TromboneChat

Have some strong opinions on this but I'm wondering what y'all think. Does Alessi sound better on the Edwards or Shires?

Bach

Joe Alessi sounds like Joe Alessi. Any difference in sound over time has as much to do with the different decades of playing that you're talking about as it does equipment changes over the same time.

Also, from what I can tell he is recorded by a lot of different engineers, and different labels, and doesn't stick to one producer -- you'd be surprised how different he sounds between recordings just based on who was producing the album. It's hard to be objective. Case in point, the recording he did of De Meij, T-Bone, has one of the brightest sounds I've heard from him. Compare that to other CDs he did around the same time frame, on the same equipment, and you'll see what I mean.

Still think he sounded his best on his Bach 42 with a Denis Wick 5Al.. That Mahler 3 Recording from 1987 is the final word on what an orchestral trombone should sound like.

I would love to see a video or similar where a large group of artists play a large group of horns. Different brands or years and have them all mixed by different sound engineers, my guess is that by end it would be a toss up with the engineer making the most difference (as Harrison said)

That being said, those Bach recordings are amazing

Based on what I've heard, I'd have to say Edwards, but it's very close.

He sounded best on his Bach