JOv2
Well-Known Member
Miles Davis was once quoted as saying "You hear three notes and you know it's Herb Alpert".
Now comes the fun part: Let’s see if we can actually come away with some HA recordings that supports Miles’ statement. Since every trumpet-playing song Herb ever released will contain three trumpet notes let’s make some ground rules:
Ground Rules:
1) The three notes are from Herb’s first entrance.
2) Herb’s three notes should be followed by a musical pause so as to emphasize their presence, which, I believe, would capture the spirit of Miles’ opinion. (That said, in many cases these notes will probably be pick-up notes that kick in a melody.)
3) As three notes will surely be a challenge, let’s also offer silver and bronze categories that call out four-note or five-note examples.
__________
As an initial offering (silver category), when Herb makes his first entrance on This Guy, it’s a four-note melodic fragment. When I first heard this as a child, I didn’t know who was singing — but it sure sounded like Herb Alpert, my favorite musical artist, on trumpet! Fifty-plus years later, I can assuredly state that no one but Herb could play four of the same notes in succession in such a distinguished manner.
Now comes the fun part: Let’s see if we can actually come away with some HA recordings that supports Miles’ statement. Since every trumpet-playing song Herb ever released will contain three trumpet notes let’s make some ground rules:
Ground Rules:
1) The three notes are from Herb’s first entrance.
2) Herb’s three notes should be followed by a musical pause so as to emphasize their presence, which, I believe, would capture the spirit of Miles’ opinion. (That said, in many cases these notes will probably be pick-up notes that kick in a melody.)
3) As three notes will surely be a challenge, let’s also offer silver and bronze categories that call out four-note or five-note examples.
__________
As an initial offering (silver category), when Herb makes his first entrance on This Guy, it’s a four-note melodic fragment. When I first heard this as a child, I didn’t know who was singing — but it sure sounded like Herb Alpert, my favorite musical artist, on trumpet! Fifty-plus years later, I can assuredly state that no one but Herb could play four of the same notes in succession in such a distinguished manner.
