The Art of Jazz Trumpet

The art of jazz revolves around several key instruments: the piano, the bass, the saxophone and, of course, the trumpet. Bold, brassy and flashy, the trumpet is the centerpiece for many jazz compositions. It has been the favorite instrument of numerous jazz greats, and its sounds have graced some of the most influential styles in jazz music.

History

Early jazz music styles, such as ragtime and boogie-woogie, featured mostly the piano and a few other key instruments. The introduction of Dixieland-style jazz helped bring the trumpet to the forefront of jazz, especially when played by legends such as Louis Armstrong. From there, the trumpet went on to become a staple of the jazz orchestras of the 1920s and '30s (including those fronted by Armstrong). The trumpet's prominence faded slightly in the 1940s and '50s with the advent of bebop, a style that was popularized more by the saxophone--but the trumpet was far from dead. It saw a resurgence in the "cool jazz" styles, and although it again experienced something of a decline in the fusion era of the 1970s, by the end of the 20th century, it was again being played by prominent musicians.

Features

The orchestral trumpet and the jazz trumpet are the exact same instrument, and--with one famous exception--are virtually indistinguishable from each other. What separates the two is the style in which they are played. One example is the extensive use of the mute in jazz trumpet. Mutes are used to alter or vary the sound of the instrument. The player either plugs the mute into the bell (flared end) of the instrument or holds it close to the opening of the bell. (Dizzy's trumpet has such a device at the end.) One of the other differences is also in the arrangement of the instrument within the group. In the orchestra, the trumpet is one of many brass pieces, but with the exception of big-band jazz, trumpets are usually solo instruments.

Types

The trumpet features in a number of different jazz styles. Big-band jazz features a brass section, often with four or five trombones. Sometimes, the band leader (like Louis Armstrong) would also play the trumpet. Cool jazz, which took a more mellow approach to jazz after the influence of bebop, was most prominently played by trumpeter Miles Davis. Davis' album "Birth of the Cool" is one of the landmark albums in jazz. The return to more mainstream styles of jazz in the 1980s also entailed a prominent role for the trumpet. The truth, however, is that the trumpet has been used in almost all sub-genres, including bebop and Latin jazz.

Function

The trumpet generally fills one of two roles in a jazz ensemble. In larger ensembles, such as the big band, it plays as part of a larger group of brass instruments. Often, the role of the brass is to provide the bigger, swingier movements in the piece (such as the emphasis certain rock and roll songs place on the guitar riff or the sudden emergence of the drums). The brass may often take a back seat to the vocalist or lead musician (though he may also be a trumpeter). In smaller ensembles such as the quartet, the trumpet is not only the solo brass instrument, but also the lead instrument. This is especially noticeable in the cool-jazz style as popularized by Miles Davis.

Considerations

Although jazz employs a wide variety of instruments--everything from the clarinet to the vibraphone--the trumpet is one of the more common instruments for beginning jazz musicians. Next to the saxophone, it has become the most visible lead instrument in modern, smaller jazz ensembles. Modern trumpeters such as Wynton Marsalis (whose brother plays the saxophone) have also helped the instrument maintain its prominent role in the genre. Because of its versatility--from playing the big and brassy notes of big band to the muted strains of cool and mainstream jazz--the trumpet can be found nearly everywhere in jazz music.