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.
“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.
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.
Marshall Gilkes’ Sound Storieswill 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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
