andrew Cyrille last night. I’m going to hear the Octet tonight. Bradford is being given the FONT Award of Recognition (the recipient is chosen democratically by the membership each year) this evening, and it is hard not to get emotional in seeing this cornetist and composer celebrating with a great band in NYC. Sold out houses were there to cheer him on and the music was rich and powerful.
With Bobby Bradford coming to town in a couple weeks for the next FONT series we decided to get things going with a little pop quiz.
“Name 3 brass players Bobby Bradford has recorded alongside during his career (either as a sideman or a leader.) First 10 people that email us at with a correct answer get one free ticket.”
Bobby will be in NYC October 3 & 4 accepting FONT’s Award of Recognition, and performing alongside Baikida Carroll, David Murray, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Dresser, Benny Powell, and Andrew Cyrille.
