Tim Morrison / Boston Pops

JackD · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:33 pm Post subject: Tim Morrison / Boston Pops

I've been listening to a lot of Boston Pops / John Williams recordings, and man does he have a GORGEOUS sound!

Out of curiosity, when he was with Boston, what trumpet was he using? (I ask because I wonder if it was a Monette?)

Mikeytrpt · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:09 pm Post subject:

Yamaha

snowman · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:29 pm Post subject:

Yamaha with a bach bell and a 25S leadpipe.

Mikeytrpt · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:37 pm Post subject:

Wow. That I did not know. I suppose he wanted to get the "Bach" sound?

(Kind of like Doc with his "Off the Shelf" Getzen Eterna in the 60's. I got a glimpse of his horn up close one time. You could see where the Bach logo was buffed off the bell)...

JackD · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:36 am Post subject:

Cheers.

ReneHernandez · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:07 pm Post subject:

Tim Morrison switched horns more often than any trumpet player I've known. He would use his Monette one week and the Yamaha the next.
He would even play a Bach on occasions.

He switched mouthpieces daily it seemed. He once borrowed a Monette mouthpiece from me and gave it back to me damaged. I watched him as he pulled it out of a pouch FULL of mouthpieces.

That was the last time.

Regardless he always sounded fantastic!

RH

RGale · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Dec 2002 Posts: 2818

I had the 'misfortune' of having to follow Tim Morrison in lessons a couple of times . We had the same teacher, Fred Sautter , in Portland, Oregon. One day I went to Fred's house for a lesson and heard a guy playing 'Willow Echoes'. At first I thought it was Fred, it sounded so great, and then I realized it was even BETTER. Jeez!
I just said hi to Tim on the way out of his lesson, and I went in. I asked, 'Who the heck was that?'. Fred said, 'Tim Morrison. You'll be hearing about him someday.'
I said, 'I wish I could play like that!.' Fred replied, "Well, so do I. And a few months ago when he came to me , he was just another kid. Now, well, you heard; he's one of those rare people that God smiled on, and he works hard too.'
As they say, the rest is history. And he's a nice man too. He was in HS at the time- I was in college- and he totally kicked me around the block playing wise- still does, I'm afraid.

largo · Veteran Member Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 151

Rene is correct, Tim was constantly fooling around with horns and mouthpieces while he was here, so it's hard to determine what he's playing on for a specific recording. It wasn't unusual to see at least 3 or 4 mouthpieces on his stand.

JackD · Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:58 am Post subject:

Interesting. Specifically I was thinking of "Hymn to the fallen" from the Saving Private Ryan soundtrack, and the Olympic Fanafre from the "by request" disk. I presume he was playing on these?

Whoever / whatever it is, it sounds great!

Atomlinson · Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject:

According to the Warburton mouthpiece site (customer endorsements) Tim Morrison currently uses a 2-M top with a number 6 backbore on his Bb for the commercial work with the "Pops".

Andrew Tomlinson

dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

He was here with Summit Brass a few years ago and played some Yamaha proto-type C. Warburton piece each time that week.

All those players were so impressive (Mr. Hickman especially), but Allen Dean was just amazing! I think he was the elder statesman of the section, but just had sound and chops no end. Very inspirational. Bach Strad and Bach 3C mouthpiece. Beautiful! Knows all the etudes by heart, and sounds like they come right from his heart.

The air pockets thing was interesting from Tim. Tried it, but can't get that to work. Sure works for him!!!!

BStrad43 · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:53 pm Post subject:

Tim is always in search for the perfect horn/ mouthpiece. I have been studding with him for the past year and half and I have seen him play two dozen different trumpets. But when he was in Boston, he mainly played a Bach, and then moved from there... Monette, Yamaha, Stomvi, Jupiter. Some of the resent movies he recorder where on the advance student modle Jupiter C/B-flat trumpet. For mouthpieces, he has two one-gallon containers filled with mouthpieces, you can think of it he has and has played on it. Every lesson it seems he has a different horn and at least six different mouthpieces for that week. But can he play anything.

Yammie · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 7:51 am Post subject: Thanks for the pointer

blbaumgarn · Heavyweight Member Joined: 26 Jul 2017 Posts: 705

This guy was a trumpet God to me for years. He's been gone from the Pops for years but his recordings on the John Williams compositions and soundtracks are an eternal record of a great tone. I have heard stories of him walking into a studio session with his plastic gallon milk container of mouthpieces. He is great enough to switch out and deliver the goods. I hear he was at Long Beach St. teaching and stuff for a while. I also hear he likes performing and teaching in Japan. I admire a whole lot of great trumpet players but I always point out his sound to people and have them listen to the soundtrack from JFK to confirm it. Great topic.