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EBjazz Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Nov 2001 Posts: 2368 Location: SF Bay Area
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dstdenis Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 May 2013 Posts: 2123 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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In his autobiography, Clarke mentioned hearing Walter B. Rogers perform and being absolutely amazed by his skill, ability and especially the apparent ease with which he played. Rogers was only 2 years older than Clarke, but more advanced at the time they met. Later they played in the same band and Clarke watched Rogers closely to try and figure out how he played so well and with such ease. _________________ Bb Yamaha Xeno 8335IIS
Cornet Getzen Custom 3850S
Flugelhorn Courtois 155R
Piccolo Stomvi |
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Dayton Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Mar 2013 Posts: 2090 Location: USA
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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Also, please name any students of Clarke. |
Fay Hanson - longtime faculty member at Weber State University.
Sidney Mear - longtime professor at Eastman and principal trumpet of the Rochester Philharmonic.
Bill Adam - Not sure for how long, but he did study with Clarke.
Walt Laursen - I don't recall all the details, but believe he was principal trumpet of the San Francisco Opera, and also in one of the Los Angeles area orchestras. He was one of Malcolm McNab's teachers.
Last edited by Dayton on Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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JoseLindE4 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Wasn't Ernest Williams a Clarke student? |
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TrumpetMD Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2008 Posts: 2436 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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Jimmy Maxwell.
Mike _________________ Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns. |
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EricV Veteran Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2011 Posts: 227 Location: Australia
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:01 am Post subject: |
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Claude Gordon was probably his most well known student from what i have read. I believe Pappy Mitchell and Raphael Mendez took from Clarke for a period of time
EricV _________________ CG Benge trumpet
Yamaha Xeno Cornet |
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Irving Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 1892
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:22 am Post subject: |
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Clarke was a fine cornet player, but some of his contemporaries were just as fine, if not better. Walter B. Rogers was amazing. Levy,and Kryl were incredible as well. There were a lot of them back in the day. I have recordings of these guys, and their technical virtuosity hasn't been equaled in modern times. The Cornet Compendium is online,and it is like an encyclopedia of cornetists. It is true that many were born in Europe, but I don't see why that would matter. There were great players all over the globe back then as well as today. |
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Craig Swartz Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 7771 Location: Des Moines, IA area
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:16 am Post subject: |
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I'd have mentiones Kryl and Levy but I don't believe either was US born, if that makes a difference to the OP. |
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trpt.hick Rafael Méndez Forum Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 2634
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:11 am Post subject: |
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Mendez had two lessons with Clarke, one a few months after his first embouchure accident (swinging door in pit orchestra in Detroit) and one about a year later after learning to play pedal tones for months from his father in Mexico. Mendez was unable to produce a sound during the first lesson, but played amazingly well during the second lesson. Clarke was so impressed that he wrote a letter to his friend Edwin Franco Goldman, stating "Dearest Ed, Have you heard the young Mexican trumpeter Rafael Mendez? What tone, what velocity. One hundred years from now, they will have forgotten about us, but they will always remember the name Rafael Mendez."
As for Kryl and Levy, they did not study with Clarke. Kryl was born in Bohemia, and Levy was born in England. Clarke does mention in his autobiography that when he was a boy he heard Levy perform during his prime, and this inspired him to become a cornet soloist.
Mendez later settled in Los Angeles, and helped Louis Maggio (a close friend who played second trumpet to Mendez in the pit orchestra in Detroit) after Maggio had his embouchure accident (slipping on the ice while crossing a street in Minneapolis, hitting his mouth on a trolley track switch button). Mendez taught him the pedal routines his father gave him, and Maggio improved greatly. Maggio decided to settle in Los Angeles, where he taught many of the top trumpet players in town, such as Claude Gordon, Uan Rasey, Carlton McBeth, and Roger Spaulding. So, Mendez is the true father of the pedal tone systems used today.
Maggio never wrote a method book, although Carlton McBeth put together many of Maggio's exercises into a book titled "The Original Louis Maggio System for Brass." McBeth does not mention Mendez's influence on the Maggio method, and he also got the date of Maggio's embouchure accident off by 20 years. . . it was 1937, not 1917. Maggio and Mendez were close friends for life, and Rafael's sons Robert and Ralph took lessons with Maggio when their father was away for months on tour.
Dave Hickman |
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kehaulani Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9151 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the post, Dave. Interesting and thanks for your time, too. _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"Well, even if I could play like Wynton, I wouldn't play like Wynton." Chet Baker
Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Selmer K-Modified Light Trumpet (for sale)
Benge 3X Cornet |
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EBjazz Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Nov 2001 Posts: 2368 Location: SF Bay Area
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Heim Veteran Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 181
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:51 am Post subject: |
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The late Leonard B. Smith and James B. Underwood had just as much technique as Clarke and maybe more.
Find them, Underwood especially will blow your mind since he is relatively unknown to most.
I believe that Mendez went to Gustav Heim to seek help for his lip injury. Perhaps Mr. Hickman can confirm this? I knew someone who told me that he and his friend "Mex" had gone to Heim for lessons. |
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trpt.hick Rafael Méndez Forum Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 2634
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Maybe. After the accident, Mendez asked his friend Maggio (who was known in Detroit as one of the best teachers) to help him play again, but Maggio was unable to help. So, Mendez went to NYC for a lesson with Schlossberg, but same answer. He may have taken a lesson from Heim since Heim was a leading teacher in NYC, but there is no evidence of this. He then went to Boston for a lesson with Walter Smith. . . same answer. On to St. Louis for a lesson with Gustat, but again no help. His last stop was in Long Beach with Clarke. Unfortunately, there was so much scar tissue that no one was able to help Mendez produce a sound.
When Mendez left Mexico for the U.S.at the age of 19, his father Maximino was against his leaving, saying that Rafael was too young. Although Maximino had the money to help Rafael go to the States, he did not offer any support, so Rafael asked a wealthy landowner in his village for a loan, which was given. Of course, Maximino was Rafael's first teacher because Maximino taught all of his 15 children to play instruments in the family orchestra. Although Maximino could play all of the instruments, mandolin was his main instrument.
After not being able to play, and not finding a teacher who could help, it was very difficult for Mendez to swallow his pride and ask his father if he could return home for lessons. Besides, Rafael was now making a good living as a trumpet player in Detroit, and he had recently been married. Taking a total of nine months to learn pedals from his father was emotionally painful, but he returned to the U.S. an even better player than before. |
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RandyTX Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 5304 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Wow, thank you Mr. Hickman for all that information. I had known of his injury of course, but I never knew how much of an ordeal it actually was for him to return.
Is there an autobiography of Mendez published somewhere? I've read them on a number of other famous (and infamous) musicians, but not him. He was probably one of the first trumpet players I heard as a small child, because my father (still) owns a large number of his recordings.
Very inspirational, so many give up when faced with even minor chop problems, then there are those that push on regardless and end up like Herseth and Mendez, at the top of their game. _________________ "Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away." |
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homecookin Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 868
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:22 am Post subject: |
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The book..a biography of Rafael Mendez...
Magnificent Mendez
By Jane Hickman
Published by Summit publications.
The book contains a wealth of information about Rafael Mendez,
his life and career. A lot of what Dr. Hickman related in his post
is contained in the book.
Although I don't remember the story about Maggio, which I found
very interesting, being told in the book.
It has been many years since I have read the book.
I should probably find it, dust it off, and read it again.
But it does tell the story about how Mendez went to
all the famous teachers in the United States and could
not get any help, and went back to his father for help.
It is a very interesting book, and a great read. |
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RandyTX Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 5304 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:24 am Post subject: |
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homecookin wrote: | The book..a biography of Rafael Mendez...
Magnificent Mendez
By Jane Hickman
Published by Summit publications.
The book contains a wealth of information about Rafael Mendez,
his life and career. A lot of what Dr. Hickman related in his post
is contained in the book.
Although I don't remember the story about Maggio, which I found
very interesting, being told in the book.
It has been many years since I have read the book.
I should probably find it, dust it off, and read it again.
But it does tell the story about how Mendez went to
all the famous teachers in the United States and could
not get any help, and went back to his father for help.
It is a very interesting book, and a great read. |
Great, thank you very much. _________________ "Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away." |
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trpt.hick Rafael Méndez Forum Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 2634
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:45 am Post subject: |
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I purchased all of the remaining copies of the Magnificent Mendez book by Dr. Jane Hickman and Dr. Del Lyren. Hickman Music Editions is the only place they are available in new copies. |
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Craig Swartz Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 7771 Location: Des Moines, IA area
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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trpt.hick wrote: | I purchased all of the remaining copies of the Magnificent Mendez book by Dr. Jane Hickman and Dr. Del Lyren. Hickman Music Editions is the only place they are available in new copies. | Thanks for mentioning Del... |
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razeontherock Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 10609 Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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Try to remember this book next fall, when TH is again flooded with students fearing permanent damage from marching ... |
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Heim Veteran Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 181
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Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 11:18 am Post subject: |
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trpt.hick wrote: | Maybe. After the accident, Mendez asked his friend Maggio (who was known in Detroit as one of the best teachers) to help him play again, but Maggio was unable to help. So, Mendez went to NYC for a lesson with Schlossberg, but same answer. He may have taken a lesson from Heim since Heim was a leading teacher in NYC, but there is no evidence of this. He then went to Boston for a lesson with Walter Smith. . . same answer. On to St. Louis for a lesson with Gustat, but again no help. His last stop was in Long Beach with Clarke. Unfortunately, there was so much scar tissue that no one was able to help Mendez produce a sound. |
Thaks Dave.
I thought that I posted this before but I don't see it. I meant Joe Gustat, not Gustav Heim. I mixed my post with my TH login |
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