Second section, style of Louis Armstrong
Lesson time: (2min 1sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Play Authentic Swing Trumpet
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Exploring Louis Armstrong's Influence
So this section, and this, then the structure of this piece, the key change happens.
The Flavor of Louis Armstrong
When I played this, I felt a flavor of my thoughts went back to Louis Armstrong and the kind of declamatory New Orleans style in which he plays.
A Recommendation
Maybe you can take a listen to Louis Armstrong, a fantastic trumpet player who spanned many generations and, for me, he is the kind of father of jazz trumpet playing.
Particularly have a listen to "When You're Smiling," in which he sings as well. You can actually hear his trumpet playing in his singing.
Applying His Style
Let's try and apply that style to this section of the music I'm going to demonstrate now.
Have a listen to the way in which I attack the notes:
- It's quite a hard attack.
- It's very, very declamatory.
- It's very, very emphatic.
Did you hear the Louis Armstrong style?
- The hard attacks.
- The kind of way that I stepped on each note?
- It was like we were doing a march.
About the instructor
Mike Lovatt studied at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the Jon Kelly Jazz Scholarship. He has performed and recorded across a huge range of styles with artists including Quincy Jones, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Buble, Oasis, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and Danny Elfman, among many others. As Principal Trumpet in London's West End, Mike has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, My Fair Lady and Spamalot, amongst others. He has played on movie soundtracks including the James Bond films, Harry Potter with the London Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Chicago, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and The Corpse Bride. He is featured on trumpet and cornet in George Fenton's Mrs Henderson Presents, and on trumpet in Looking for Eric. Mike is principal trumpet with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and has been featured in their celebrated BBC Promenade concerts and recordings. Mike is sought after as a teacher and clinician, and is a professor of trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. In April 2013 he was proud to be awarded the prestigious Derek Watkins' Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, London. In his MusicGurus courses, Mike shares the secrets behind his versatility, showing you how to nail authentic swing, rock and Latin trumpet styles so you can play any of them with confidence and the right feel. read more