[TPIN] Re: Jazz Trumpeter Bio Recommendations

[Toby Wolpe]

For short biographies of the great and not-so-greats of jazz trumpet,
I enjoy dipping into Trumpet Kings by Scott Yanow.

I particularly like the section entitled, 'They also played trumpet',
about trumpet recordings by famous musicians not normally associated
with the instrument.

You'll find listed there, among others: Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy and
Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy Eckstine and Ornette Coleman.

Apparently Coleman, after three years off the scene, reappeared in
public in 1965 playing the trumpet and violin. He played the violin
'as if it were drums' and on trumpet 'his volume was much more
impressive than his sound or his limited technique'. Nevertheless he
persevered with this unwise initiative and recorded New and Old Gospel
with Jackie McLean. Instead of this being a summit of the altos,
Coleman played trumpet throughout, 'making the music much more
erratic'.

Toby Wolpe