< Previous58 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild clicking! Level up: To really build chops of steel, play these at a variety of dynamic levels, from pianissimo to fortissimo. Talk about pump - ing some “Irons!” Who says Clarke’s first technical study has to stop at C6? Extend higher (and lower, into the pedal range) to further develop your range. Remember, though, that the goal is to always play with a beautiful sound, no matter the register! Level up: Incorporate flutter tonguing on the repeats to work on maintaining a steady air flow, beginning first at a forte dynamic. This will help improve efficiency and tone. Once the flutter is stable and responsive at forte, vary the dynamic levels for additional challenge. Already feeling confident playing Clarke’s second technical study? Try playing it in all of the minor keys as well, using a metronome as a helpful practice aid. Level up: Incorporate different tonguing/slurring patterns to address articulation, in addition to finger dexterity. Once a variety of articulation patterns is learned, practice them at a variety of tempos and dynamic volumes as well. For a workout that will flex your dexterity, range, and articulation muscles all at once, play articulation exercises on your little trumpets in addition to your big ones! For example, Gekker’s articulation studies are a whole different animal when played on piccolo or E-flat trumpet. Level up: For an added articulation challenge, explore the same exercises incorporating multiple tonguing or varied tongue-slur patterns. Sight-reading duets with a partner is one of the best ways to develop strong, reliable reading skills, but the coronavirus isolation can make this challenging. In the meantime, get creative in honing your sight-reading skills by incorporating transposition. Arban’s Art of Phrasing melodies are a fantastic place to start. Pick a melody, pick a key or interval, and play! Level up: Don’t just transpose from your B-flat trumpet to other keys; practice transposing on other horns as well! Incorporate C trumpet up and down a step (or up a m3, P4, and down a m3) or piccolo trumpet in A—up a m3. These are just a few examples of fresh twists to traditional trumpet exercises; the options are limited by only your own creativity! By stepping out of your comfort zone and trying a new approach or interpretation, a renewed focus and energy in your music making is sure to follow. About the author: Megan Bailey is in her second year as assis- tant professor of trumpet and horn at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. She holds degrees from DePaul Uni- versity (bm), studying with Matt Lee; the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign (mm), studying with Charles Daval; and the University of North Texas (dma), where she studied with John Holt. then they will use the air behind the tongue more correctly, and the natural placement of the tongue develops almost auto- matically. Because we cannot see the process of articulation on the trumpet, I have two specific images that I use with students. The first is to imagine the release of a pianist as they lift their hands off the piano keys. There are a variety of releases that pianists use, all of which are dictated by musical intention. Pedagogical Topicscontinued from page 56 The Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition Rules and details for the 2021 competition can be found on the ITG Website! Application Deadline February 1, 2021 www.trumpetguild.org/ events/competitions Instilling this concept at an early age will help the student make more mature musical choices. The second, similar act is again imagining the violinist’s bow gliding across the strings of the violin. In this image, I call attention to the fact that no matter how long or short the bow stroke, the wrist is flexible and never tight, just as the tongue must remain flexible, without stiffness. It is hoped that teachers will find these ideas useful and help their students avoid some of the more common frustrations of our instrument. I am grateful to all of my teachers for their generosity and patience, and the writing of these concepts are just one small way of saying “thank you.” Happy practicing! About the author: Mark Dulin is an active educator and musi- cian in Atlanta, Georgia. He is on the faculty at LaGrange Col- lege and is a former faculty member at the University of Akron, Winthrop University, and Appalachian State University. Dulin is a member of the Atlanta Chamber Brass and is a former mem- ber of the Jacksonville, Charlotte, and Sarasota Symphonies. He has performed with the Emerson String Quartet, giving the North American premier of Shostakovich’s Op. 41A and is the co-editor, along with Michael Cichowicz, of the pedagogical works of Vincent Cichowicz, Long Tone Studies and Flow Studies, Volumes 1 and 2. Dulin is a graduate of Indiana University, Uni- versity of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and suny Stony Brook. He was a student of John Rommel, Marie Speziale, Kevin Cobb, Michael Sachs, James Pandolfi, and Joe Phelps. “Talk about pumping some ‘Irons!’”© 2021 International Trumpet Guild January 2021 / ITG Journal 59 E DITOR ’ S C ORNER P ETER W OOD , E DITOR Conrad Gozzo, Mannie Klein, Uan Rasey, Shorty Sherock, Pete Candoli, Joe Triscari Salvador “Tutti” Camarata May 11, 1913 – April 13, 2005 I. I Can’t Get Started Joe and Pete release myriad cascades. Listen, their synchronized, sonic precision, quick and free, as bats echo in the night, improvising flight at twilight. II. Boy Meets Horn Reading Rex Stewart’s half-valve text, Shorty Sherock preaches his sermonette. Sloping, curved country road, barn at pasture edge. Over the field, mane displayed in pride, the galloping mare exults in her stride. Ducks paddle the pond, cows look on, idly forlorn. Down the valley sound the passing horns. III. What’s New? A shimmering choir of harps lights the fireplace of the heart. IV. Trumpet Soliloquy Silver swan, Mannie Klein, climbing lines of light, aligns the stars. Crescendos, flaring, make reflections ripple on the lake. T UTTI ’ S T RUMPETS BY D ON P ETERSEN V. Trumpet Tango Ensemble blend, South American seasoning, with a pinch of Tchaikovsky. Nutcracker stepping, sleek and smooth, in a Buenos Aires groove. Lush vines, lianas, the green canopy, far as eye can see. VI. Stardust City echoes, late lights, cafes, jazz clubs. Slight, silver mist on evening clothes. Glasses frame radiant haloes. VII. Bugle Blues Roman candle orchids, volcanic iris and rose. Verdant orchard, after April snow, mockingbirds, tormenting the crow. On his window washer platform, swinging from the roof, Shorty calls up ghosts, through a glass, darkly. Andrews Sisters, miming brass, Gene Kelly, tapping the cloud paths. VIII. Tenderly Offshore, waves curl toward the strand, breaking on the sand. Seagulls hover, rise and fall, “…way down in the alley,” their wistful calls. Blown in from the southwest, fog lifts casual chords of regret. 60 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild IX. Louis Playing the hard past, Mannie Klein redeems the time. “You can’t catch me!” Standing fast, Louis’s off the keyboard, safe at last. X. Trumpeter’s Prayer Conrad Gozzo’s pure, open sound, wide and clear. Pristine, th century Lake Tahoe spring, Excalibur, sword of kings, drawn from stone. Great sailing ship, borne on winds of wave washed sea, sailcloth taut, Captain Gozzo at the helm, straight and true as Joseph Conrad’s pen. XI. Southland Steady, strong blues wagon, pulled behind hauling mules. Helios, in his chariot, draws the arc of dawn, Pegasus paws, in ominous calm. XII. Uan Rasey In a wheelchair in Glasgow, Montana, a small boy, crippled by polio, buys a mail order trumpet, mouthpiece, mute, and self-instruction book, nine dollars, from Montgomery Ward. Fan of track and field events, Uan went to the Olympics. mgm stalled his films for weeks Nine dollar trumpet, ground zero, for his gorgeous, glorious, legendary, fifty years sought after, musical sound. About the author: Don Petersen was born in Crookston, Minn esota, in . He began playing cornet at age fifteen and has played trumpet and flugelhorn ever since. He taught high school and grammar school band and chorus in Siskiy- ou County, California, and joined the Navy in the s, serving aboard the USS Ranger in the South China Sea. He has written poetry since childhood, including volumes on jazz, Bach, and various other themes. He can be reached by email (donandjanet01@att.net). 2021 ITG Conference June 1 – 5, 2021: ITG’s first-ever V IRTUAL C ONFERENCE A celebration of International Trumpet Artistry like you have never experienced before—from the comfort of your own home! Details available soon on the ITG Website! www.trumpetguild.org #ITG2021 Visit the site frequently for updates.© 2021 International Trumpet Guild January 2021 / ITG Journal 61 J AZZ C ORNER C HASE S ANBORN , C OLUMN E DITOR I am writing this column in the summer of as I tran- sition from a year-long sabbatical primarily spent making educational videos on YouTube back to teaching jazz at the University of Toronto. While it would naturally be a little disorienting to return after a year away, the pandemic has caused a complete reevaluation of how we will approach music education this year. In this column, I will share some of my thoughts about teaching and attending music school during this tumultuous time. This topic was also the focus of two recent videos (http://www.youtube.com/chasesanborn). In some ways, this column feels like a time capsule, since by the time you read it we will be halfway through the school year, major world events will have transpired, and we are living in a time when we cannot confidently predict what life will look like in six months. Although the decision on whether to attend school this year has likely been made at the time of writing, let alone reading, I think there is still relevance in the thought process, and we really cannot be assured at this point that students will not be facing similar decisions in . The decision of whether to attend school is two-pronged, relating to in-person and online course delivery. Face-to-face instruction requires cautionary procedures such as masks, social distancing, and physical barriers to reduce the risk of viral transmission. A certain amount of risk remains, particu- larly in the case of wind-driven instruments for which masks are impossible and the possibility of airborne transmission is exacerbated. Although some studies have addressed the increased risk associated with playing an instrument like the trumpet, they do not yet seem conclusive. The risk assessment is heightened or lessened by the degree of community spread in a given location, but as long as the virus is present in society and the disease is potentially fatal, it has to be taken seriously. I do not presume to give advice on that front. I will simply say that my own plan is to do all my teaching online for the – school year, and my focus is on how best to do that. The cost/benefit analysis of online instruction is an uneven proposition at best. Certain things can be taught effectively this way (e.g., private lessons). Other things are much harder to teach (e.g., ensembles). Some teachers are better equipped than others to make the transition to remote delivery. Overall, there is no doubt that in-person teaching is the best, but the question is what to do when that is not an option. In my recent experience with teaching private lessons online and conducting research into methods for teaching a class- room course remotely, the drawbacks for teaching music are clearly evident. They include degraded sound quality, internet connectivity, transmission latency that prohibits simultaneous playing on a platform like Zoom, and the awkwardness of communicating via screen. Software exists to address the laten- cy issue, but at present, it is complex and requires exceptionally stable internet access for all participants, making it an imprac- tical option for most teaching situations. Technology will con- tinue to evolve, though, and will hopefully make this a more viable option in the future. Amidst the challenges lie opportunities. Asynchronous teaching, where material and lectures are available online for viewing at a time best suited to each student, has been shown to be effective and often pre- ferred. My sabbatical spent making YouTube videos has provided me with a wealth of online content, an unanticipated but fortu- itous benefit. I am now in the process of recording the Power- Point lectures that I use with my jazz history class; rather than a class viewing slides on a projection screen, students will watch on their own devices prior to the class, and we will use the synchronous Zoom session for discussion. From a teacher’s perspective, this is an approach that can be utilized in coming years, an important consideration given the hours of work required to convert in-person teaching to remote. For performance-based teaching, students will pre-record and submit assignments in advance of the lesson. Screen shar- ing allows us to review the recordings simultaneously and dis- cuss areas and methods of improvement. This gets around some of the sound degradation and gives us both a record of the work that is done and the progress that is made. It also places emphasis on recording as a practice tool, with incentive to produce the best possible performance for submission. At my school, the current plan is to rehearse ensembles in person, with a substantial degree of social distancing. Even so, each ensemble leader has to be prepared to deliver content online, in the event that the disease spikes in the winter as many predict it will. One also has to anticipate more absen- teeism than normal, since even a slight symptom of cold or flu will likely trigger isolation. Given this reality, some teachers are planning on a fully online ensemble experience from the start. T EACHING J AZZ D URING A P ANDEMIC , P ART I BY C HASE S ANBORN Jazz Corner seeks material related to the pedagogy and performance of jazz. Ideas and suggestions should be directed to: Chase Sanborn, Jazz Corner Editor, University of Toronto Faculty of Music, 80 Queens Park, Toronto ON M5S 2C5, Canada; jazzcorner@trumpetguild.org “Amidst the challenges lie opportunities.” Continued on Page 77 Mondello: Let me ask you about your favorite US trumpet players, especially Bernie Glow. Lovatt: Bernie Glow was right up there. He was on the East Coast and was “the guy.” To me the trumpet is about singing. All instruments aim to come as close to the human voice as possible, so the players I like and who really mean a lot to me are the ones who do that. And, of course, Bernie Glow. I remember sitting at home watching The Andy Williams Show on tv, and there was this absolutely incredible lead trumpet playing—just perfect, beautiful, incredible. It was the sound, the time, the heart; everything was there. I mentioned it on Facebook, and Heidi Glow, Bernie’s daughter, got straight onto me and said, “If that was The Andy Williams Show, that would be my dad.” It was really nice. We recently met for the first time. She came over to see me. It was really nice, and I took her to Abbey Road Studios and showed her around. I think she had a lovely time; she is a lovely lady. It was touching to me, and I think it was a touching thing for her as well. So, definitely Bernie Glow because of the hundreds (or maybe thousands) of recordings he is on. The thing for me is that sound and the way it is not overstated, not in your face. It’s just beautiful and different. And, of course, my all-time hero—absolutely nobody could come close to him—is Uan Rasey. I was in the Glenn Miller Orchestra for seven years, and I enjoyed that time. I got to start off doing some of the sessions, and probably about or ’, somebody got in touch with me and said, “There’s this young guy who just came out in the Royal College of Music, and he’s got an orchestra that plays like movie music, movie musical music. This guy is a bit of a genius, and I put your name for- ward to play first trumpet for him, because I think you would be perfect. The way you play is what he’s looking for.” So, I ended up doing this gig, and it was for a guy named John Wil- son. In a way, that was my career almost coming full circle, and I’m back there playing principal trumpet in an orchestra/band, which one moment is playing in an orchestral way and the next is playing in a big band way. That’s how I got into what I think is the greatest orchestra that has ever been—the MGM Studio Symphony Orchestra. I really do think that. They were the best guys around, and they could play anything. You listen to those recordings, and it’s just outstanding in every way. And, of course, they were all there in Los Angeles. The best writers, orchestrators, choreographers, set designers—everything was there at the same time. Not only in the film studios, but also at Capitol Records with Nelson Riddle and Billy May and all the other guys. So, I became even more aware of Uan Rasey through listening and studying the MGM Studios Symphony sound, because prior to that I had only seen Uan Rasey’s name on stuff like Tutti’s Trumpets or on some of the Billy May records where Uan is listed, along with Gozzo, Mannie Klein, Johnny Best, and all those guys. I’ve just listed some others there—of course, Mannie Klein. There is a fantastic album by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, and it’s a get-together band. I don’t think it’s a band they had on the road, because it’s all the Hollywood studio stars, and it was called Solo Spotlight. On it, each of the side- men in the band has a solo to play. Murray McEachern does a trombone solo and a sax solo, and Mannie Klein plays a trum- Studio/Commercial Scene seeks to present information on issues related to the trumpet’s role in the music industry in today’s ever-changing environment. Ideas and suggestions should be directed to: Nick Mondello, Big Toots Enterprises, 29 Riggs Pl, Locust Valley NY 11560 USA; studio@trumpetguild.org M ike Lovatt (http://www.mikelovatt.co.uk) is one of the foremost trumpeters in the United Kingdom, if not the entire world. An honorary associate of the Royal Academy of Music and graduate of Trinity Col- lege of Music, Lovatt straddles the classical/orchestral, commercial/film, and jazz worlds. He has recorded many film soundtracks, such as The Avengers Endgame, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Phantom of the Opera, Tomorrow Never Dies, and many more. He is an in-demand regular on London’s West End and BBC Proms scenes. His most recent album is 56°N with British brass band champion Foden’s Band. No stranger to the pitfalls of the instru- ment—and of life itself—Lovatt has soared to the pinnacle of the trum- pet game. Lovatt is a Smith-Watkins trumpet artist. For Part I of this interview, see the October issue of the ITG Journal. A C ASUAL C HAT WITH T RUMPETER M IKE L OVATT , P ART II BY N ICK M ONDELLO “No stranger to the pitfalls of the instrument—and of life itself—Lovatt has soared to the pinnacle of the trumpet game.” 62 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild S TUDIO /C OMMERCIAL S CENE N ICK M ONDELLO , C OLUMN E DITOR Facing page, photo credit: Eldon Phillips64 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild pet solo that is absolutely heartfelt and beautiful. It is that playing that really does it for me. It’s like I said about Maurice Murphy, it’s that touching, that thing you can’t really explain. Mondello: It’s like Bobby Shew says, “Don’t play to impress. Play to touch.” Lovatt: Yes, absolutely. That’s right. Mondello: Have you gotten to meet any of these people, like Bernie or Uan? Lovatt: I spoke to Uan Rasey twice on the telephone, and we spoke for quite a consid- erable amount of time. How that happened was that I saw a trumpet advertised on eBay, and it was a Méndez Olds. Of course, I knew Méndez had been Uan Rasey’s predecessor at mgm. I actually think Uan was a sub for Méndez, and they pre- ferred his playing to Méndez, because Méndez obviously had all that bravura and that amazing, ridiculous technique. How- ever, I think when they heard Rasey play a melody, that’s prob- ably when they thought, “He’s the guy.” I don’t know how that change actually happened, but Méndez was there at mgm before Uan. Anyway, the person who was selling this trumpet advertised on eBay said that it had previously belonged to Uan Rasey. I knew the pictures I had seen showed that Uan was playing on a King trumpet, and I also knew that some- where online it says that he had recorded Chi- natown on a King Silver Flair. A friend of mine said, “Look, I’ve got a bidnapper, and you should have a shot at it.” He said, “How much can you afford to spend?” I told him, and he said, “Okay, well I’ll do it.” When I got home from work, I said to my wife, “I’ve got somebody to bid on this trumpet for me.” She said, “Well, how do you know that? It was definitely some- body’s, and anybody can put that up.” So, I said, “Well, how am I going to find out whether it was his?” She said, “Well, just call him up.” So, I looked up his number and called him. We had the most wonderful conversation, and I think he was actu- ally quite surprised that somebody was really interested in his teaching and playing career. We chatted for ages, and I said, “About this trumpet…” and he said, “Oh, Méndez came into work in the studio and said he was trying to get us all to try these trumpets, so we all tried them. But I didn’t really like it that much, so I went back to mine, which I think might’ve been an Olds at that particular time. Méndez was trying to get everybody in the MGM Studios Symphony to play Méndez Olds.” So, we chatted a bit further, and I said, “Look, I would really love to come over to la and meet you and maybe take a lesson.” And he said, “I really would like to meet you.” But suddenly, Uan sadly passed away six months later, and I hadn’t had a chance to go over. So that was a special moment to me. I know him from his reputation. I have spoken to Chuck Findley about Uan. Chuck has told me loads of beautiful stories, because he is one of the few players now (maybe Gary Grant as well) who actually worked with Uan Rasey and knew him as a colleague, friend, and teacher. I’ll share one of the stories with you now. They were on a soundstage working somewhere in Los Angeles. Of course, Uan was a polio victim, so he was either on crutches or in a wheelchair. Because of that, he normally got to park his car right next to the studio. On this occasion, he turned up at work, parked his car there, and went into the studio. As they were leaving, Chuck said, “Let me carry your cases for you, Uan.” Uan used to say this thing: “Yo, yo, yo, everything’s beautiful!” That was his thing. Apparently, he wouldn’t let Chuck help with the cases, so they walked outside and just stopped. Uan’s car had been towed away, and he was just like, “Hey, Chuck! Yo, yo, yo, everything’s beautiful.” So that was the guy. And when you hear him play, that’s what you hear. It’s the joy of Uan’s playing that really gets me. He is probably my “Number One”— and Bernie Glow for different things. I think Uan had slightly more of an orchestral sound, and Bernie was more of a jazz lead trumpet player. In fact, Heidi gave me a cd with Bernie playing some jazz. It’s really nice, and I think a really good lead player can play jazz really well. I mean, look at Chuck Findley, Pete Can- doli—those type of guys. That is another name I haven’t men- tioned yet—those guys in that era: Shorty Sherrock, Manny Klein, Johnny Best. The list goes on, but those are the guys I have really liked. Mondello: Have you read or seen the classic New Yorker Mag- azine article on Bernie Glow [William Whitworth, The New Yorker Magazine, Dec. 1969 ]? Lovatt: Yes. Heidi gave me a copy. Mondello: They talk about how these guys just went from one session to another; it was just nonstop. You know, it was really the halcyon days of the New York recording scene—guys like Ernie Royal, Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff, Joe Shepley, Marvin Stamm, Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, and many more. Those guys worked not only in the jazz world, but the pop world as well—Bernie Glow and Mel Davis, too. It’s a funny thing that Mel Davis’s most well- known solo is on a pop piece called The Hustle —and playing on Sesame Street and The Electric Company (kids’ shows). But that was when the scene here was amazing. Lovatt: Absolutely. Mondello: The other thing was that many of these guys would go to Carmine Caruso for lessons. I studied with Carmine for three years and saw many of their lessons. I would go hours early to watch Victor Paz, Lew Soloff, and many others take their lessons from Carmine before mine. Herb Alpert was another—although he called in by phone and got his while I sat in the “hot seat” lis- tening to Carmine give Herb suggestions. Lovatt: Yes. Mondello: I asked Malcolm McNab what was the most chal- lenging of the 2000 films he has done, as well as the TV shows and everything. He said, “That’s easy. We did a theme to a TV show called Star Trek Deep Space Nine. We did fifty takes of the main theme that day!” So now, I pose that same question to you. Of all these soundtracks, which one did you feel was the most challenging and most rewarding? Lovatt: That might be the same movie, of course. This was actually with the John Wilson Orchestra. We were asked to record the sound- track to the Bobby Darin biopic [Beyond the Sea, Lions Gate Films, ] with Kevin Spacey, and that eventually got nomi- nated for a Grammy. We actually went into Abbey Road Stu- dios. Normally a film on that would be done in three or four days, but we had two weeks in the studio. I had a lot of playing “Don’t play to im - press. Play to touch.” “Yo, yo, yo, every- thing’s beautiful!” “I think a really good lead play- er can play jazz really well.”© 2021 International Trumpet Guild January 2021 / ITG Journal 65 to do, and it was hard on the chops. It was taxing, and we did a multitude of takes. Actually, the first week we did only one take. Because Phil Ramone was the producer, it was like we were recording an album. He was responsible for the last Duets album with Frank Sinatra. Phil had us play something through, and then we would play through it again and again. Mondello: Oh, he’s a perfectionist. He’s absurd that way. Lovatt: Again, lots and lots of takes. That was a real sort of turning point as well, because it was something that was going to be put out for just an ordinary fixer to do. However, we went in as a team, rather than as individuals who are being fixed to do something. I thought that helped. That album came out before the film. Kevin Spacey was fantastic in that, and he sang his own part. He also directed the whole thing, and, I think it came out musically. I thought it was fantastic. The film wasn’t great, but it was quite rewarding to play. That was a really great experience. Playing music is rewarding. Probably the most amazing thing I have ever done was the very first BBC Promenade Con- cert that took place at the Royal Albert Hall ten years ago this month. We did the first one with the John Wilson Orchestra, and that night was absolutely electrifying. We did a concert two hours and twenty minutes long without an interruption on live television, and we had everything from all the mgm stuff, orchestral stuff, Ben-Hur, and the lot. The audience just went ballistic. I am not kidding you that in telephone calls and text messages—I wasn’t on Facebook then—I must have had well over a thousand messages, emails, and stuff. People just going, “This orchestra’s incredible!,” “What a great night!,” and all that. That’s something I am very proud of, and it’s still all over YouTube. The clips and even a dvd were made of it. So that is probably one of the best moments of my life— although it’s not a film soundtrack. Mondello: What kind of horns and what kind of mouthpiece do you play? What kind of setup do you use? Lovatt: That’s quite easy, really. I have my own line of mouthpieces made by Smith-Watkins, a company set up by Richard Smith, who originally was a designer for Boosey and Hawkes. He designed the Boosey Sovereign range and the Boosey Sovereign cornets that most of the British brass bands play. He left them and in the mid-s formed a company with Derek, calling it “Smith-Watkins.” I was working with Derek Watkins in a tv studio doing this series, and I was one of these players out on a bench there. Derek had his Smith-Watkins, sat next to me, and said, “I’ve got a spare one; just try it.” He gave me his horn to try, which I did, and I liked it. So, the next day I went to Richard’s and tried out some trumpets and liked them. That was about . I have played on Smith-Watkins ever since then. One day, when he was still alive, I said to Richard, “You know what you should do? You should have a Derek Watkins mouthpiece.” Derek and I went up to Richard’s. Derek wasn’t really interested in having a mouthpiece designed. Richard took some dimensions of that. I think Derek was playing a Giardinelli s at the time. Richard took all the measurements and took mine as well. I played with a Denis Wick mouthpiece that had a sort of sleeve that went over the top of the mouthpiece. I said, “Well, let’s do some- thing with them. How about having a screw-on sleeve that screws onto the mouthpiece?” So, we designed this, which is a Smith-Watkins mouthpiece. You can see it has the thread— different size boosters, as we call them. It’s really tight. This mouthpiece weight is like grams. I like that kind of weight on all my mouthpieces; I have the same size. Basically, they have three mouthpieces within that range. One is called the “Studio,” which is like a Bach in diameter, but not a C cup. It is an S cup: shallow, but not too shallow. Because I came from a big-mouthpiece background—I played on a Bach 1¼C—I have never got on with really small mouthpieces. Nowadays lots of people go for the gr mouthpieces, and you know it’s actually the incorrect size for me. They’re all too small, or the rims are too wide. These are a cross between a Bach and a War- burton—medium-sized backbore on the regular Studio. And then I have the lead mouthpiece, which is an identical-size cup with a slightly narrow diameter and a really, really big backbore. If you had a pencil up the end of the mouthpiece, the pencil goes right up the lead mouthpiece. Finally, we did a classical mouthpiece, which, if I do turn up somewhere and am playing something more classical or am on third trumpet or something like that, I’ll put that in. That’s like a Bach 1¼. Mondello: Do you play a Smith-Watkins flugelhorn? Lovatt: Not yet. I am in the process of designing one. When Derek passed away, I said to Richard, “What are you going to do now with the trumpets?” He said, “We’ll just carry on as we are.” I said, “How about making a new model so we can make some sales?” So, we designed a model that was slightly different that still has the interchange- able-leadpipe system. You can change the trumpet quite simply. This is my model. It has my little logo there on the bell and on the valve tops, which are titanium. It is a medium-large bore, ., and the bell is like a Bach . It is about a standard Bach in size. Prior to that, I played on a large bore. I think it’s maybe old age that is making me get something that is a bit easier to play. As Bobby Shew said to me, “Resistance is our friend.” Mondello: Do you talk to Bobby regularly? Lovatt: No, I don’t actually. I have talked to him probably about three times, and whenever he has been over to the uk, he is normally surrounded by the kids that he has taught in the past. I am always sort of fair with them; I’m still gate-crashing their party. But what a wonderful guy. He’s somebody I didn’t mention before, but his playing—I think he is one of the greatest trumpet players around—in every way. He has that thing. I mean, you don’t hear him playing lead very often now, but what a player! I know it was probably the early ’s, I went into a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, and he was playing with the BBC Big Band on a broadcast to bbc. They had four trumpets, and Bobby was bolstering them up. They were doing Kenton stuff with five trumpets. Bobby came down in front and did that Maynard piece, and I can honestly say—and I have said it since then—that is probably the best trumpet playing I have ever heard live. Mondello: Bobby was the one who introduced me to Georgina Jackson. She is one of his UK students. She has turned out to be— and Bobby still is, of course—a wonderful friend. I’m just so happy for her. “Resistance is our friend.” “That is probably the best trumpet playing I have ever heard live.”66 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild Lovatt: She is. Mondello: The other thing I remembered is that I reviewed two albums you did with Superbrass. Roger Argente and Phil Cobb were on those dates, you know? Great albums. Lovatt: Yes. I recorded those albums, and I think the Span- ish one (Under the Spell of Spain, Superbrass, ) was done in two days. The other one (Brass Taps, Superbrass, ) was done in a day. By the end of the day, we were “ready.” It is a great group in which to play, because Roger is great, and he is getting some new music done, involving all these different people from all different parts of the pro- fession. We all came together and played as a brass ensemble. It’s great fun, and there is a great team effort that goes into it as well. By the way, have you heard my latest album? If you haven’t, I’ll send it to you. It came out just before Christmas last year (56°N, ) and is with Foden’s Band, who were the British Brass Band Champions. It has a twist to it in that I also have a jazz rhythm section on there. I have bassist Jeremy Brown, pianist Graham Harvey, and drummer Matt Skelton. Philip Cobb, Danny Marsden, and Gareth Small are special guests, too. I got one of my oldest friends, Colin Skinner, to do the arrangements. So, the music on here is really, really very special. There is a booklet inside, which kind of explains it all. I won’t spoil it. Mondello: What is your daily practice rou- tine when you’re not working—your mainte- nance routine? Lovatt: Normally, I’ll start off on the lead- pipe, where I do a thing where I just form my embouchure. I suppose this is a bit of Stamp, really. I do a sort of breath attack—no tongue—and just blow air through the mouthpiece, and then I add my leadpipe. So, I do that to make sure the chops are respond- ing to the resistance of just the leadpipe to start off. I then move to the trumpet and do the same thing. I do it open on the trumpet until it starts to become a full note, and then eventually I’ll bend around that until it comes to my “home,” which is second-line G. When I get to G—I probably spend ten or fifteen minutes doing that—I put it down. I go make a cup of tea. I always practice in lit- tle tiny, tiny bits. In recent times, I might do some Maggio system, but in the last few months, I came across this flexibilities book by Scott Belck (Progressive Lip Flexibilities for Brass, Scott Belck, ). From the names of the exercises, he sounds like a crazy guy, but they really are good exercises. Mondello: They really are terrific exercises in both his books, and the names are indeed hyster- ical—fun things to play. Scott is a great player and a great guy. Just to go back to your routine for a second, do you go up into the upper register to keep that end of it in shape? Lovatt: I don’t, really, unless I’m doing Maggio. When I do Maggio, I do exercises where I would go down to pedal notes and come back up. So, I wouldn’t start practicing up into like double-high Cs or any- thing like that. My whole concept is that we blow the trumpet; we don’t buzz it. As long as that’s right and the corners are in good shape, then I know it’s going to work, because I am using the air. I use air speed to get that upper register; that’s the con- cept that Maggio taught me. And then I hope my lips are free enough in the mouthpiece to respond to the resistance. If I am getting the air speed right, then I am in busi- ness. Maybe I would do some arpeggios like that. Then these books are called lip flexibilities, but I call them tongue-and-air flexibilities. That is because the lips don’t really make that change of note. That’s my whole concept of it. All the books call them “lip” flexibilities, and you see people and they are sort of moving their lips when they’re playing. When I play a two-octave scale, my lips really don’t change at all; I’m fine. It is all about the tongue and the air. So that is what I try to get going and make sure that I am keeping an open throat. I might do some exercises just to get that nice note—shoulders relaxed, trying to get myself more relaxed and less tense. “My whole concept is that we blow the trum- pet; we don’t buzz it.”© 2021 International Trumpet Guild January 2021 / ITG Journal 67 Mondello: Do you use a “Wedge Breath?” Lovatt: Not really, no. I just try, and if I lose how I should breathe, I get a plastic tube and just put it in my mouth and breathe. It just opens everything up straight away, and, of course, it fills very quickly; but I also try to make sure that I breathe according to what I’m about to play. If you’re going to play a nice great, big, long note, then of course, you take a nice, big, open, long breath. But if you’re going to just suddenly go like that—pop—you don’t need to do that. Even if you’re play- ing a double-high G or something, you don’t need to do that. So, you can use the air according to what you play. I always say to people that the note starts when you take your breath, because that’s part of it. You see peo- ple who take a breath in with ten- sion—it’s rubbish. I say, “Play a straight tone,” and they can’t, be - cause they’re too tense, so it’s going to wobble the whole time. That’s the kind of thing I try to get going in my playing when I’m doing a routine or practicing something, and occasionally I record at home, as well. I have a really nice Neumann mic I use. Recently, I had a guy get in touch with me who is a British composer and used to work in the film and tv music industry. He said, “I would really like to write you a trumpet concerto.” I said, “Well, I don’t want it to be that kind of thing.” He said it would be based around a central movement that is going to be a singing, legato kind of melody. Then he said, “There will be some fireworks in the other movements.” Anyway, he fin- ished it, and we’re going to tweak it a bit. I’m excited about it. He is having a meeting with a record label to try to do a recording, which we would do with a major London orchestra. That’s quite exciting. Mondello: That’s great! That was my next question: what kind of things do you have coming up (fall 2019 )? Lovatt: Tomorrow morning I am getting the train up to Edinburgh, Scotland, I have a whole week there, playing West Side Story with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. There are two performances Monday and Tuesday next week. We have lots of rehearsals all the way up to that. Then, the following day, first thing in the morning, I fly back to London, because we start rehearsing for the John Wilson Orchestra BBC Proms Concert, which is on the following Friday. Then it’s straight into those rehearsals. This year is going to be all music associated with the Warner Brothers Studio. Mondello: Cartoon music? Lovatt: I’ll do some cartoon music with them. I’m not quite sure what’s on the program yet, but interesting stuff. One other thing is that back in the beginning of June , I went over to Sweden to work with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, because a very good friend of mine is the principal horn there. Last year he got in touch with me and said, “As the brass section of the orchestra, we get asked to do brass projects. Would you fancy coming over to do Billy May’s Big Fat Brass?” He knew that I had eight transcriptions from the original record. Not only did I have those eight transcriptions, but I had also gotten about six or seven other pieces arranged for the same ensemble—six trumpets, five trombones, six horns, harp, rhythm section, tuba, and percussion. Last year I went up “I always say to people that the note starts when you take your breath, because that’s part of it.”Next >