AL HIRT

ljazztrm · Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:52 pm Post subject:

I'm glad a friend told me about this thread! I was just emailing an online trumpet buddy of mine a few days ago about Al. I've been playing trpt. for 27yrs. (started when I was 3) and 'Jumbo' was always one of my main influences.
I knew I wanted to be a trumpet player as a very young child before hearing Al...listening to Jimmy McPartland, Bobby Hackett, Bix, Bunny, Henry Red Allen, Roy, Wild Bill Davidson (still one of my all-time favorites) and, of course, Louie...my dad was an ardent traditional jazz fan.
A few years later, when I heard Al, it was a 'shock to the system' to say the least! My God, how could a trumpet be played like that??!!

I was a dixieland fanatic as a little kid so you can imagine what it was like for an aspiring young trumpet player, in love with dixieland jazz, to hear Al playing for the first time. I guess I was about 8 or 9 when I discovered him in my dad's 'archives'.

When I was 12yrs. old I got to see him live.

I was a fanatical practicer, even at a young age, and took my horn everywhere...My grandparents would always take me to Atlantic City, NJ when I was growing up and I would take my horn so I could practice in the hotel room....And then it was in 1987 when my grandparents and mom found out Al was playing at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City...they must of went and talked to Al or something because, that afternoon, I got to go to his rehearsal to meet him and he was the nicest guy...I remember he was wearing a big Aloha shirt and I walked into the small theatre where he was playing. He hugged me and we talked about the trumpet..I don't remember what we said...but I was really happy and excited. During the concert he had a front row seat reserved for me in the audience and talked to me throughout the whole concert...he even dedicated some numbers to me and asked if I 'approved' of the way he was playing after every tune! I still remember him playing Carnival of Venice and seeing smoke come out of his bell...how could any kid forget that!! Yeah, I had the Arban's and was working on the Carnival of Venice at the time...LOL... You can just imagine what all of this meant to me as a 12yr old aspiring trumpet player who had all his albums!

I met my childhood hero and he was a wonderful person and played the trumpet so well that it had an overwhelming effect on me....

It's only looking back on it now that I realize how incredible the experience was.
A few weeks later I received an autographed picture of him that said 'To Lex, From One Horn Man to Another' Of course I still have it framed to this day!

Al 'He's The King' Hirt.

I forget what album that's off of....but it's definitely true!

_________________
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jazz_trpt · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 8:36 am Post subject:

(In interests of full disclosure, the first album I ever owned was an Al Hirt album. And as a kid, I listened to the Carnegie album alot, and yes, it did move me to shed the Venice variations, including the flourish up to high Eb [?] at the end.)

Don Lee · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:47 am Post subject:

ljazztrm:

Wow, what a great story! It's nice to hear that Jumbo was as good a person as he was a musician. I will pass your story on to my son who is also a big fan of his. Personally, I have never heard a player more musical than him.

I know he was often criticised for simple tunes like Cotton Candy or Java (some of it not so simple!), but if you try to play them, you'll be hard put to make the simplest notes sound anything like big Al.

Every note he played whether it was a thirty second note or a simple quarter note, always had a shape, color and texture that fit the purpose he had in mind. Truly an amazing player.

If you ever get a chance to see the Sarah Vaughan video I mentioned, you'll get a sense that Maynard, Dizzy etc. all had a special respect for Jumbo.

MartyH · Regular Member Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

Total Hogwash? Who says that?

My apologies if I offended you. I wasn't speaking of anyone in particular.
If you think you are "overly critical", as I said in the post, then I'm sorry I pricked a nerve that you felt the need to respond so harshly.

I do in fact, prefer the opinions of well educated and seasoned experts to those of someone that is not, what would you call an expert? An elitist?

I think people can have reasonable likes and dislikes and express them as such. I don't care for sophmoric, insulting criticism though. (I"m not talking about you!)

"Overly critical" is the key that you missed or decided meant something that I did not intend.

Anyhow, the Kenny G remark was a low blow.
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Trumpeter58 · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject:

ljazztrm,

Now that you've made a lot of us avid, old Al Hirt fans green with envy, I'll just say it's good to know you realize how very fortunate you are to have had that experience. Just from hearing Jumbo's commentary to the audience on his Live At Carnegie Hall album I figured him to be a pretty straight foward, nice guy. Unfortunately he passed on before I had any realistic chance to attend any of his live performance.

If it counts, I did get to shake Wayne Bergeron's hand last summer when he was in Lawton, OK performing with the 77th Army Band from Ft. Sill.

Happy for you, friend.
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"All that we know is infinitely less than that which we have yet to learn."

Blessing ML-1S
Olds Special NA 100ZU
Holton Collegiate cornet (circa 1953)
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tom turner · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

Jumbo was a POWERFUL influence on a lot of young guys back in the 50s and 60s. His incredible technique, gorgeous tone, firey power and happy personality were so wonderful!

He was the halftime star at TWO Super Bowls too!

I wish he'd been the star tonight too!

He was truly the "King" of hearts . . . and a warm, wonderful human being too!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

ljazztrm · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject:

Was so nice to hear the kind words about Al...there are jazz trumpet players today who haven't really checked him out, believe it or not...

King of Hearts...I like that Tom...definitely 'a propos'! A new friend of mine just recently turned me on to Al again. I hadn't listened in WAY TOO LONG..and almost forgot how good he really was! Just ordered a couple more albums that I didn't have...

I didn't know Al played the superbowl! I missed it tonight....but I'll bet they didn't have anything that could match 'The King of Hearts'!

_________________
Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com

Don Lee · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:32 pm Post subject:

The one Super Bowl I remember seeing, he actually played the national anthem with Doc. As I recall, Doc had a small sheet of music he held, but Al did not.

AverageJoe · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:37 pm Post subject:

I was watching a video not too long ago that had clips of Maynard and Al trading solos/4's on an old standard -- it was later in Al's life, and his playing hadn't lost a step. Maynard even sat back and shook his head a few times.

Beautiful player, beautiful man. Can't help but smile thinking about him, and I never even got a chance to see him live...

Paul
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"Every time I hear you play, you sound better than the next..."

bilboinsa · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:05 am Post subject:

jazz_trpt · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:41 am Post subject: Re: total hogwash

BeboppinFool · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:49 am Post subject: Re: total hogwash

MartyH · Regular Member Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

I don't care about Kenny G. What I do care about is your total misunderstanding of my post. Posting your misinterpretation of my post as MY ideas of who may or may not criticize an artist. I MADE NO SUCH CLAIM!

I thought the "gold record" comment was an amusing, if not sarcastic, way of looking at the way popular acclaim could be used as a measure of ANY person's criticism, if it were,and I state again, overly critical, (what I mean is nasty and unforgiving).

I NEVER stated that only those that have achieved such critical or popular acclaim have the right to criticize. YOU DID. It is indeed even questionable as to whether any popular award could qualify anyone as elite. Yet you ascribe this as "my logic". How presumtious of you.

I regret that you took offense to my post and I indeed regret posting it; as I could have left it up to you to post my ideas, as you know me so well.
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jonalan · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:40 am Post subject: Re: total hogwash

loweredsixth · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:50 am Post subject: Re: total hogwash

MartyH · Regular Member Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

Jeff, Kenny G has sold more records than Tom Harrell or Woody Shaw. Doesn't that mean that Kenny G must be better than Tom Harrell or Woody Shaw???

Let the record show - I Never made any such claim that records sales were the only criteria for valid criticism or to the relative talent or worth of a performer.

Mr. Hogwash made those statements and attributed them to me as my logic.
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If it ain't broke...Go ahead and mess with it anyway.

B_Starry · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject:

The question is: where was Kenny G on 9/11, and what does he think about tongue arch / airspeed?

- Brian

bilboinsa · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject:

jazz_trpt