Just got home from hearing trumpeter extraordinaire, Byron Stripling, with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic this evening...
I had never heard him before "live" -- only a few You Tube videos. I went somewhat cautious, but left very impressed. (with his trumpet playing)
Stripling has to have been HUGELY influenced by Doc Severinsen. Actually, if you close your eyes while he's playing you could very easily believe you're listening to Doc. Same big sound, beautiful tone, clean attacks and hand vibrato. BUT -- he does it all with an ease that Doc didn't possess. I'm telling you -- this guy is a MONSTER player.
Came out in the 2nd half of the concert with "guns ablazin'." Played two or three numbers in a row, NO MICROPHONE, and just sang through the horn. Perfect tone, great style, magnificent pitch and clarity -- just what you would expect to hear from Doc, but he played out in front of the stage, no music at all, with style and finesse and total professionalism. I thought to myself, "Man - this is going to be a night to remember."
And then he quit playing. He sang -- well, but he sang. He told jokes -- too many jokes. He sang some more. Then he talked -- too much. Pretty soon it was time to go home and he cut a trumpet song cause he had talked too much. Then he sang some more. FINALLY, he played a great tune, ended on a HUGE high G, and then he was done. The encore was not good. He sang some more -- and joked some more -- and then it was over. No big, beautiful, stunning trumpet piece. Just a little fun with the audience, and then it was done.
I was flabbergasted... I wanted to hear this man play the trumpet. He is as good a trumpet player as you are gonna ever hear with an pop orchestra. I enjoyed every freaking note he played. Just as good as Doc, or Arturo, (better than Arturo) or Vizutti, or anyone. And he only played about four or five complete songs.
But still -- those four five songs were worth the price of admission.
Probably most of the audience loved the mixture of his program -- after all, how many HARDCORE trumpet fans are in Fort Wayne, IN? But, I wanted to hear more trumpet from this magnificent and proficient player. I wanted to hear him PLAY!
JP
I had never heard him before "live" -- only a few You Tube videos. I went somewhat cautious, but left very impressed. (with his trumpet playing)
Stripling has to have been HUGELY influenced by Doc Severinsen. Actually, if you close your eyes while he's playing you could very easily believe you're listening to Doc. Same big sound, beautiful tone, clean attacks and hand vibrato. BUT -- he does it all with an ease that Doc didn't possess. I'm telling you -- this guy is a MONSTER player.
Came out in the 2nd half of the concert with "guns ablazin'." Played two or three numbers in a row, NO MICROPHONE, and just sang through the horn. Perfect tone, great style, magnificent pitch and clarity -- just what you would expect to hear from Doc, but he played out in front of the stage, no music at all, with style and finesse and total professionalism. I thought to myself, "Man - this is going to be a night to remember."
And then he quit playing. He sang -- well, but he sang. He told jokes -- too many jokes. He sang some more. Then he talked -- too much. Pretty soon it was time to go home and he cut a trumpet song cause he had talked too much. Then he sang some more. FINALLY, he played a great tune, ended on a HUGE high G, and then he was done. The encore was not good. He sang some more -- and joked some more -- and then it was over. No big, beautiful, stunning trumpet piece. Just a little fun with the audience, and then it was done.
I was flabbergasted... I wanted to hear this man play the trumpet. He is as good a trumpet player as you are gonna ever hear with an pop orchestra. I enjoyed every freaking note he played. Just as good as Doc, or Arturo, (better than Arturo) or Vizutti, or anyone. And he only played about four or five complete songs.
But still -- those four five songs were worth the price of admission.
Probably most of the audience loved the mixture of his program -- after all, how many HARDCORE trumpet fans are in Fort Wayne, IN? But, I wanted to hear more trumpet from this magnificent and proficient player. I wanted to hear him PLAY!
JP
