Best tone

[johndoe]

while listening to small group jazz most of you have been exposed to countless trumpet players, i wanted to know which trumpet player has the best tone (in your opinion). How would you describe the best sound? Dark, bright, focused,etc. Or does it all sound the same? I play trumpet and wanted to see other sax players point of view. thanks

[BlueNote]

There is no such thing as best tone. People like different tones at different times, and sometimes on different types of tunes.

Personally, I love that warm, lush sound -- Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove (on flugelhorn), etc... but I also like Maynard and the Kenton band at times. And of course, Miles- ballads especially.

[58tenor]

I especially dig Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown. there's so many more good ones. A tenor sax and trumpet together is one of the best sounds in the universe! I wish I could play trumpet sometimes.

[Razzy]

My ideal trumpet player has a sound along the lines of this guy, John Swana:

http://www.larrysimprovpage.com/mp3s/whatsthat.mp3

That clear, bell-like vocal quality.

[Dave Wright]

I love the sound of Chet Baker...him and Gerry Mulligan were like strawberrys and cream.

[CircaRevival]

I love the sound of Chet Baker...him and Gerry Mulligan were like strawberrys and cream.

Chet Baker and Stan Getz sound amazing together also. I think my favorite trumpeter's tone is Lee Morgan's, especially with Trane and J.J. Johnson. :)

[SaxJazz12]

Miles, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Douglas....

[Saxland]

My all time favorite is Clark Terry. He just gets in there and phrases like no other. Another very close favorite is Roy Eldridge. He was Dizzys favorite and admired by Louis Armstrong. Freddie Hubbard as well is just amazing.

For an amazing flugal horn player, as in a modern world class player, listen to Guido Basso with Rob McConnells Tentet or Boss Brass. Or his own CDs. I have had the opportunity of seing him many times, and his tone and phrasing on ballads has been in many concerts THE high point of the preformance. He just somewhere in the song transends the moment WITH the whole audience in tow. You have not ever heard anything like it anywhere, live or on CD. A RARE gem.

[BlueNote]

Last year I went with my high school jazz band to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho.

There was a concert each night which featured some big names like Houston Person, James Morrison, and Benny Green. On one of the nights, Roy Hargrove was featured. As usual, he brought out his trumpet and flugelhorn. After a couple tunes on trumpet to spice up the crowd (no RH Factor tunes, though, since he was just playing with the house band), he pulled out his flugelhorn and played so beautifully on this ballad. His playing immediately created a certain mood. So relaxing to listen to, and so musical.

Listen to his flugel playing on "My Ship" from the Directions in Music album with Hancock and Brecker. One of my favorite trumpet ballad recordings.

Other trumpet players to check out- Hot Lips Page, Bobby Shew, and Wallace Roney.

[Minatar12]

Booker Little, hands down, for my favorite trumpet tone.

Close runner-ups are Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard.

This is strange for many people, but the tone of Don Cherry has always appealed to me...maybe because he was influened by Fats.

[BlueNote]

Minatar-- You should check out Marcus Belgrave. I have a recording of him with Kenny Garrett, and I swear to you- the first time I heard one tune with them together, I immediately thought "Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman".

He plays both pocket and regular trumpet.

[njmyers]

There was a concert each night which featured some big names like Houston Person, James Morrison, and Benny Green. On one of the nights, Roy Hargrove was featured. As usual, he brought out his trumpet and flugelhorn. After a couple tunes on trumpet to spice up the crowd (no RH Factor tunes, though, since he was just playing with the house band), he pulled out his flugelhorn and played so beautifully on this ballad. His playing immediately created a certain mood. So relaxing to listen to, and so musical.



Yeah, but Roy and the band also lost the form on the blues. I think Roy got his butt kicked by Morrison that night. Even if Morrison's stuff was more showy, Roy definitely got upstaged at that concert. Still love his ballad playing though. . .

[Jaybird]

I think I would have to go with Clifford Brown as my favoite tone on trumpet. I also love Louis Armstrong's tone as well, especially on some of those 30's tunes like "Basin Street Blues." Fats Navarro is another one that is right up there for me, and so is Lee Morgan.

[CMelodyMan]

I love the sound of Chet Baker...him and Gerry Mulligan were like strawberrys and cream.
That;s pretty much how I feel as well. I also like Miles Davis, Fred Hubbard, and Doc severinsen.

[outtolunch]

Clarence Shaw and Booker Little for me. Miles Davis, though, was ALL tone - Chet Baker too.