2013 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition
Find the detailed write-up of the 2013 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition here!
THE COMPETITION
The 2013 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition was held on the campus of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) on Saturday, September 14, 2013. First held in 1993 and co-sponsored by the International Trumpet Guild and the Herb Alpert Foundation, this bi-annual competition is considered the world’s most prestigious for jazz trumpeters. The winner of the competition receives $10,000, and the runner-up receives $5,000. The co-hosts for this year’s competition were Scott Belck, Kim Pensyl and Alan Siebert.
Carmine Caruso was one of the world’s greatest brass teachers. It is to the man and his work that this competition is dedicated. Caruso was born on November 2, 1904, lived his entire life in New York, and died on May 26, 1987. Although he played all the woodwind and string instruments, Caruso made his living as a saxophone player, performing in ballrooms and on radio shows. He played his last club date on his 70th birthday in 1974. Caruso took his first trumpet student in 1942 and, within a year, had forty brass students. Brass players from all over the world traveled to New York to study with him, and he developed a reputation for being able to help players improve.
Five finalists were selected from among 32 applicants from Australia, Canada, Finland, France and the United States. The finalists included Jonathan Challoner (New York, New York), Renaud Gensane (Paris, France), Max Goldschmid (Tucson, Arizona), Marquis Hill (Chicago, Illinois) and Stuart Mack (Dallas, Texas). Each contestant selected three pieces for his performance. Kim Pensyl composed a fourth piece, entitled Crossing Paths, especially for the competition. This work was provided to each contestant at his rehearsal with the Competition Trio on the day before the competition.
The schedule included the following events:
10:00 a.m. Carmine Caruso clinic with Vincent DiMartino
1:00 p.m. Competition
7:30 p.m. Gala Concert, featuring the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra with guest artists Jon Faddis, Byron Stripling, Bobby Shew, Vince DiMartino and the competition finalists
The Judges
Three renowned jazz trumpeters served as judges for the 2013 Caruso Competition.
Jon Faddis began playing trumpet at age eight, inspired by an appearance of Louis Armstrong on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Three years later he was introduced to the music of Dizzy Gillespie. By his mid-teens, Faddis had not only met Dizzy, he had even sat in with his hero’s combo at the famed Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. Faddis’s distinctive trumpet voice can be heard on albums by performers as disparate as Duke Ellington, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Kool and the Gang, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, and Stanley Clarke, to name a few. His horn was heard on the theme of The Cosby Show, on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood’s films The Gauntlet and Bird, and on many commercials. In 1987, Jon played the major role in organizing and rehearsing Dizzy’s big band, which would celebrate the legendary bebopper’s 70th birthday on tour in the U.S. and abroad. Jon was a featured soloist and later assumed the same position as musical director of Dizzy’s United Nations Orchestra, another international touring all-star group formed in 1989. Faddis is the musical director of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, an eighteen-piece all-star orchestra that serves as a vehicle for some of the greatest names in jazz to present concerts that are not part of their regular repertoire. His latest CD, Teranga, was released in 2006 on Koch Records.
Bobby Shew has the rare dual ability not only to play lead in big bands, but also to star as a soloist in combos. He worked with Woody Herman (1965), Buddy Rich (1966-1967), and then for a long stretch in Las Vegas show bands. In 1973, Shew settled in Los Angeles and worked in the studios, but found time to play jazz, most notably with the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin big band. Louie Bellson used him on many occasions over the past several decades, and Shew was often in demand for big band work with Buddy Rich, Don Menza, and the Capp/Pierce Juggernaut. Today, in addition to a busy performing and private teaching schedule, Bobby spends a considerable amount of time actively involved in the educational system, conducting clinics and master classes at high schools and college campuses all over the world. He authors numerous articles of educational interest in various trade magazines, all translated into several languages for worldwide distribution. He has even had a few minor acting roles in movies and TV shows. He continues to tour internationally and to produce and record excellent music. He has released several recent albums for the MAMA Foundation including Playing With Fire (with Tom Harrell), Heavyweights (with Carl Fontana), and Salsa Caliente.
With a contagious smile and captivating charm, trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling has ignited audiences internationally. As soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Stripling has performed frequently under the baton of Keith Lockhart, as well as being featured soloist on the PBS television special Evening at Pops, with conductors John Williams and Keith Lockhart. Currently, Stripling serves as artistic director and conductor of the highly acclaimed Columbus Jazz Orchestra. He has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and performs at jazz festivals throughout the world. An accomplished actor and singer, Stripling was chosen to star in the lead role of the Broadway-bound musical Satchmo. Stripling earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He has also played and recorded extensively with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, and Buck Clayton, in addition to The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and The GRP All Star Big Band. Stripling enjoys conducting seminars and masterclasses at colleges, universities, conservatories, and high schools. Stripling was educated at the Eastman School of Music and the Interlochen Arts Academy.
The Finalists
Jonathan Challoner is a versatile and exciting New York-based trumpet player, composer and educator. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, he began his musical career under the tutelage of such great Canadian musicians as Ingrid Jensen, Arnie Chycoski, and Phil Dwyer. He relocated to Toronto to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Music at Humber College and has since been involved in every facet of the city’s culturally and stylistically diverse music scene. He is currently a master’s student at the Juilliard School. In addition to leading his own quintet, Jonathan is the co-leader of the genre-defying Heavyweights Brass Band. He has also shared the stage with such artists as Dave Douglas, Seamus Blake, Paquito D’Rivera, Giovanni Hidalgo, Kermit Ruffins, Galactic, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the Juno Award-winning John MacLeod Orchestra, among many others.
Stuart Mack started playing trumpet in the sixth grade in his hometown of Washington, Illinois. While there, he studied privately with Chuck Cunningham and Todd Kelly. Currently, Stuart is a student of Mike Steinel. Stuart began his jazz studies career at the University of North Texas in the fall of 2011. While at UNT he has been able to perform regularly with the One O’Clock Lab Band. After his first year at UNT, Stuart was selected to play jazz trumpet in The Disneyland All-American College Band under the direction of Ron McCurdy. Through the One O’Clock and Disney Bands, Stuart has been honored to share the stage with John Clayton, Wayne Bergeron, Sal Lazano, Gordon Goodwin, Brian Culbertson, Wycliffe Gordon, Jiggs Whigham, Mike Stern, Peter Erskine, Franke Greene, and Denis Diblasio. Currently, Stuart is freelancing in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Max Goldschmid, 19, started taking piano lessons at age six. At fourteen, he decided to pick up trumpet formally, an instrument on which he had merely dabbled before. He currently studies jazz, with an emphasis in trumpet, at the University of Arizona under the direction of Ed Reid, Moisés Paiewonsky, and Jeffrey Haskell. Max participated in the Tucson Jazz Institute for six years leading up to his high school graduation, during which time he performed at multiple festivals including the Next Generation Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Jazz á Juan, Jazzaldia, and Essentially Ellington, receiving numerous solo awards along the way. In his first year of college, Max has performed alongside Wycliffe Gordon at the Paradise Valley Jazz Party, placed second in the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation Competition, and toured China with the University of Arizona Studio Jazz Ensemble. Max plans to continue to pursue a degree in Jazz Studies at Arizona and to be active at competitive, recreational, and professional events during his remaining years at the university.
At age 26, Marquis Hill is already a well-known name in the Chicago Jazz Scene. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in music education and jazz studies at Northern Illinois University, he started performing heavily in Chicago. He has performed with such artists as Dee Alexander, Tito Carrillo, Bobby Broom, Willie Pickens, Ron Perrillo, Victor Garcia, Benny Golson, Antonio Hart, Rodney Whitaker, Steve Turre, Ernest Dawkins, Maurice Brown, Corey Wilkan Lynch, and many others. Hill has toured the U.S and abroad with many different artists and groups, including Sirens of Sound, The Delisfort Project, Chicago 12, Be-bop Brass, Ronald Carter Big Band, and New Horizons. In the spring of 2012, Hill received his master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy at DePaul University.
Born in 1988 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Renaud Gensane began his musical studies with recorder and drums at the Ecole de Musique de Thuir in the south of France. He then entered the Conservatoire National Régional in Perpignan where he learned trumpet, drums, classical percussion, and jazz. During his studies, Renaud worked with Bernard Soustrot, Maurice Benterfa, Serge Lazarévitch and André Mallau and participated in workshops and summer schools such as Marciac, Bourges, Barcelonnette and Epsival. Renaud graduated from the CNR Perpignan in 2006 with a DEM (musical study diploma) in Jazz, a “médaille d’or” (gold medal) in drums and a diploma in classical trumpet. In 2008 he played first trumpet in André Heller’s hit show AFRIKA! AFRIKA!, touring Europe and performing before 3.5 million people. He performed in Switzerland in the theatrical production Woyceck by Georg Büchner (directed by Andrea Novicov), as well as with world music/pop artists including Khaled, Olivia Ruiz and Christophe Mae. In 2013 Renaud and his group Hapalemur Project were the support act for the Marcus Miller Band.
The Combo
Phil DeGreg began playing the piano in his childhood and now performs as a jazz pianist internationally. He has released ten recordings as a leader, including his newest, Amazonas, recorded with some of Brazil’s finest players. In the 1980s Phil toured with Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. Phil is currently Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has taught for the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops (since 1982), the UK Jazzwise Jazz Camps (1996-2007), and has served on the faculty of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and the Miami Valley Summer Jazz Workshops. In 1995 he published Jazz Keyboard Harmony, a chord voicing method written for non-pianists and beginning jazz pianists used at universities in the US and Europe. In 2008, Phil was awarded a four-month Fulbright Fellowship to lecture about jazz in Brazil.
Aaron Jacobs studied jazz bass under Chris Berg and Brad Goode and classical bass under Rick Vizachero and Al Laszlo. Aaron holds a BM in Jazz Performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and is currently the adjunct professor of jazz bass at CCM. At present, Aaron plays in various ensembles, including Phil DeGreg’s Trio and Samba Jazz Syndicate, the John Zappa Trio, the Rick VanMatre Quintet, Northside Jazz Ensemble, and the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. He has backed up numerous national artists, including Roland Vazquez, Fred Wesley, Conrad Herwig, Vinnie Valentino, John LaBarbera, and Lew Soloff. Aaron has also recorded extensively in Cincinnati with such artists as Rick VanMatre, Phil DeGreg, and Mandy Gaines, and for nationally renowned recording studios Sound Images, Mind Ignition, Ultra Suede, and Group Effort.
After graduating from Robert A. Taft High School, Art Gore attended the Berklee College of music for one year then was drafted into the armed forces for two years. His musical development continued by playing with the First Armored Division Band in Fort Hood, Texas, where he was appointed the percussion section leader. After serving in the military, he returned to the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with renowned drum instructor, Alan Dawson, and later at the New England Conservatory of Music under Vic Firth. He has performed and recorded with such artists as George Benson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lonnie Liston Smith, Pharoah Sanders, Woody Shaw, Larry Young, Bobby Watson, Freddie Hubbard, John Scofield, Hank Marr, J.J. Johnson, Joey DeFrancesco, Kenny Dorham, Hank Crawford, James Moody, and Ahmad Jamal, to name a few. Dr. Lonnie Smith has said of Art, “Art has the kind of rhythm and drive that’s always right there.”
The Clinic
Vincent DiMartino is no stranger to ITG or to the Caruso Competition. DiMartino twice served as the President of the International Trumpet Guild, hosted an ITG conference (at the University of Kentucky in 1982), and served as the clinician at previous Caruso competitions. He began his clinic by describing how Caruso’s teachings have been incorporated into his own approach to teaching and playing. Caruso’s method is, according to DiMartino, “pre-trumpet.” Caruso deals with what happens before you add the trumpet. He added that if this approach isn’t correct, then it doesn’t matter what trumpet or mouthpiece you use!
DiMartino indicated that early in his career he had reached a point where “nothing was working.” After speaking with other trumpet players, he set up a lesson with Caruso in New York. DiMartino said that Caruso helped him to become more confident. What Caruso taught was “the basics.” This information is still available today, through Caruso’s book, Musical Calisthenics. However, DiMartino cautioned that reading this information alone might be difficult to understand. He encouraged those in attendance to consult Marcus Stockhausen’s The Basic Caruso (http://abel.hive.no/trompet/exercise/the_basic_caruso.pdf) and also Flexus by Laurie Frink.
Some basic approaches taught by Caruso include:
1. Tap your foot. For the exercises described in his book, he suggested a tempo of quarter note = 60, and that the player should mentally subdivide every beat into 16th notes.
2. Keep the blow steady. Do not think about how you breathe; simply breathe naturally and deeply.
3. Keep the mouthpiece in contact with the lips throughout each study. This includes rests. This is to reduce the possibility of resetting the embouchure for higher or lower notes.
4. Breathe only through the nose. This works in combination with Rule #3 to reduce the amount of muscular activity it takes to produce the note.
Pointing to the trumpet, DiMartino stated, “This is not a musical instrument, this is a mechanical device.” He then pointed to his head (brain) and said: “This is a musical instrument.” He also stated, “The most important part of practicing is your ear, not your lips.”
He defined a trumpet embouchure as “the ability to play any note, in any order, at any time, at any dynamic,” and compared it to a clarinet mouthpiece. He explained that the lips of a trumpet embouchure are like the reed, the teeth like the facing of the clarinet mouthpiece, and the pressure of the mouthpiece on the lips equal to the clarinet’s ligature. Just as a clarinetist sets the ligature, which does not change, regardless of the register in which the clarinetist plays, so should a trumpeter set the degree of mouthpiece pressure “for good.” This pressure should not change throughout the course of a piece of music.
There is value in every word DiMartino speaks. Vince’s enthusiasm for music and the trumpet are unending, and he is always an inspiration.
The Competition
The Carmine Caruso competition, held in Corbett Auditorium, began with greetings from co-host Scott Belck. Each contestant performed four works with the Competition Trio, including the required work, Kim Pensyl’s Crossing Paths.
Renaud Gensane opened the competition with two original compositions, Descarga Gege and J’ai envie d’te dire (I Want to Tell You). Descarga Gege featured a Latin feel with Gensane trading fours with the piano, leading to the head. J’ai envie d’te dire had a hip-hop groove, featuring a very angular, and at times, somewhat comical melody. For his third selection, Gensane played Kim Pensyl’s Crossing Paths. In a “jazz waltz” feel with some shifting meters or superimposed hemiola, there seemed to be some minor ensemble issues early in the piece. The ensemble for the recap was much better by comparison. The final work performed was Michel Petrucciani’s My Bebop Tune. This was easily the most energetic piece of the set. Unfortunately, Gensane pointed his bell AWAY from the audience and toward the trio during this piece, making it difficult to hear the melody. The straight-ahead swing feel was a nice way to end the set.
The second finalist to perform was Jonathan Challoner, who began his set with Pensyl’s Crossing Paths. This was a slower rendition than that of Gensane. The piece seemed to flow more smoothly in the transitions from triple to duple feels. Challoner’s ideas were more fully developed and rhythmically interesting; he even added some background figures during the piano solo. Challoner moved immediately into his second work, Duke Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood, beginning with an extended trumpet cadenza. The first chorus was performed by trumpet and piano alone, changing from a ballad feel to an easy swing while adding the bass and drums at the bridge. Challoner soloed “with attitude,” playing tenderly at times and forcefully at others. Joe Henderson’s Black Narcissist was third and featured a fade to a quiet ending that led directly into his fourth and final tune, Monk’s Dream by Thelonious Monk. This tune featured a distinctly New Orleans flavor.
Stuart Mack opened his set with an original composition entitled Dreaming. Following a slow introduction and an extended cadenza, the piece featured a jazz waltz feel. Mack switched to flugelhorn for Jimmy Van Heusen’s Darn that Dream. Flugelhorn and piano introduced the melody, adding the remaining instruments at the bridge in an easy swing feel. Crossing Paths came next. Mack altered the required work by having just bass accompany the trumpet solo following the head; and piano and drums were added at the bridge. This was some of the most varied and interesting playing of the set. Mack concluded with an up-tempo Donna Lee by Charlie Parker.
A lively rendition of Harold Arlen’s My Shining Hour was Marquis Hill’s opening selection, and his big, warm sound was immediately evident. Hill chose to play the head of Crossing Paths with a cup mute. There was interesting interplay between piano and trumpet during this piece, and it was a fun rendition of Kim Pensyl’s work overall. Marvin Fisher’s When Sunny Gets Blue came next, with trumpet and piano playing alone until the other instruments were added at the bridge. The piece began as a ballad and moved into an easy swing, with hints of a double-time feel, before moving gradually back to a ballad by the final chords. Hill ended with You Stepped Out of a Dream by Gus Kahn and Nacio Herb Brown, beginning with a brief cadenza that led to a Latin feel.
Max Goldschmid was the final competitor for the day. The first of his four works was the Latin classic Invitation by Bronislau Kaper. Interestingly, Goldschmid also chose Jimmy Van Heusen’s Darn That Dream as his down tempo work. An original composition, titled Apex, was next. Goldschmid announced to the audience that he wrote this piece while in middle school. In a Latin-style, the work featured an opening chord progression somewhat reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage. Goldschmid ended with Kim Pensyl’s Crossing Paths. Goldschmid’s sound was very elastic, moving from a flugelhorn-like quality in the softest passages to a bright, brilliant, almost lead trumpet sound at times.
The competition was streamed live and was viewed by over 1,000 people around the world. It has been archived and will available for a brief time at the competition’s Livestream site (http://new.livestream.com/accounts/5290676/events/2375502). Because of a computer error, a portion of Marquis Hill’s performance is missing; and there are two files for the event instead of a single file.
Special recognition and thanks are due to the trio of pianist Phil DeGreg, drummer Art Gore, and bassist Aaron Jacobs, who also served as the rhythm section with the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra for the evening Gala Concert.
The Gala Concert
The evening’s Gala Concert was held in Corbett Auditorium, an attractive and intimate 750-seat auditorium. Greetings and opening comments were provided by Scott Belck, competition co-host, Peter Landgren, Dean of the College-Conservatory of Music, and Kim Dunnick, ITG President.
The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, led by Scott Belck, opened the concert with The Blues Walk, written by Clifford Brown and arranged especially for the Caruso Competition by Joe Duran. Not surprisingly, the work featured the CCJO trumpet section, consisting of Mark Anklan, Rob Parton, John Zappa and Kim Pensyl. The arrangement smoked, the band smoked, and the trumpet section was terrific! This was a great start to the concert.
The first soloist for the evening was Renaud Gensane. He performed his original composition, Descarga Gege, with the rhythm section. His rendition for the evening concert was more fiery and intense than that heard during the afternoon’s competition. Vince DiMartino chose to perform Autumn Leaves, as arranged by Raleigh Dailey, as his featured work with the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. In a medium up-tempo setting, this was an enjoyable performance to hear and to see. Vince has so much fun on stage! Next up were finalists Jonathan Challoner, who performed Joe Henderson’s Black Narcissus, and Stuart Mack, who played his original composition Dreaming. The Competition Trio provided the accompaniment for both of these works.
Byron Stripling began his portion of the concert with Allen Vizzutti’s Zamba. Stripling performed with ease all of the “pyrotechnics” associated with a work by Vizzutti and really filled the concert hall with sound. For his second work, Stripling performed Joe Primrose’s Saint James Infirmary, as arranged by Dennis Mackrel, and exhibited a ton of personality and fun on stage. This was a very memorable performance!
Following intermission, Bobby Shew performed two works: Magic Box by Bert Joris and Jerome Kern’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes as arranged by Bob Washut. This performance was equally as satisfying to hear as Shew’s spectacular concert at the 2013 ITG Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shew has a great sound on both the trumpet and flugelhorn.
The last two competition finalists then performed works with trio. Max Goldschmid performed his original composition Apex, and Marquis Hill played When Sunny Gets Blue. All five finalists really “brought it” for this concert! All of the performances exceeded those of the afternoon competition.
Scott Belck announced, “The final artist for the evening needs no introduction” and left the stage. This final soloist was Jon Faddis. He began his set with a Gil Fuller arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie’s Manteca and featured the trombone section, conducting them through solo sections lasting eight measures, then four, two, one, and, finally one beat each! The “shout” featured Faddis soaring above the entire band. There is “high,” and then there is Jon Faddis high! Joining Faddis onstage for the final work of the night, Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia, also arranged by Gil Fuller, were Vince DiMartino, Bobby Shew and Byron Stripling. Faddis again conducted traffic as he indicated when each of the guest artists was to perform. It was a typically rousing conclusion for a gathering of trumpet players!
ITG president Kim Dunnick, treasurer Dixie Burress, and Caruso committee chair James Ackley then entered the stage to announce the winners of the 2013 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition. Jonathan Challoner was announced as the second place recipient and received a check for $5,000 from President Dunnick. Marquis Hill was named the winner of the competition and received hearty congratulations and a $10,000 check.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations and thanks to co-hosts Scott Belck, Kim Pensyl and Alan Siebert for a well run, exciting competition. Thanks also to Treasurer Dixie Burress and Caruso committee chair James Ackley for their participation. Special thanks must go to the Herb Alpert Foundation for their continued support of the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition.
The site for the 2015 Caruso Competition has yet to be determined. Individuals interested in hosting this prestigious event should contact Alan Siebert at [email protected].
Source: Kevin Eisensmith, Professor of Trumpet at Indiana University of Pennsylvania