Suggested Listening

TONE: The tone that a musician achieves is probably the most elusive and abstract part of playing an instrument, yet it is also one of the most important qualities. (Who wants to sit through a performance if it's not pleasant to listen to?)

How do we develop a good tone? Feedback and good examples are of prime importance. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is to work with a private teacher who can play with and for the student. A second way is to listen to lots of performances and recordings. Below is a list of artists and recordings which have been highly recommended.

FLUTE:
- Performers to look for:
  - Jean-Pierre Rampal
  - James Galway (many styles - classical, pop, jazz)
  - Paula Robeson
  - Laurel Zucker Carol Wincenc
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Handel
  - Bach
  - Mozart
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Claude Bollings - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano (Rampal and Bollings performing)
  - Galway or Rampal
- Jazz performers:
  - Bud Shank
  - Hubert Laws
  - Frank Wess (with Count Basie)
- In more of a pop style:
  - Robert Dick
  - Jethro Tull

OBOE
- Performers to look for:
  - Heinz Holliger
  - John De Lancie
  - John Mack
  - Harold Gomberg
  - Marcel Tabateau
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Mozart (concertos, sonatas, and quartet with strings)
  - Poulenc
  - Hindemith
  - Handel (sonatas concertos and concertos for 2 oboes and continuo)
  - Vivaldi
  - Telemann
  - Britten
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Any Holliger or De Lancie recording; The Art of Oboe Playing (Tabateau) - includes performances and discussion, may be out of print;
  - The Gift (Nancy Rumbel with Eric Tingstad) - a Christmas album with lots of solo oboe and English horn.

CLARINET:
- Performers to look for:
  - Robert Marcellus
  - Harold Wright
  - David Schifrin
  - Richard Stoltzman
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Mozart Clarinet Concerto
  - Brahms Trio (clarinet, violin, piano)
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Great Performances Mozart Clarinet Concerto (R. Marcellus )
  - Brahms Trio (Harold Wright)
  - Musica Viva - Clarinet and Piano (Joaquim Valdepemas)
  - Mozart Bassoon Concerto (Sherman Walt)
  - Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Harold Wright)
  - Larry Combs has recordings out of orchestral excerpts for those really studying the clarinet literature
  - Stoltzman is an interesting performer; some clarinetists do not like his tone; others think it's fine. He crosses the style barriers and plays classical, jazz, new-agey.
  - A couple of possibilities are Begin Sweet World, Brazil, Hark! (Christmas)
- Jazz Performers:
  - Benny Goodman
  - Eddie Daniels

SAXOPHONE:
- Performers to look for:
  - Marcel Mulé
  - Vincent Abato
  - Eugene Rousseau
  - Eugene Bozza
  - Laura Hunter
  - Harvey Pittelv
  - Branford Marsalis
- Composers and standard classical repertoire:
  - Ibert Concertino
  - Glasunow Concerto
  - Creation of the World by Milhaud (a work for small orchestra with saxophone)
  - Lots of saxophone quartet works are available - sax quartet most often includes soprano, alto, tenor and bari.
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Anything by Marcel Mulé! Saxophone Colors (Rousseau)
  - Vincent Abato has a recording out of the Ibert Concertino and the Glasunow Concerto - not sure of title
  - Saxophonquartette (Berlin Saxophone Quartet) this recording has works by Glasunow, Moulaert, Bumcke and Francaix
  - The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet is a group of four women who play classical and jazz quartets
  - Nuclear Whale Saxophone Orchestra (everything from sopranino to contra-bass!)
- Jazz performers:
  - Charlie Parker (Live at Massey Hall)
  - Stan Getz (The Dolphin, Anniversary)
  - Sonny Rollins
  - Phil Woods
  - Johnny Hodges (with Duke Ellington)
  - Billy Novick (alto and clarinet - local artist most often seen with Guy VanDuser or Black Eagle Jazz Band)
  - Myanna plays a mix of jazz and easy rock style
  - 29th Street Quartet is a jazz sax quartet - On tenor: John Coltrane & Lester Young, and modern tenor players: Joe Lovano & Michael Brecker
  - Sonny Rollins on "Rollins plays for Bird" or "Don't stop the Carnival"
  - Paul Desmond plays with the Dave Brubeck on "We're All Together Again for the First Time"
  - Bari sax: Gerry Mulligan
  - Harry Carney (with Duke Ellington)
  - Gary Smulyan (with Mel Lewis).

BASSOON:
- Performers to look for:
  - Sherman Walt
  - Claus Thunemann
  - John Miller
  - Christopher Weait
  - Judith Leclaire
  - Frank Morelli
  - Milan Turcovic
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Vivaldi
  - Mozart
  - Boismoiter
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Four Centuries of Music for Bassoon (Weait)
  - Mozart Bassoon Concerto (Sherman Walt)
  - Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Harold Wright)

WOODWIND QUINTETS (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn and bassoon):
- Performers to look for:
  - Dorian Woodwind Quintet
  - Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
  - New York Woodwind Quintet
- Composers: Ibert
  - Bozza
  - Francaix
  - Poulenc
  - Milhaud
  - Danzi

TRUMPET:
- Classical performers to look for:
  - Maurice Andre
  - Armando Ghitalla
  - Wynton Marsalis (crosses styles and is equally good in classical and jazz)
  - Rolf Smedvig
  - Steven Burns
  - Timofey Dokschitser (Rhapsody, Concert Pieces, Preludes)
  - Rafael Mandez (Rafael Mandez, vol.1 is really awesome!)
  - Edward Tarr
  - Doc Severinson (has some nice classical recordings as well as the jazz)
- Composers and standard classical repertoire:
  - Hummel Concerto
  - Haydn Concerto
  - Hindemith Sonata
  - Telemann
  - Artunian
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - All excellent brass quintet recordings
  - Anything with Ghitalla
  - Eastman Wind Ensemble - Wynton Marsalis - he plays Aaron Copland's "Quiet City"
  - A Portrait of Wynton Marsalis (exact title) - includes Hummel Concerto and Flight of the Bumblebee
  - Baroque Masterpieces for trumpet and organ (Tarr)
- Jazz performers:
  - Arturo Sandoval
  - Dizzie Gillespie
  - Clifford Brown (With Strings)
  - Chuck Mangione
  - Maynard Ferguson (Chameleon)
  - Miles Davis (Miles Ahead, Birth of the Cool)
  - Louis Armstrong (although he does non-conventional things with his tone!)
- Also check out some of the newer greats:
  - Lee Morgan
  - Freddie Hubbard
  - Nicholas Payton
  - Jon Faddis
  - Randy Brecker & his brother Michael (tenor sax) have a number of CDs, "The Brecker Brothers".

HORN:
- Performers to look for:
  - Hermann Baumann
  - Froydis Ree Werke
  - Barry Tuckwell
  - Dennis Brain
  - Alan Civil
  - Phil Farkas
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Mozart concertos
  - Vivaldi
  - Telemann
  - Brahms Trio (horn, violin, piano)
  - Richard Strauss
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Horn Club of Los Angeles recordings - works for multiple horns (even 40 or more!)
  - Baumann Mozart Concertos on natural horn (no valves: half-steps achieved by moving the hand in the bell).

TROMBONE:
- Classical performers to look for:
  - Christian Lindberg
  - Ron Barron
  - John Swallow
  - Bradnimir Slokar
  - Doug Yeo
- Composers and standard classical repertoire:
  - Hindemith
  - David
  - Gilmont
  - Milhaud
  - Larson
  - Mozart
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Lindberg is THE name in t-bone right now and has many recordings out on the Swedish label "Bis": The Virtuoso Trombone, Stolen Works, Romantic Trombone Concertos, Winter Trombone
  - Cousins, with John Barrows on t-bone and George Swartz on cornet
  - Four of a Kind: Music for Four Trombones
- Jazz performers:
  - Hal Crook (with Phil Woods)
  - JJ Johnson (Quintergy)
  - Urbie Green (Big Beautiful Band)
  - Slide Hampton (World of Trombones)
  - Frank Rosolino (Conversation)
  - Bill Watrous
  - Joseph Alessi
  - Carl Fontana

BARITONE/EUPHONIUM:
- Performers to look for:
  - Brian Bowman (unbelievably great!!)
  - Robert Childs
  - Nicholas Childs
  - Roger Behrend
  - Jean-Pierre Chevallier
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Child's Play and Euphonium Music (both by the Childs brothers) on Summit Records (not always in stores) - Box 26850, Tempi. AZ 85282
  - Elegance-Barat (Behrend)

TUBA:
- Performers to look for:
  - Sam Pilafian
  - Roger Bobo
  - Dan Perantoni
  - Gene Pokorny
  - Jim Self
- Composers and standard repertoire:
  - Vaughn-Williams Concerto and show-off pieces like "Flight of the Bumblebee."
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - All brass quintet recordings are excellent (the Canadian Brass Quintet has a wonderful tuba player!)
  - Travelin' Light (Pilafian) - kind of jazzy
  - Tuba Tracks (Pokorny)
  - Changing Colors (Self)
  - The last two are on Summit Records (not always available in stores) - Box 26850, Tempi, AZ 85282.
  - Tennessee Tech Tuba Quartet

BRASS QUINTET: - (two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba):
- Performers to look for: Empire Brass Quintet; Canadian Brass Quintet (the consummate performers: serious and humorous with a mix of styles, they are entertainers and incredible musicians!)
  - Philadelphia Brass Quintet
  - Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Canadian: High Bright and Clear (baroque era)
  - Basin Street (jazz)
  - Canadian Brass Christmas
  - Champions (a mix) and a number of videos of concerts
  - Empire Brass
  - Bernstein
  - Gershwin
  - Tilson-Thomas, they also have a nice Christmas album

PERCUSSION:
- Specific recordings of interest:
  - Bach on Wood and Bach Beat (Brian Slawson) - CBS Records - percussion ensemble arrangements of classic pieces
  - The All Star Percussion Ensemble (Harold Farberman) - MMG recordings
  - "Nexus" (percussion ensemble) recordings
  - John Williams and Friends (two guitars, string bass and marimbas)
  - Arthur Press has an old recording of orchestral excerpts and how to perform them
  - Recordings by Dave Samuels of "Spiro Gira"
- Jazz Drumset performers:
  - Max Roach
  - Buddy Rich
  - Louie Belson (has a great video out also)
  - Art Blakey
  - Elvin Jones
  - Mel Lewis (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra)
  - Dave Weckle (with Chick Corea)
  - Peter Erskine
  - Cindy Blackman (also composer)
- Vibraphone:
  - Gary Burton
  - Lionel Hampton.

JAZZ: We play Big Band arrangements, mostly swing style, so I am going to focus on the big band era. Soloists for specific instruments are included above.
- Big Band Groups to look for:
  - Count Basie
  - Lionel Hampton
  - Glenn Miller
  - Duke Ellington
  - Paul Whiteman
  - Benny Goodman
  - Fletcher Henderson
  - Tommy Dorsey
  - Artie Shaw
  - Woody Herman.
- Jazz bass performers:
  - Ray Brown
  - Charlie Mingus
  - Milt Hinton
  - Jaco Pastorius
  - Ron Carter
  - Christian McBride
  - Charles Mingus, "Changes" Rufus Reid with Stan Getz on "Serenity" or "Anniversary"
- Jazz guitar performers:
  - Charlie Christian
  - Wes Montgomery
  - Larry Coryell
  - Jim Hall
  - Joe Pass
  - Jane Miller
  - John Scofield
  - Bill Frisell
  - Pat Metheny
- Jazz piano performers:
  - Oscar Peterson
  - Kenny Barron
  - Mary Lou Williams
  - Art Tatum
  - Bud Powell
  - Bill Evans
  - Duke Ellington
  - Marian McPartland
  - McCoy Tyner
  - Jim McNeely (with Phil Woods & Stan Getz)
  - Lyle Mays (with Pat Metheny)
  - Chick Corea
  - Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Jazz vocalists:
  - Ella Fitzgerald
  - Mel Tormé
  - Cleo Laine
  - Joe Williams
  - Manhattan Transfer
  - Singers Unlimited
  - And a fairly new to the scene - Diana Krall.
- Other big bands of note:
  - Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, GRP all-star big band, Bill Holman, Toshiko Akioshi, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra
  - Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

BAND:
- Good band recordings are sometimes hard to find, but they often include solo baritone horn (euphonium) work which is even harder to find!
- British Bandsman Centenary Concert features solos on euphonium and cornet
- Making Tracks, by the Desford Colliery Caterpillar Band, features solos on baritone, tuba, flugelhorn, cornet and percussion
- The Eastman Wind Ensemble has many fine recordings, as do the military bands.
- The Marine Corps Band website has some superior band music for download!

Have I made mistakes or left out important performers or recordings?? Please let me know and I will make the additions or corrections in future updates of this.

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