Established 2013 in Philadelphia by Chinese-born bass trombonist Sun He, Ultimate Brass started as a brass instrument repair studio and later became an innovative company that designs and makes brass instrument mouthpieces, trombones, trumpets, and brass instrument accessories. Ultimate Brass Mouthpieces and accessories are being used daily by members of the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New … Continue reading Design Innovations : Ultimate Brass
The Ft Series mouthpieces are new from Fultone Brass. A range of 6 mouthpieces (with many more developments in the pipeline!) aiming to bring efficiency and great intonation across a broad range of styles, to a wide range of trumpeters. Many top UK trumpet players have been involved in the development of this range since 2016, and now they are available!
I have spent a lot of time recently (mainly virtually!) working with players who have used this enforced period of time off to look at new and possibly better mouthpiece options for themselves. Many classical, and particularly specialist orchestral players are traditionally very conservative in their choices and often choose to stick to the ‘tried … Continue reading Finding the perfect orchestral mouthpiece
The Frate Precision HM cup Mouthpiece range is an excellent solution for trumpet players
At the helm of Atelier Donat is Dimitri Donat. The workshop was set up by Dimitri's grandfather in the French Alps in 1936, originally to manufacture parts for the Swiss watch industry. Now, generations of technical expertise are combined with a musical passion to create some of the most innovative mouthpiece designs today.
When you talk about getting your trumpets adjusted so that they respond perfectly to you or matching and adjusting a mouthpiece so that it works perfectly with your horn, you are probably already thinking about Bob Reeves!
After visiting the Arena in the beautiful city of Verona some 20 years ago, I have been fascinated by not only its history but its use today as one of the most spectacular opera venues that you will ever visit. Built nearly 2,000 years ago, this outdoor amphitheatre could accommodate over 30,000 spectators, attracting audiences from across the Roman Empire. What would it be like to work here as Principal Trumpet with its resident orchestra? Well Massimo Longhi knows! He has held this position for 25 years now and has kindly shared his thoughts with us.
I met up with Markus Stockhausen on a (typically) rainy day at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK on 23rd March 2018. He is a trumpeter at the cutting edge of modern performance, and as I was to find out during the course of this interview, a fascinating one at that! JH: … Continue reading Trumpet Artist Profile: Markus Stockhausen
Italian readers will most likely need no introduction to Fabrizio Bosso. He is already a jazz superstar in his native Italy, and is now in demand on the international circuit with his various groups. Born in Turin in 1973, his fluency both musically and technically has brought him award upon award for his numerous albums, … Continue reading Trumpet Artist Profile: Fabrizio Bosso
"There are so many recordings that I am very proud of, but maybe the proudest moment was the first time I worked with my son."
Lee Adams from his custom shop in Atlanta, as well as the Jerome Callet trumpets and Flugels, exclusively offers the Northern Brass Mouthpieces by GR at Callet.com. The brief on these designs was to create a range of mouthpieces that can help to give a really solid upper register while at the same time solving some of … Continue reading Northern Brass: Mouthpiece Review
Winston Byrd has made a career out of drawing on many different styles including classical, blues, pop, jazz and improvisation. One of Winston's big breaks at a young age was to become a member of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and he has gone on to have a career working with a 'who's who' … Continue reading Trumpet Artist Profile: Winston Byrd
Vince DiMartino is sought after as both a trumpet performer and educator. His vast wealth of performance experience includes lead and solo work with the Lionel Hampton Band, Chuck Mangione Band and Clark Terry Band. Vince has appeared as soloist with top orchestras and bands throughout the USA and also has numerous solo recording projects. … Continue reading Trumpet Artist Profile: Vince DiMartino
D.H. Lawrence writes: “Never set a child afloat on the flat sea of life with only one sail to catch the wind.” The same could easily be said about trumpet students and the importance of developing versatility in not only their playing but also their outlook on life.
Johnny Thirkell is one of the most recorded trumpet players still working today. Through the 80s and 90s, as well as being a member of Level 42, Swing Out Sister and Jamiroquai, he has also worked with George Michael, Bruno Mars, Phil Collins, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Eric Clapton, Buddy Rich, The Who and Tina Turner. He has performed on over 6000 recordings including 23 No.1 records – most recently the Bruno Mars/Mark Ronson smash, “Uptown Funk”. The list goes on and on!!
Established in 2006, Frate Precision is the brainchild of trumpet graduate and expert metal-worker Dario Frate. From the facility in Lombardy, Italy they offer a broad range of mouthpieces that are growing in recognition and popularity around the world.Dario has kindly shared some of his thoughts and experiences with me below, followed by a review … Continue reading Frate Precision: Interview and Mouthpiece Review