Rex Richardson has become one of America’s busiest crossover trumpet artists and composers. He regularly appears as a recitalist and soloist in jazz and classical contexts at major festivals, concert halls, and jazz clubs throughout the world. Original tunes include funky, virtuosic performances that’ll blow you away! Honored in Down Beat International Critic’s Poll as one of the Top Ten Trumpeters Deserving Wider Recognition.

A ubiquitous group in the Mile High region worthy of attention is the Bob Montgomery/Al Hermann Quintet, essentially an articulate and special jazz voice that rings and swings from the Rockies, carrying the jazz tradition forward.
– Dr. Herb Wong, IAJE

It is a pleasure to introduce the multi-talented Mr. Nicola Ferro to the listening public. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented musicians I know. Extremely versatile, he can compose in musical styles as diverse as jazz, classical, film and pop with equal finesse and brilliance. I first heard his work in Italy, and thought his talent was prodigious and that his compositions deserved a large audience. This CD, created during a short stay in the United States, was composed, performed, recorded and edited by Mr. Ferro in a week¯s time to demonstrate his varied talents. Not only is he an outstanding composer, but he is also a superb trombonist in both the jazz and classical idioms. Sit back and enjoy a musical feast, elegantly prepared for you by Nicola Ferro.
-Joseph Alessi
Principal Trombone New York Philharmonic

TWO GUITARS – ONE VOICE
TWO OLD FRIENDS PRESENT AN INCREDIBLY INTIMATE ENCOUNTER THAT INDEED – FLOATS ON THE SILENCE.

Joseph Alessi has been the New York Philharmonic’s Principal Trombonist since 1985. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, he has been a guest artist with the Lincoln Symphony, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Orchestra of Teatro Bellini in Catania, Sicily, the Mannheim National Theater Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra. Currently, he is on the faculty of the Juilliard School. Alessi is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber music performer. In April 1990, he made his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic, performing Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone, and in 1992 premiered Christopher Rouse’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Trombone Concerto with the Philharmonic, which commissioned the work for its 150th anniversary celebration. His most recent appearance with the orchestra as soloist was in performances of James Pugh’s Trombone Concerto in March of 2000.

New Orleans trombonist and Dr. Trombone himself, Harry Watters performs throughout the US and serves with the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble in Washington DC. Over the course of several albums, Andy Narell has pioneered the role of the steel pan in contemporary music, recording with Bela Fleck, Aretha Franklin, Toto, and more.

Part of the hard-to-find Salvation Army New York Staff Band Recordings.

Bob Florence is a Grammy Award winner who has received an incredible FIFTEEN Grammy nominations and two Emmy Awards. Annette Sanders is a talented singer with a powerful voice. She has worked with a who’s who of the music industry including Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Mel Torme, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gerry Mulligan, Barbra Streisand, and more.

Linda Dachtyl plays some great Jazz Organ! She takes on the entire gamus of sounds and styles in the genre and some where along the way, manages to carve in her own moniker: LDB3.

A member of the Sonoran Brass Quintet, Joshua Whitehouse has studied at the Eastman School, the Tanglewood Institute, the Curtis Institute, the University of Maine and Arizona State University. Until recently, he was a professor of trumpet and music theory at the University of Maine, where he served as director of Maine Summer Youth Music. Josh Whitehouse is well known as an outstanding performer and teacher throughout the Northeast. Over the years, the trumpet repertoire has tended to be limited to just a few well-known composers such as Haydn, Hummel and Arutiunian. Even the repertoire of the trumpet’s cousin, the cornet, has been restricted to the showy variations by Arban and Clarke. Fortunately, there is a treasury of gems for the trumpet and cornet by lesser-known composers, wonderful solo pieces many of which are showcased on this album.

The University of Georgia Wind Symphony serves the most accomplished wind and percussion musicians in the University. In commissioning new works for band, the Wind Ensemble often produces new recordings featuring new works as well as other significant works of the band repertoire.

Simplicity. The word expresses what this recording is all about. Three is an homage to the great trumpeter Chet Baker and his trio from the late 1970’s, which included Doug Raney on guitar and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass. By channeling the power of simplicity from those landmark recordings, Brian Swartz’s trio infuses life into the concept of interpreting standards. For his trio, the Los Angeles based trumpeter chose two world-class sidemen: Larry Koonse on guitar and Darek Oles on bass. Displaying both mastery of their respective instruments and strong interdependence, the musicians explore fresh, fluid ideas while maintaining a granite-like foundation of tempo and feel. To put it succinctly, THEY SWING!