Thing's Ain't What They Used to Be

Ahhh... Clark Terry, one of my absolute favourite trumpet players! I love this clip - absolutely fantastic plunger technique, and so much joy in his playing and his singing.

New sampler

At long last I've got some new music up on my website: a sampler of some of the music I've done in the last.. well, since the previous sampler, really. It includes some stuff I wrote for various film trailers, plus from some short films I scored. Anyway, here it is:



[edit: Player doesn't appear above? Click here instead.]

How to Make a Trumpet - 3

Hooray! Yet another trumpet making video! This one is a bit more detailed about the making of the bell in particular. I believe it's the Getzen factory.

Oh Come All Ye Tasteless

To put you in the festive mood, here's a beautiful Christmas carol brutally murdered by an unidentified gang of trumpeters. Enjoy.

(Another clip purloined from here.)

How to Make a Trumpet - 2

Quite a few people who come to this blog have googled "how to make a trumpet" and found my post of December 2006 which linked to a video of a visit to the Benge trumpet factory. Unfortunately, that video has now been taken down from YouTube, so in the interests of giving the people what they want, I've found this video of a visit to the Yamaha trumpet factory in Japan. It's all a bit cheesy, and obviously a huge advert for Yamaha, but anyway, it's pretty nice I s'pose. A bit different from the previous video - the Yamaha factory is all computers and robots.

If the above link doesn't work, try here and look for the Jens Lindemann podcast. I'll not embed it cos it's 71MB.

bloody buskers..

..just kidding - these guys are great!



(Or click here.)

Today's listening

Ahh... nothing like a beautiful rendition of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto. Enjoy.

Allegedly this turned up as a pre-audition tape for the Boston Symphony. More unusual stuff here.

The Fox Hunt - Maynard Ferguson

Wow what a clip! Seems like these guys have drunk way too much coffee.

edit: oh wait a minute - they're all Maynard aren't they? In that case it's just him who's had way way way way too much coffee.

Maynard Ferguson
Uploaded by Itsme

Groovy video

Here's a nice little film made by the University of Salford all about the physics of brass and reed instruments. Includes slowed down footage of someone playing trumpet with a glass mouthpiece, so you can see the individual vibrations, plus the Professor squeezing out a tune on a whoopee cushion harmonica.



http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/schools/whoopee.htm

How to Make a Trumpet

Here's a groovy video all about making trumpets in a trumpet factory. Although it's from the American kids' show Mr Rogers' Neighborhood, it takes me back to looking through the Square/Round/Arched window in Play School.



[edit: I'm afraid this video has been taken down from YouTube now - but check out my post of Nov 9th 2007.]

Funny how lots of people like watching stuff being made - the guy who uploaded this video has lots of similar films.

P.S. Merry Christmas!