Jay Friedman: Sulek Sonata 2022

[BrianJohnston]

Can you imagine being 82 years old (at the time of this recording) and still sounding this good?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce57_kCXZg4

[BassBoneFL]

Holy &%*? !!!!! --- I can't imagine sounding that good NOW !!!!

[CalgaryTbone]

Wow - I've got to go practice!

Jim Scott

[dukesboneman]

WOW !!!!

[Posaunus]

So much for needing a "modern" open-wrap trombone.

Whatever trombone he is playing, it sounds great, with no deficiencies in the valve notes. Very uniform sound.

Keep it going, Jay!

[Burgerbob]

So much for needing a "modern" open-wrap trombone.

Whatever trombone he is playing, it sounds great, with no deficiencies in the valve notes. Very uniform sound.

Keep it going, Jay!

Bach 45B

[BrianJohnston]

1950s Mount Vernon 45B with a LT50 slide to be exact

[CalgaryTbone]

And a 3G size mouthpiece. To be clear though, Jay played thayers and other very open valves for many years. He's just found a beautiful classic horn that works as it is, so why mess with it?

Jim Scott

[BrianJohnston]

And a 3G size mouthpiece. To be clear though, Jay played thayers and other very open valves for many years. He's just found a beautiful classic horn that works as it is, so why mess with it?

Jim Scott

I believe the 45B rotor valve is more open than the 42B's rotor, which could explain why he's satisfied with it. Upon my many conversations with Jay, he's said his favorite valve is the Shires trubore, which is probably the most open valve you can get for a tenor trombone.

[Tbarh]

Brass colored 562 bore carbon slide actually...

[chromebone]

Incredible at any age.
A few years ago, right before the pandemic, I drove 8 hours to Chicago and took a lesson with him. As an added bonus, the orchestra was playing a matinee performance of Tchaikovsky 6; I jumped in my car and raced to the hall right after the lesson and heard Jay and the section in action in one of the best possible pieces one would want to hear that section. Spoiler: they don’t play nearly as loud in that hall as we have been led to believe; they play so clear and with such core and purity to the sound, they don’t need to be loud; Jay and the section play with such ease and above all, minimal effort; his ease of production is one reason why he can continue to play at such a high level at his age. I can honestly say I’ve never had a single lesson with someone where my whole outlook and approach to playing was completely changed in the way it was during that hour and a half.

[Posaunus]

Brass colored 562 bore carbon slide actually...

I never would have guessed that was a carbon fiber slide. [Or a modern LT50 slide. ] Whatever is is, it certainly doesn't deleteriously affect the sound!

Apparently this Bach 45B is not quite "a beautiful classic horn that works as it is, so why mess with it?"
Even the classics can be improved?

[BrianJohnston]

Brass colored 562 bore carbon slide actually...

I never would have guessed that was a carbon fiber slide. [Or a modern LT50 slide. ] Whatever is is, it certainly doesn't deleteriously affect the sound!

Apparently this Bach 45B is not quite "a beautiful classic horn that works as it is, so why mess with it?"
Even the classics can be improved?

Not necessarily a sound improvement. It's probably the absolute lightest slide you can play without it getting in the way of the sound

[harrisonreed]

Who am I to criticize someone who is a literal god of the trombone, but the intonation in this recording is sort of out of whack, to my ears.

It's definitely live, and it's a really impressive live recording of this piece.