[Trombone-l] The Kenton 'bone sound.

[Chris Tune]

I think this would be a fascinating topic:

Economics vs. great arranging - how big should your big band or orchestra 
be?

Even Stan had lots of trouble keeping a 5 x 5 x 5 + rhythm band going over 
the years.  We just lost Maynard who tried hard for a long time to keep a 4 
x 2 x 5 + rhythm group going (he could jump in on valve bone and kick it up 
to a trombone trio . . .and the four plus himself made for a massive trumpet 
sound).  Then he finally had to reduce to the Big Bop Nouveau size group. 
Now we have only one trombonist getting experience in this setting.

I know what I would do if I was teaching this in a music appreciation 
class - - I'd play "Interlude" and we would really listen to this SOUND. 
I'd point out certain spots where we could really notice the voice 
movements.  I'd particularly try to get the class to notice the how the 
voices blend, yet cover a pretty large range. I'd also go to the classical 
literature and show how this effect can sound.  Whether choir, or orchestra 
or trombone section. The five part voicing is such a thrill that, I think 
every arranger must

Now, we have this kind of voicing only available to entire brass sections 
(trumpets and trombones together. . .just not quite like the full bone 
thing) or to sets of woodwinds. . or entire string sections.   A good string 
section and a good bone section have a lot in common.

I'm thinking of the strings doing things like the Adagietto 4th movement 
from Mahler's 5th Symphony (which actually uses pizz and sustained strings) 
or Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony the "Adagio Lamentoso" in the Finale movement. 
(which is actually achieved with horn over strings and adding the woodwind 
section cleverly as the additional voices).  You have this incredible wall 
of sound singing away at you.

I guess the substitute these days is to have interesting synth voices coming 
at you through a polyphonic synth.  Or maybe a sampler.  Unless you are 
either in a "big budget" setting or in the low budget world of the dedicated 
amateur or community ensemble. Then you have full ensembles with which to 
make sound.

Chris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adrian Drover" <slide at adios.co.uk>
To: "'Chris Tune'" <crtune at adelphia.net>; "'Bill Dinwiddie'" 
<billdin at comcast.net>; "'List Trombone'" <TROMBONE-L at server5.samford.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 12:16 AM
Subject: RE: The Kenton 'bone sound.


>
>
>> From: Chris Tune
>>
>> Of course, it doesn't hurt that Stan had the largest bone section of the
>> time.  Either 4 or 5 in the section most times.  Four in the Balboa days.
>
>
> You've hit the nail on the head Chris.  Lead players came and went
> contributing their own particular styles to the section, but from an
> arranger's standpoint that sound is mainly provided by the size of the
> section.  With a standard 4-piece section, soli work is mostly restricted 
> to
> close block and occasional drop-2 voicing.  With 5 'bones, especially in
> ballad style charts, you can include the bass line in the voicing 
> utilizing
> an overall span of up to 2 octaves and a 6th.  That is one awesomely 
> massive
> sound.  The standard 5-piece sax section has always had this capability 
> and
> is great for the "Pastels" style of arrangement, but the 'bones can do it
> with so much more majesty.
>
> A.
>
>