Brian Allen Moving Right Along

May 8th, 2012 by Brian Allen

Pretty amazing spring for a trombonist in Mexico. Played Vive Latino (biggest rock festival in Latin America) and recorded a new album for RareNoise Records with Brainkiller. Played all over the country with Brainkiller, A Love Electric and legendary percussionist Cyro Baptista. Beautiful festivals and venues in Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Chiapas, Durango, Tobasco, Guadalajara, Queretaro, Puebla, Morelia, Aguascalientes and Mexico City. A solo concert. A short US West Coast run. Tomorrow, opening for Peter Brotzmann in the world-renowned Aural Festival.

Thursday, I head to Europe for a week of teaching and playing:

  • Friday, May 11
    Workshop
    Luzern Conservatory, Switzerland
  • Monday, May 14
    Porgy & Bess with Christian Radovan (trombone), Alois Eberl (trombone, accordion) and Se-Lien Chuang (bass recorder)
    Vienna, Austria
  • Tuesday, May 15
    Workshop
    JIM Institute for Jazz and Improvised Music at Anton Bruckner University, Linz Austria
  • Thursday, May 17
    Workshop
    Prague Conservatory, Czech Republic
  • Friday, May 18
    Jazzdock with Mark Aanderud (piano) and Tomáš Hobzek (drums)
    Prague, Czech Republic

Thank to Edwards for sponsoring these workshops.

Here are a few videos of Brainkiller at Vive Latino.

Please join us at facebook.com/brainkillermusic and me at facebook.com/nellanairb.

Horowitz Reviews Taylor

April 5th, 2012 by Joshua Brown

Joe Horowitz’s review of Dave Taylor’s performance of “Schubert Uncorked” with the PostClassical Ensemble is an entertaining read. Here are some of our favorite lines:

“Following a wayward trombonist at the piano is a lot simpler than chasing him with an ensemble in tow.”

“The sheer virtuosity of Taylor’s command of Schubert acrobatic showpiece was never in doubt – he can play it, and beautifully. But Taylor’s virtuosity is divinely wed to an idiosyncratic musical personality wholly his own. A lot of head-shaking and head-scratching followed that dress rehearsal.”

“None of us had anticipated the shock of “Doppelganger” in this context – it was Taylor’s first opportunity to open up and blast us full force. In the audience, bodies bobbed as if electrocuted. Watching the response of the musicians onstage was a rare pleasure: I have never seen members of an orchestra react as vividly, or visibly, to a soloist’s entrance as on this occasion.”

Not that we need extra incentive to hear Dave play, but Joe’s writing really makes us wish we had been in the audience.

Edwards Featured in Milwaukee Paper

March 18th, 2012 by Joshua Brown

Ginseng, toilet paper, rat poison, and high-end trombones. One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong. But they’re all manufactured in Wisconsin.

A few weeks ago, Rick Romell of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interviewed Christan for a story on the high level of brass manufacturing in Wisconsin (Elite trombonists lead parade to local custom instrument-makers). Christan was described as “a 39-year-old with a soul patch and a rapid-fire speech pattern sprinkled with musicians’ slang.” Sounds about right.

Romell’s article also discussed Gary Greenhoe’s role in Edwards’ history and his current job as owner of Greenhoe Trombones. It’s worth a read. Also, you can watch a video featuring Christan’s rapid-fire speech and soul patch.

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Marshall Gilkes Releases Sound Stories

March 5th, 2012 by Joshua Brown

Marshall Gilkes’ Sound Stories will be available on March 6. In addition to Marshall, the CD features Donny McCaslin, tenor saxophone; Adam Birnbaum, piano; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; and Eric Doob, drums. Let’s all buy the CD and support Marshall so he’ll keep recording great music!

Upcoming Dave Taylor Performances

February 13th, 2012 by Joshua Brown

Dave Taylor will be performing two upcoming concerts in Washington, DC. First up is a performance with Kenny Drew, Jr. and Daniel Schnyder:

Saturday, February 18, 2012 @ 8:00 & 10:00pm
Bohemian Caverns Nightclub
11th & U Street, NW
Washington, DC
Tickets: $20 addvance, $25 door
More info »

In March, Dave returns to DC to perform Schubert Uncorked with the PostClassical Ensemble. The group has commissioned a bass trombone and chamber orchestra version of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata.

Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 8:00 pm
Georgetown University – Gaston Hall
37th and O St. NW
Washington, DC
Tickets $25 ($5 with student ID)
More info »

These promise to be fantastic performances. I’m sure Dave would appreciate a venue packed with receptive brass players!

2012 Alessi Seminar Info

February 2nd, 2012 by Joshua Brown

September 10-15, 2012
(arrive September 9 and depart September 16)
Fossano, Italy

Participant spots available for:

  • 6 Italians (5 tenors and 1 bass)
  • 6 non-Italians (5 tenors and 1 bass)

ALL Particpants will be chosen by audition.
ALL Participants must register on www.alessiseminar.com.

Audition deadline is June 1, 2012. Participants will be notified of acceptance no later than July 15, 2012.

Audition Requirements

  • Please record in the order listed.
  • Electronic submissions ONLY!
  • Email recordings in mp3 format to alessiseminar@me.com
  • Please record solo repertoire without piano.
  • No editing within an individual excerpt.
  • Please record all selections in the same location.

Tenor Trombone

  • David Concertino
    (beginning to letter C)
  • Martin Ballade
    (beginning to #6)
  • Bordogni/Rochut No. 15
    (beginning through m. 24 down an octave only)
  • Mozart Requiem “Tuba mirum”
    2nd trombone solo
  • Berlioz Hungarian March
    (2nd trombone part, beginning 6 measures before rehearsal 4 through the 2nd measure of rehearsal 5)
  • Ravel Bolero
    (1st trombone solo, 3rd measure of rehearsal 10 to rehearsal 11)
  • Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
    (major only)

Bass Trombone

  • Vaughan Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba, mvt. 1
    (beginning to 4 measures before rehearsal 8)
  • Vaughan Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba, mvt. 2
    (rehearsal 1 to rehearsal 5)
  • Blazhevich 70 Studies for BBflat Tuba, vol. 1: No. #11
    (Robert King Edition)
  • Bach “Sarabande” from Cello Suite No. 5
  • Respighi Fountains of Rome
    (pick up to rehearsal 11 to 5 measures before rehearsal 16)
  • Kodaly Hary Janos Suite, mvt. 4
    (beginning in the 5th measure of the poco meno mosso to the fermata)
  • Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
    (2nd major section only)

Pagano Talks About the B502-D

December 9th, 2011 by Joshua Brown

Dave Taylor, Gerry Pagano and Mark Hoelscher are helping Christan develop a fixed bass trombone. Watch the video below to see what Gerry Pagano has to say about it. And stay for the credits.

Haim Avitsur’s Challenge

December 1st, 2011 by Joshua Brown

Do you know the tenor trombone solo rep? If so, you could get some free stuff from Haim Avitsur. In an effort to entertain and educate, he’s created a video of himself performing 33 excerpts from 25 solo works. If you know them all, then listen to the video below and email the pieces (in performance order) to name.that.tune.part1@gmail.com. Prizes include a $200 iTunes gifts card and eight other gift certificates to places like Sam Ash and Dillon Music.

And if you don’t know all of the pieces in the video, learn them!

Paul Tynan Fitting, Part 2

November 29th, 2011 by Joshua Brown

We recently posted the first video in a series featuring Christan and Paul Tynan in a fitting session. In part two, they work on matching the tuning slide to the valves and leadpipe. Part three is coming soon.

Gerry Pagano and the B502-D

November 15th, 2011 by Joshua Brown

We’re thrilled to announce that Gerry Pagano, bass trombonist of the St. Louis Symphony, has recently joined the Edwards team as an artist. Gerry, along with Dave Taylor and Mark Hoelscher, has been working with Christan on the development of the B502-D, a dependent bass trombone with technology similar to the Alessi T396-A. An independent model — the B502 — is currently being developed with James Markey.

Gerry recently presented a series of recitals and masterclasses on the prototype at TCU, Baylor and the University of Texas. He sounds great and we’re happy to have him playing an Edwards!

Gerry Pagano

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