[Trombone-l] Las Vegas ITF

[Gabriel Langfur]

Couple of quick things. I've just gotten home and my wife is on the phone, so I'll be very quick.

I was there to work the Shires display of course, so I didn't hear much in the way of concerts. 

I did, however, get to hear the first set of the final jazz night, which featured lister Alex Iles. I had always heard that Alex is a great player, but...wow. Alex, I know you'll read this, and I'm sure you'll blush. First of all, Alex stopped by our display to say hello on the first day, and he just couldn't be a nicer guy. It was a genuine pleasure.

I'm not sure how exactly to describe just how good Alex is. His jazz playing is amazingly refined, with everything you want to hear - beautiful sound all over the horn, fluidity, groove, articulation, and style. The line is always there, and when it moved into fast it was always for a reason. He can get in the mic and play soft, and he can step away and be heard, all without losing that fluidity and line. You don't hear music-making like this on the trombone every day, folks...

Alex served as the host for the evening, opening and closing the set with solos, and inviting others up to play with him, including Paul McKee, Bill Reichenbach and Doug Elliott, all of whom sounded just marvelous as well. Alex closed the first set with an unaccompanied version of Sweet Georgia Brown, with harmonies outlined in multiphonics. It sounds like it might be just a trombone trick, but the way Alex did it was refined, in tune, in the groove and thoroughly convincing.

When he took a break Jiggs Whigham came up and played a tune or two - sounding great and oozing soul as always, and then we were too tired to stick around any longer (working those displays is EXHAUSTING).

I also heard DJ Kennedy play, on one of the mass trombone choirs. He took a couple of solos, making a big, bold sound and projecting his great personality out into the hall. Bravo DJ!

I was lucky enough to be asked to play in the Cramer choir, which was a little short on bass trombones. It was great fun and I made some new friends, including conductor Chris Houlding, a great bass trombone player from London named Chris Fower, and Utah State trombone teacher Todd Fallis, also a bass trombone player. Holding down the bottom was Mark Thompson - I can't remember where he teaches, but he's also a great guy and fine player.   

I think the ITF in New Orleans was better attended, but this year the festivals were split onto different continents. 

Gotta go...

Gabe

PS - never went to a casino, but I won $115 on a slot machine in the airport on the way home!