Search - Slide Hampton :: Spirit of the Horn

Masterful live performance by a unique ensemble

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 04/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Slide Hampton's career as a trombonist has spanned more than four decades, but I think he'll be best remembered as a composer and arranger. This album shows why. Slide wrote the arrangements for 8 of the 11 tracks for this live performance of an ensemble consisting of 12 trombones and a rhythm section.

Assembling a large number of trombones is not a new idea. For example, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding did it in the late 1950s, and Urbie Green did two impressive "21 Trombones" albums in the mid-1960s. But the large trombone ensemble is a concept that bears repeating, especially at the hands of a talented arranger like Hampton. Using the full dynamic and frequency range of the tenor and bass trombones, the group can be supremely mellow, or high impact like a freight train coming at you, and everything in between. Twelve bones can play as one section or be divided up into two or three sections playing off each other. Clever use of mutes can add other tone colors. You'll hear it all in this collection, and you'll forget that this big band is missing trumpets and saxes.

This CD is worth the price of admission just to hear guest soloist Bill Watrous, who is brilliant as always and makes it sound easy. But he doesn't hog the stage - there's plenty of solo work from Hampton and the rest of the group. Everybody in the band gets a chance to show their stuff in the up-tempo closer, Hampton's composition "Blues for Eric."

One could go on describing the distinctive characteristics of each track, but I think you get the idea. Pick up this CD before it goes out of circulation."

Exquisite in concept and execution

Howard Wexler | White Plains, NY United States | 08/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At first glance, the personnel on this CD sounds bizarre, 13 trombones and rhythm section??? 4 bass trombones?



But when you have such skilled musicians as Slide Hampton, Bill Watrous and crew, you change bizarre to fantastic. From first to last cuts, you realize how versatile a trombone can be. There is nobody in this world who can make a trombone sing like Bill Watrous and he is wonderful on this CD."