TromboneChat

There have been a few threads about, or that mention, efficient playing. Why waste words when there are things like this to see it in action? I can’t imagine more efficient playing.

Al is awesome. I knew him back in the 1980s and he was awesome (and efficient) back then. What a great player. You can call it efficient, I just call it correct. He plays correctly. And he has an embouchure to envy.

However, Vizzuti's embouchure type is a very classic and perfect Reinhardt IIIB , which is not the same as the majority of players. Copying what he does is fine for another IIIB but would be a big mistake for most players who are IIIA's.

Usually I expect to see guys with great high range significantly curl in top and bottom before setting. It seems like that must put some kind of basic stiffness or tension into the set that does not depend on muscular strength. But Allen sets up more like most trombone players, as near as I can tell. Would be very interesting if he has talked about what goes on inside his mouth.

There's another video recording of Allen doing this with Woody. Good stuff.



Sounds like a fun to to play. If I could play it on trombone. Which I can't. I hope it's fun for him.

Not to mention his circular breathing for more than a minute (~5:30-6:37)! What a monster.

Playing efficiently is about taking away things, not so much about adding things.

Take away any tension, incorrect posture (some of this is subtle), stop the shallow breaths habit, extraneous movement (embouchure, instrument, body).
Then there is mouthpiece and instrument analysis. Is the equipment right for the person? No? Take it away! I have personal experience with this, having struggled on a certain Bach 42B all through college.

Any of these points can be broken down into lengthy treatises but I won't do that here.
Embouchure analysis is a whole other encyclopedia to get into....

Ran across this interview. Might be of interest to some folks here.

When Arturo Sandoval is crushing on you, you’re probably pretty good!

I knew Alan when we were in high school in the same home town. His father sold me my 62h.

tim wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 12:50 pm I knew Alan when we were in high school in the same home town. His father sold me my 62h.

You probably knew John Wilson too? Another trumpet player from the same time and same high school, I think. I knew him in DC. Moved back to MT, died a few years ago.

Oh yeah, I had forgotten him. He was with Alan at the other high school in town. We played together a lot at All State etc. Thevwe played in the college jazz band. As HS seniors