Altın Sencalar will release Reconnected, his third album as band leader on August 27, 2021. Altin’s music embraces his heritage and celebrates Afro-Latin, Turkish, and Jazz musical traditions. This album is dedicated to his two grandfathers: John Fernando Garcia, who passed in December 2020, and Bülent Şençalar, who still resides in Turkey as a renowned musician.
While working on this album, Altin focused on the relationship between dance and music. “This style is greatly influenced by salsa music,” Altin tells. Additionally, the compositions on Reconnected draw on bebop and hard bop tradition, and utilize motifs drawn directly from the music of his Turkish grandfather.
Altin is joined by drummer Daniel Dufour and bassist Utah Hamrick. Roxy Coss, saxophone, and Pete Rodriguez, trumpet, are featured guest artists.
Altin is currently on faculty at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor as the Adjunct Professor of Music, where he
works as the Director of Jazz Ensembles and the Applied Trombone Instructor.
Please visit Outside in Music to read the official press release and learn more about the upcoming album.
Please visit his website to reserve your copy of Reconnected.
On September 15th, 1957, rising jazz stars Lee Morgan and Curtis Fuller joined John Coltrane and his Miles Davis bandmates’ Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, along with Kenny Drew for one day in the studio. Magic was made, and we have those special 5 tracks (and alternate takes) that comprise Coltrane’s album “Blue Train” here to inspire us for all time.
Despite powerful turns from everyone throughout the recording, trombonist Curtis Fuller’s improvisation on the title track bears special attention. The melody features an iconic riff placing the “call” with the rhythm section responding in each occasion. It is simple, powerful, and primordial- the essence of the music. At a fresh 24 years of age, Curtis Fuller honors this composition with deep thematic reverence, development, and most importantly, pacing. This mature use of phrasing is a hallmark of his style, and one of the most difficult aspects of jazz improvisation to master, but when developed, it ensures the improviser is listening, breathing, and applying patience to this creative craft. This is how the great stories in music are born!
This solo had a major impact on my life. I heard it when I was 17, and switched my major instrument to trombone (from saxophone)the very next day. His role on this album taught me how to play, and dive deeply into the music. It’s only natural that I use this in my own teaching, and it always has a beneficial role in the development of my students’ style, vocabulary, articulation, and narrative sense.
Here are nearly 40 of my students across 10 states playing their parts on this socially-distanced arrangement, organized and finished over a period of 2 weeks.
Long live the music and spirit of jazz trombone master Curtis Fuller!
-Submitted by Mr. Michael Dease
Please click here to watch this tribute and see a list of the musicians who helped produce this project.
Brian Wendel, Principal Trombone of the Vancouver Symphony, will release his debut album on June 18.
Brian provided the following album summary:
“In March 2020, the entire world hit the pause button and forced musicians, along with many others, to cancel performances for an indeterminate period moving forward. We have been at home, repeating the same tasks each day, and living with the essentials: our basic needs, our loved ones, our own thought worlds, and perhaps a musical instrument or other hobby if we’re lucky. At a time when we are at home for what seems like an eternity, we can so clearly see what ‘home’ means to us (something different for everyone).
The collection of music on this album is an expression of my ‘musical home’. J.S. Bach, the grandfather of classical music so-to-say, has been the center point on which Western Classical Music is based. Crespo’s Improvisation has been a center point in my performances for many years, a piece that I feel proud to play and find new magic in each time. The passion as well as the crunch in the Russian selections is always fascinating and compelling to me and satisfies my love of being in the heart of music that’s equally bold and vulnerable at once. And last but not least, my own composition, performed by those in my ‘actual’ home and about my faith and family, was the last piece of the puzzle yet the most meaningful as well. I wrote this hymn for my unborn son, and it is sung by my amazingly gifted wife, Karen.”
Please visit brianwendelmusic.com to order the album. The CD will also be available on all major streaming and purchasing platforms.
For further questions or information, please email Brian Wendel.
Dennis Cramer was recently awarded the College of Fine Arts Outstanding Alumni
Award for Service. Curtis A. Scheib, Dean of the College of Fine Arts of Indiana
University of Pennsylvania presented Cramer with the honor at an IUP Trombone
Ensemble concert on the IUP campus on April 25, 2021.
Mr. Cramer began taking trombone lessons at IUP in January of 1970, as a junior at
Kittanning Senior High School. He earned both his Bachelor of Science in Music
Education in 1975 and his Master of Arts in Music in 1982 from IUP. Mr. Cramer, a former
music teacher at Ford City High School accompanied students to IUP Honors Band for
many years and then began volunteering with the trombone studio in 1997. He has been
there ever since serving as a performer, composer, arranger, director, historian and guest
lecturer. He led the drive to create the Armstrong Concert Band Scholarship for
Trombone at IUP in 2002 and is a current member of the fundraising committee creating
the Christian Dickinson Fund for Trombone.
Mr. Cramer also has recorded six compact discs with the Keystone Wind Ensemble (IUP) and
has performed with the group in Pittsburgh, Indiana, Cincinnati and New York City. He
also performs with the Keystone Chamber Wind, an ensemble of IUP music faculty and
select music students. He has served as a musical ambassador for IUP and has worked on
organizing two trombone alumni reunions, a marching band reunion and has performed
in several jazz reunions.
Mr. Cramer and his wife Elizabeth met at IUP in 1972 and have performed together in a wide
variety of settings since then.
-Submitted by Mr. Dennis F. Cramer
The Seventeenth Annual Big 12 Trombone Conference is scheduled for January 14-16, 2022 at Texas Tech University. Christopher Bill, classical trombonist and recording artist, is the feature guest artist.
The Big 12 Conference is currently accepting proposals for presentations and performances. Proposals could include:
- Clinics
- Master Classes
- Performing on the Faculty Showcase
- Adjudicating Solo Competitions
Student ensembles are invited to apply to perform, including:
- Trombone Quartets
- Trombone Octets
- Trombone Choirs
- Jazz Trombone Ensembles
Additionally, the Big 12 Trombone Conference hosts a solo competition:
- Tenor Trombone
- Preliminary Round – Concerto -Launy Grondahl – Movement 1 (Edition S)
- Final Round – Colors – Bert Appermont – Movements 1(Yellow) and II (Red) – (Beriato Music)
- Bass Trombone
- Preliminary Round – Concert Allegro – Alexei Lebedev – Movement 1 (Hofmeister)
- Final Round – Concerto for Bass Trombone – Robert Spillman – Movement 1 and II (Edition Musicus.).
Trombonists do not need to be a part of the Big XII conference to apply.
For further information, please visit the conference website or contact Dr. James T. Decker, Associate Professor of Trombone at Texas Tech University.
Congratulations to Brian Hecht as he was recently appointed utility trombone of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra! Brian has served as bass trombone of the Atlanta Symphony since 2013. Before joining the Atlanta Symphony, he was a member of the United States Navy Band in Washington D.C.
For further information, please visit his website. Congratulations Brian!
Calgary’s Trombone Day, Slide Into Spring, will occur virtually on Sunday, April 21. As part of the day, participants will have the opportunity to record and participate in a virtual trombone choir by performing and submitting their part on Song for Health by Steven Verhelst and Justice Fanfare by William Pagán-Pérez. The event will also include conversations with Peter Sullivan, Principal Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and James Scott, Principal Trombone of the Calgary Philharmonic.
Recordings are due by Wednesday, March 31 and can be submitted here. If you have further questions about the event, please send a message to slideintospringyyc@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
The Eighteenth Annual Big 12 Area Trombone Conference was held January 15th – 17th, 2021 virtually on Zoom. The Conference’s Featured Guest Artist was internationally renowned soloist Jessica Buzbee.
Ms. Buzbee’s feature performance and master class were both amazing and inspiring. Additional highlights included an exciting faculty showcase recital, great ensemble performances and many inspiring clinics and presentations. Unique events brought on by the pandemic included a panel discussion on Teaching Strategies during the Pandemic and several Zoom Hangout Sessions, where conference attendees were able to visit with and get to know members of the artist faculty.
Overall, the conference was a stirring assembly of fine students, performers, and educators. Many thanks to all who attended, presented, and performed so well, and our sponsors: AR Resonance Mouthpieces, Conn-Selmer Corporation, Yamaha International Corporation, the Music of Ken Friedrich, Tarpley Music Company, Edwards Instrument Company and Iota Tau Alpha, the Trombone Service Fraternity of Texas Tech University.
Next year’s conference is scheduled for January 14 – 16, 2022. More details will be forthcoming. Please visit our website, www.big12tromboneconference.com, for updates.
Chris Barber, respected British bandleader and trombonist, died at the age of 90 on March 2, 2021. While he started as an actuary, he formed the New Orleans Jazz Band in 1950 and his groups helped shape British popular music. He was one of the first British musicians to perform skiffle, a genre of folk music influenced by jazz, blues, and American folk music. In 1991, Barber was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to music.
ITA sends its condolences to Mr. Barber and his family. For further information about his successful career, please view this article by The Guardian.
For the ITA Artist Zoom Session on March 14, we are extremely honored and excited to host Aubrey Logan, star singer and trombonist! We are going to talk about voice, trombone and many other things, so we hope you will join us!
The Zoom Session with Aubrey Logan will be on Sunday March 14 at 4 PM US Eastern Time / 21:00 Central European Time (5-hour time difference due to US DST starting on March 14)
The Artist Zoom Sessions are free, and open for anyone interested; young, old, professionals, students – it does not matter! The only thing we ask you to do is register so we know you will be joining. Don’t miss this unique opportunity!
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