Philip Smith, Prinicpal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic

Memorable Recording

This is a wonderful recording. This is required listening for any trumpet student or trumpet aficionado. Smith is one of the best- if not the best - orchestral trumpet players in the world (principal trumpet NY Philharmonic). He brings a unique artistic sensitivity as a "former" Salvation Army band trumpet player that illuminates memorable passages such as Jim Curnow's arrangement of "Amazing Grace". For me the highlight is the Ewazen "Trio". I have been very lucky to have performed both the Curnow arrangement and the Ewazen, and my inspiration was this recording. I have misplaced my CD and feel an obligation to post this small inarticulate expression of my love of this CD as I buy a new copy.

The sonics are excellent. So many times that is not true for trumpet recordings but this has fine natural acoustics without compression or distortion. June 28, 2008

Liquid metal

One could only imagine what a trumpet can do until along came Philip Smith.
My #1 model for beauty of sound, he does not dissapoint here. A somewhat eclectic collection with a focus on twentieth century music that gives an ample sampling of what a trumpet can sound like.

I love the quixotic Tomasi piece (he makes it sound deceptively simple, believe me) and the touching "Song for Cornet" written for his father. Melodic pieces like "Amazing Grace" and "To a Wild Rose" just glow. He gives a nod to his former conductor L. Bernstein and teases us with "Rondo for Lifey" (How does he make it sound that pure???).

Highly recommended for music lovers and I cannot recommend enough for trumpet students. February 7, 2008

Philip Smith shines

We have here yet another installment of the CALA New York Legends series, and it is no less beautiful and superb than any previous. Philip Smith, the principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic for over 20 years now, with this album, fully shows why he was both given that position and how he has been able to maintain it with the respect of trumpet players worldwide. Indeed I recommend any of the albums from that series, and I think it must be something in the water because these New Yorkers are all phenomenal musicians, from Glenn Dicterow, to Jeanne Baxtresser, and on to Philip Myers and Joseph Alessi.

Philip Smith begins the album with a concert piece for 8 trumpets featuring other fabulous trumpet players of whom great things have also been heard. He then continues on with the Intrada written by friend/composer/pianist Joseph Turrin, which is rapidly becoming a popular recital piece among trumpet players despite its youth. The album then proceeds to two pieces well known to trumpet players for both their aesthetic values and also their difficulty. Smith plays Legend by Enescu and the Tomasi Triptyque with enviable beauty and technique. We are then treated to an American tribute where Philip Smith brings beauty and grace to such famous tunes known to all Americans such as Amazing Grace and Someone to Watch Over Me. We then have another multiple trumpet piece which is here a fanfare which again features New York's finest. We are then given the 2 remaining movements of the Brass Music chamber piece written by Bernstein, and which the remaining movements are included on the albums by Philip Myers and Joseph Alessi. Philip Smith then delights us with a gorgeous song for cornet. The highlight of this album is indeed here where the Trio for Trumpet, Violin, and Piano by Eric Ewazen is taken and given such beauty that it redefines the word. Ewazen's name is known well to any brass player for his chamber music, and this is his largest rising piece and is performed very frequently for a piece less than 15 years old, and listening to this performance, you are left in no doubt why. This "recorded recital" finishes up with two portraits and a jazzy piece, the portraits again a gift to us by Joseph Turrin, and "It's a great day coming" for six trumpets a well-known piece that shows us that Philip Smith, master of the orchestral trumpet can also handle himself well enough in the jazz setting as well.

This album is a wonderful argument in favour of everything that the 20th and 21st century chamber trumpet is. You would be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable or better performed disc of trumpet chamber music. Philip Smith's technique rivals that of any trumpet soloist (indeed he has soloed himself with the New York Philharmonic no less than 75 times in his career thus far), and his lyric playing is quite obviously supreme and seems almost to contain the beauty that one hears in the performance of a string master in his mastery of phrasing. Any trumpet enthusiast or performer should not under any circumstances be without this disc. Even if the trumpet isn't your cup of tea, I still recommend this disc, and indeed I have personally showed this one to people who do not like the sound of the trumpet who have themselves later gone and purchased this album for themselves. It's not the cheapest CD ever, this is true, but it is worth easily 4 or 5 other chamber trumpet CDs, so the price is still more than fair.

In short, an absolutely brilliant musical statement that is most essential to any brass player and highly recommended for any other chamber music enthusiast. July 1, 2007

Flawless

Phil Smith's performance on this album is pure perfection. I have many albums that display a performer's dazzling technique, but few with equal artistry and musicality. Truly, this is a 'must have' for any collection. April 6, 2006

Good variety, superb performances

Philip Smith collaborates with some other excellent trumpeters (including Fred Mills, Vince Penzarella, and Robert Sullivan) in this album. The Tomasi Triptyque is well executed, with good dynamics, articulation, and tone. Basically, you can't find fault with Smith's playing on any of these recordings. The Ewazen Trio is another good piece, showing off the warmth of Phil's playing. It's also good to hear the several large fanfare pieces, which allow all the guys to open up and blow. This cd will please trumpet aficionados and the regular listener. August 12, 2005

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