The Roots of Horn in Jazz Pt. 3

In 1959, Julius Watkins joined the Quincy Jones Orchestra. This touring band featured some major names of jazz history such as Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Melba Liston and others. During that time, Watkins had some of the most iconic performances in that group and some of these performances were recorded in video. The albums this band released under Mercury label such as "Free and Easy" and "Birth of a Band" are available in vinyl and on streaming platforms. There is also a compilation of the whole discography of this band under the title "The ABC, Mercury Jazz Big Band Session", it contains 4 discs with studio and live performances, totaling around 5h40m of big band music.

 

 In 1961, after the Quincy Jones Orchestra ended, Watkins got together with Jimmy Heath whom he had met in the band. their collaboration rendered a great hard bop record named The Quota. Featuring the Heath brothers, Cedar Walton, Freddy Hubbard and Julius Watkins, this record is one of the greatest and most underrated albums of all time.

 

Also in 1961 he got together with John Coltrane in the Africa/Brass sessions as a sideman. This record was a little more conservative when it comes to style, but innovates in the arrangements. Featuring long solos over one chord vamp sessions and unusual textures, this album features traditional songs and Coltrane's compositions.

 

Never stop swingin'!

Listening Presentation 2

 I invite you to come and join me for a trip around the brass music I like to listen too. I will include classical and jazz repertoire, in an attempt to make this session more eclectic. 

 

 This is a recording of the horn octet "Farewell to the Red Castle" by Kerry Turner, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Horns. I like this recording because of the sound quality of the Vienna horns, having a very pure and vocal characteristic.

 

 

 This next one is a recording of "Maria de Buenos Aires" by Astor Piazzolla, performed by the brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Here they have a great rendition of this piece arranged for two trumpets, two horns, two trombone, a tuba and two percussions.

 

 

This is a recording of "Choros 4" by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and was performed by the brass of the São Paulo Symhpony (including a former teacher of mine, Mr. Luiz Garcia). This piece was written for three horns and one trombone and is in one movement. Choro is a traditional Brazilian musical style that has developed mostly in the late 1800 across mid 20th century. It has also partially contributed to the development of samba.

 

 

 This video is of "Turmalina" by Gilson Santos, berformed by the São Paulo Brass Trio. This group was born at OSUSP, one of the big orchestras in Brazil, and is composed by Vitor Ferreira on horn (also a former teacher of mine), Amarildo Nascimento on Trumpet and Carlos Freitas on trombone. The piece they are performing was written for them.

 

 

 

This is a recording of "Mood in Motion" by Julius Watkins. This is part of a record Julius Watkins produced with percussionist Mat Matthews. Featuring David Amram, Fred Klein and Tony Miranda, Watkins made the first (and possibly only) jazz horn quartet album, featuring his compositions arranged for four horns, bass, drums, guitar and accordion.

 

 

 

 

This is the Horn Big Band performing an arrangement prepared by Dr. Steve Schaughency of the tune "A Little Minor Booze", by Willie Maidens. The piece features 12 horns and a rhythm section and an improvised solo section. The horn group is composed by Geof Winter, Kerry Turner, Kristina Mascher-Turner, Jeff Snedeker, Steve Schaughency, Kate Pritchett, Andrew Young, Josh Williams, Josiah Bullach, Linus Bernoulli, Alex Shuhan, Denise Tryon and Arkady Shilkloper.

 

Never stop swingin'! 

The Roots of Horn in Jazz Pt. 2

In the mid to late 1940s, a young horn player by the name of Julius Watkins (1921 - 1977) came to the scene in New York and started to make success. Born in Detroit, he attended to Cass Tech High School together with some high caliber names in the world of jazz such as Donald Byrd, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers and Dorothy Ashby. His talent with the horn was noticed since very early, and it was at Cass Tech that he received training from Francis Hellstein of the Detroit Symphony.

He performed with the Ernie Fields Band and joined the Naval Reserve in 1944. In 1946, he moved to New York and started his studies at the Manhattan School of Music, which gave him training as a composer and arranger. His improvisational identity draw inspiration from classical chamber music, and soon his sound became highly appraised by major names in the field.  

 In the early 1950s, Watkins had the opportunity to record with Thelonious Monk on Friday the 13th, putting him into the jazz mainstream. It was in that group that he met Charlie Rouse who played tenor saxophone for Monk. together they founded Les Jazz Modes, a combo that was very distinct in its sound. The blending between the tenor and the horn is remarkable, and as Dr Patrick Smith brings in his book "Chronicle of a Phantom", they would practice very quietly until "wee hours" of the morning. That intimate practice reflected on their sound.

 In 1954, Julius gathered a few musicians such as Art Blakey, Hank Mobley, Frank Foster and Oscar Pettiford (who was also in Les Jazz Modes alongside Paul Chambers) and made the Julius Watkins Sextet. Here Watkins shows a more developed musicianship, with a more sophisticated language and carrying a few concepts from the previous record into this one, such as the chamber characteristics.

 This post will be continued in a next one, since is already a lengthy listening session.

Never stop swingin'!

 

The Roots of Horn in Jazz Pt. 1

Since I have moved to the United States in 2022 I have been studying jazz on the French Horn, and it has been surprising how many people have never seen this instrument in that setup. Many people find themselves surprised, stating that they never heard French horn in  jazz before and that they are excited to know how it sounds.

However, some instruments of its family such as the alto horn and the coralto have been there since the beginning of jazz, in the bands of Lieut. James Reese Europe. The French horn had its participation in bebop as well. The movement that started in the 1940s with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, had the presence of the horn in the Claude Thornhill band, but the parts were previously arranged, meaning that the horns did not improvise. 

One of the earliest names of jazz horn is John Graas, from Dubuque, Iowa. With early interest in jazz, he joined the Claude Thornhill band in 1942, and had also performed in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as well as the Cleveland Orchestra. He was also a composer and arranger and produced records with the horn in jazz such as "Coup de Graas". His career as a classical musician was very productive until his early death in 1962.

Never stop swingin'!

Welcome!

What's up y'all!

My name is Matheus Souza and this is Not Your Standard Horn.

 This blog will be dedicated to exploring the horn in jazz ensembles. It will contain information about jazz horn players and ensembles that features this instrument. I also want to make this blog a listening source for emerging jazz horn students, so I will include iconic jazz records despite the instrumentation.

I hope to help horn students who have interest in jazz to find their groove in this art form. It is very much possible, it has been done before and there is no reason why we shouldn't be doing it more! Let's join this journey of fun and learn some cool stuff!

 Never stop swingin'!