Note: If you're hear for the Vienna Art Orchestra video, featuring hornists Arkady Shilkloper and Tom Varner, scroll down. But please check out the pics on the way.
Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph the 7th Julius Watkins Jazz Horn Festival, at Virginia Commonwealth University -- lucky in at least three different ways, actually. First, the music was terrific. Second, it was a wonderful event to shoot. Third, I'm a broken down old horn player myself and still love the sound of the instrument and hanging out with people who play it.
John Edwin Mason: Marshall Sealy, horn, Ryan Corbitt, piano, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012. [Click directly on any photo to see a larger version.]
I wrote a few words about Julius Watkins, the godfather of the jazz French horn, last week. This week it's all about the festival itself.
John Edwin Mason: Marshall Sealy, horn, Abinnet Berhanu, drums, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
My friend Marshall Sealy lead a terrific morning workshop, introducing participants to his special blend of jazz and world music.
John Edwin Mason: Workshop participants, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
Perhaps the best thing about Marshall's workshop was the way it got almost everyone -- students and professionals -- up on their feet and improvising at one time or another.
John Edwin Mason: Marshall Sealy and Tom Varner, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
Tom Varner has been one of my favorite jazz musicians for at least a couple of decades. It was great to finally meet him.
John Edwin Mason: Workshop participants, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Alex Brofsky, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
It turns out that Alex Brofsky is not only a fine jazz hornist; he knows what to do with a piano as well.
John Edwin Mason: Patrick Smith, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
Patrick Smith, the horn professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, organized the festival and proved to be a wonderful host. When I was a member of the Lynchburg (Virginia) Symphony, he played first horn on a number of occasions. He's a very fine player, and it was a pleasure to be a part of his section. His doctoral dissertation was a study of Julius Watkins and the jazz French horn. You can read it, here.
John Edwin Mason: Tom Varner, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Vincent Chancy and a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University horn choir, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
I've owned Vincent Chancey's CDs for years. It was great to finally hear him play live.
John Edwin Mason: Tom Varner and a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University horn choir, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Members of the Virginia Commonwealth University horn choir, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Alex Brofsky, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
While there's no question that the horn brings a unique range of colors, sounds, and techniques to jazz, each of the soloists had distinct voice.
John Edwin Mason: John Clark, horn, Tom Baldwin, bass, Abinnet Berhanu, drums, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
One of the highlights of the day was to hear John Clark re-imagine Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto. Given the importance of improvisation to the classical music of Mozart's day, and given his own enthusiasm for improvising, I think Mozart would have loved it.
John Edwin Mason: Ray Goodman, tenor, John Clark, horn, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
It's worth mentioning that the non-horn-playing musicians who formed the quartet that accompaniced the soloists are stellar players in their own right.
John Edwin Mason: Abinnet Berhau, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Vincent Chancey, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
John Edwin Mason: Marshall Sealy and the Virginia Commonwealth University horn choir, Richmond, Virginia, 29 September 2012.
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"Bruxelles ma belle" by Mathias Rüegg. Vienna Art Orchestra, featuring Arkady Shilkloper and Tom Varner, horn.
High quality videos of jazz hornists in action are few and far between. (Audio CDs and downloads are easy to find. Just google the names of any of the performers at the festival.) That being the case, we'll go with this Vienna Art Orchestra video, featuring Arkady Shilkloper, who wasn't at the festival, and Tom Varner, who was. Both Tom and Arkady play killer solos that demonstrate the wondrous qualities of the horn. (Arkady goes first.)
Thanks for posting this! Great pictures too. Was great to meet you last week---best--tv
Posted by: tom varner | 06 October 2012 at 12:51 AM