JA Trumpet Faculty Equipment
August 22nd, 2005This past summer marked my 30th year on the faculty of Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops. I have grown tremendously and learned more than I could measure from my colleagues on the faculty at these workshops–present and past.Over this time I have had the opportunity to work alongside, befriend, and learn from such fabulous musicians and educators as Woody Shaw, John McNeil, Bobby Shew, Barry Reis, Randy Brecker, Dominic Spera, Tom Harrell, Kevin Dean, Ken Slone, Ingrid Jensen, and many others.
However, as fabulous as all of those people are I do not think we have ever had a better team of trumpet faculty than the six people who have worked together the past few years. Everyone here is a true team player. Each of these guys plays well, and some are absolutely stunning trumpet players. Each person is articulate about what they do and dedicated to teaching. Each person knows and fulfills their particular role in the overall scheme of things. They are all such beautiful open people. That’s not a bonus. That is why everything else is so good.
I am truly blessed to be working with these folks!
Anyway, one of the things we all hate (and one of the things that students are inevitably interested in) is the eternal questions about what horns and mouthpieces we all play. I thought that posting this info here might solve this problem.
Students are almost always surprised that none of us play freakishly expensive “super horns” or $300 mouthpieces. Frankly, in my experience most of the people who own those kinds of horns and mouthpieces are hobbyists and not professional jazz musicians. The pros grab basic gear and go off to practice!
Anyway, here is a list of the horns and mouthpieces played by the trumpet faculty at our US workshops.
Pat Harbison Bach Strad 37 bell & a Bach 3C
Jim Ketch Selmer Paris 80J & a Bach 5C
Jim Rotondi Selmer Paris 80J & aGreg Black custom mouthpiece
Bob Symer Bach Strad 37 bell & a Bach 3C
Steve Thomas Yamaha “Z” & a Schilke 14B
Scott Wendholt Bach Strad w/reverse leadpipe 72 bell (NOT 72*) & a Holton Collegiate mouthpiece
(Note: I am often ably assisted by some wonderful UK-based players such as Henry Lowther and Steve Waterman when we do our jazz course in London. I do not know their gear, although I think Henry is playing an Eclipse trumpet.)
August 22nd, 2005 at 4:49 pm
Hi Pat,
Nice Blog! I believe Henry was playing an Eclipse MY in partially completed form. He said it would go in for plating after he finished putting it through its paces. Steve Waterman plays a Geneva trumpet of his own name. It too is a great horn from a company in the midlands with little stateside publicity. I got to play it a few times as it was being fine tuned and it was a fast, acrobatic, yet reasonably tight slotting trumpet. The fellow who makes Geneva trumpets worked for Roy Lawlor for a while, and I see some similarities. If my stable wasn’t filled, I’d be looking seriously at both of those instruments… but the Olds is simply superb….
Dave
londonhusker
August 23rd, 2005 at 12:53 am
Great Blog Pat!
Along with guys using straight ahead equipement I’ll bet everyone’s practice routine is pretty straight up as well. Probably some very common sense but well done workouts.
August 24th, 2005 at 9:45 pm
That would make a great series of entries here…or maybe an article in a magazine. What do Scott Wendholt, Jim Rotondi, et al practice?
August 25th, 2005 at 12:42 am
ITG should do an article on various players routines, what and how do they practice. That would be very enlightening I’m sure. Marvin Stamm, Lou Soloff, Bob Sullivan, Wayne Bergeron, Chris Martin….a wide selection but asking really excellent players. Pat, you’re a big cat with ITG, send someone an email…..they’ll get right on it!
Dave Bacon
Phoenix
September 7th, 2005 at 11:54 am
Dave,
I think yu will find that Roy Lawler is no longer involved with Geneva trumpets in any way. Tim Oldroyd would appear to be a crock. I have seen the quality of his work and I would be pretty sure Steves horn was not made by him. Please check the following link.
http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2002/05/16/135236.html
Andrew
July 21st, 2006 at 7:37 pm
I’m impressed with your site, very nice graphics!
January 28th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Hi,
I just have to correct a few points here. Geneva Trumpets are genuine and as I have met Tim who has actually put his past behind him, I must say that his trumpets are second to none. Yes he has made the trumpet for Steve Waterman and the trumpet that he has made for me is absolutely amazing. Throughout my entire 30 years as a pro player I have never played a trumpet as good as the trumpet that Tim has made for me. My trumpet is a GENEVA VIOTTI model with a solid nickel silver bell. The craftmanship is out of this World.