TONE: The tone that a musician achieves is probably the most elusive and abstract part of playing an instrument, yet it is also one of the most important qualities. (Who wants to sit through a performance if it's not pleasant to listen to?)

How do we develop a good tone?? Feedback and good examples are of prime importance. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is to work with a private teacher who can play with and for the student. A second way is to listen to lots of performances and recordings.

So, when you are looking for gift ideas for your young musician, consider a recording! Below is a list that I have compiled (with the help of some of the local professional musicians and private teachers). It is obviously not an exhaustive list, but it should help you get started.

Also, check the Boston Records site - they have quite an interesting selection of chamber music & solo works for woodwinds, strings, harp and piano. And many of the performers listed here have websites - do a search and see what you find.

FLUTE: Performers to look for: Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway (many styles - classical, pop, jazz), Paula Robeson (now living in Boston area!), Laurel Zucker Carol Wincenc. Composers and standard repertoire: Handel, Bach, Mozart. Specific recordings of interest: Claude Bollings - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano (Rampal and Bollings performing); any Galway or Rampal. Jazz performers: Bud Shank, Hubert Laws, Frank Wess (with Count Basie). In more of a pop style, Robert Dick and Jethro Tull.

OBOE: Performers to look for: Heinz Holliger, John De Lancie, John Mack, Harold Gomberg, Ralph Gomberg (Boston area), Marcel Tabateau. It is better to stay away from European performers (other than Holliger) as their school of thought on tone is very different than ours. Composers and standard repertoire: Mozart (concertos, sonatas, and quartet with strings), Poulenc, Hindemith, Handel (sonatas concertos and concertos for 2 oboes and continuo), Vivaldi, Telemann and Britten. Specific recordings of interest: any Holliger or De Lancie recording; The Art of Oboe Playing (Tabateau) - includes performances and discussion, may be out of print; The Gift (Nancy Rumbel with Eric Tingstad) - a Christmas album with lots of solo oboe and English horn.

CLARINET: Performers to look for: Robert Marcellus, Harold Wright, David Schifrin, Richard Stoltzman. Composers and standard repertoire: Mozart Clarinet Concerto, Brahms Trio (clarinet, violin, piano). Specific recordings of interest: Great Performances Mozart Clarinet Concerto (R. Marcellus ); Brahms Trio (Harold Wright); Musica Viva - Clarinet and Piano (Joaquim Valdepemas); Mozart Bassoon Concerto (Sherman Walt) and Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Harold Wright). Larry Combs has recordings out of orchestral excerpts for those really studying the clarinet literature. Stoltzman is an interesting performer; some clarinetists do not like his tone; others think it's fine. He crosses the style barriers and plays classical, jazz, new-agey... a couple of possibilities are Begin Sweet World, Brazil, Hark! (Christmas). Jazz Performers: Benny Goodman, Eddie Daniels, Ken Puplowski, Alan Vache´.

SAXOPHONE: Performers to look for: Marcel Mulé, Vincent Abato, Eugene Rousseau, Eugene Bozza, Laura Hunter, Harvey Pittel, Bradford Marsalis. Composers and standard classical repertoire: Ibert Concertino, Glasunow Concerto, Creation of the World by Milhaud (a work for small orchestra with saxophone). Lots of saxophone quartet works are available - sax quartet most often includes soprano, alto, tenor and bari. Specific recordings of interest: Anything by Marcel Mulé! Saxophone Colors (Rousseau); Prelude (J. Michael Leonard - a local private teacher!) - sax and piano - order from the recording company: Black Lion Records, P.O. Box 295, Sherborn, MA 01770. Vincent Abato has a recording out of the Ibert Concertino and the Glasunow Concerto - not sure of title; Saxophonquartette (Berlin Saxophone Quartet) this recording has works by Glasunow, Moulaert, Bumcke and Francaix. The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet is a group of four women who play classical and jazz quartets. Jazz performers: Charlie Parker (Live at Massey Hall); Stan Getz (The Dolphin, Anniversary); Sonny Rollins; Phil Woods; Johnny Hodges (with Duke Ellington); Billy Novick (alto and clarinet - local artist most often seen with Guy VanDuser or Black Eagle Jazz Band); Joshua Redmond (quite an inspirational young player). Myanna (I think she is local) plays a mix of jazz and easy rock style. 29th Street Quartet is a jazz sax quartet - the kids tell me it is super! On tenor: John Coltrane & Lester Young, and modern tenor players: Joe Lovano & Michael Brecker. And some student recommended albums: Ben Webster, "Live in Paris", and Sonny Rollins on "Rollins plays for Bird" or "Don't stop the Carnival", Paul Desmond plays with the Dave Brubeck on "We're All Together Again for the First Time" Bari sax: Gerry Mulligan, Harry Carney (with Duke Ellington), Gary Smulyan (with Mel Lewis). And CLASSICAL bari sax: Todd Oxford -- Finesse -- Equilibrium Records -- EQ22 -- www.equilibri.com

BASSOON: Performers to look for: Sherman Walt, Claus Thunemann, John Miller, Christopher Weait, Judith Leclaire, Frank Morelli, Milan Turcovic. It is better to stay away from French performers, as their instruments and school of thought on tone are very different than ours. Composers and standard repertoire: Vivaldi, Mozart, Boismoiter. Specific recordings of interest: Four Centuries of Music for Bassoon (Weait); Mozart Bassoon Concerto (Sherman Walt) and Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Harold Wright).

WOODWIND QUINTETS (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn and bassoon): Performers to look for: Dorian Woodwind Quintet, Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, New York Woodwind Quintet. Composers: Ibert, Bozza, Francaix, Poulenc, Milhaud, Danzi.

TRUMPET: Classical performers to look for: Maurice Andre, Armando Ghitalla, Wynton Marsalis (crosses styles and is equally good in classical and jazz), Rolf Smedvig (a Bostonian), Steven Burns (from Wellesley!), Timofey Dokschitser (Rhapsody, Concert Pieces, Preludes), Rafael Mandez (Rafael Mandez, vol.1 is really awesome!), Edward Tarr, Haaken Hardenburger, Phillip Smith-NY Philharmic (he recorded a CD of concert pieces used for regional honor band auditions), Fred Mills. Doc Sevrinson (has some nice classical recordings as well as the jazz. Composers and standard classical repertoire: Hummel Concerto, Haydn Concerto, Hindemith Sonata, Telemann, Artunian. Specific recordings of interest: All brass quintet recordings are excellent; anything with Ghitalla; Eastman Wind Ensemble - Wynton Marsalis - he plays Aaron Copland's "Quiet City"; A Portrait of Wynton Marsalis (?exact title) - includes Hummel Concerto and Flight of the Bumblebee; Baroque Masterpieces for trumpet and organ (Tarr). Jazz performers: Arturo Sandoval, Dizzie Gillespie, Clifford Brown (With Strings), Chuck Mangione, Maynard Ferguson (Chameleon), Miles Davis (Miles Ahead, Birth of the Cool), and of course Louis Armstrong (although he does non-conventional things with his tone!). Also check out some of the newer greats: Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Louise Baranger (a student gave me her Trumpeter's Prayer CD - very nice!), Nicholas Payton (I am told that the Gumbo Nouveau CD is GREAT!) and Jon Faddis, for example. Randy Brecker & his brother Michael (tenor sax) have a number of CDs, "The Brecker Brothers", Bobby Shew, Warren Vache´.

HORN: Performers to look for: Hermann Baumann, Froydis Ree Werke, Barry Tuckwell, Dennis Brain, Alan Civil, Phil Farkas. Composers and standard repertoire: Mozart concertos, Vivaldi, Telemann, Brahms Trio (horn, violin, piano), Richard Strauss. Specific recordings of interest: All brass quintet recordings are excellent; Horn Club of Los Angeles recordings - works for multiple horns (even 40 or more!); Baumann Mozart Concertos on natural horn (no valves: half-steps achieved by moving the hand in the bell), Tom Bacon, Rick Todd (he plays classical and jazz).

TROMBONE: Classical performers to look for: Christian Lindberg, Ron Barron (Boston based), John Swallow, Bradnimir Slokar, Doug Yeo (principal bass trombonist of the BSO). Composers and standard classical repertoire: Hindemith, David, Gilmont, Milhaud, Larson, Mozart. Specific recordings of interest: All brass quintet recordings are excellent; Lindberg is THE name in tbone right now and has many recordings out on the Swedish label "Bis": The Virtuoso Trombone, Stolen Works, Romantic Trombone Concertos, Winter Trombone; Cousins, with John Barrows on tbone and George Swartz on cornet. Four of a Kind: Music for Four Trombones. Jazz performers: Melba Liston (The first professional woman jazz tbone player & a great arranger!), Hal Crook (with Phil Woods), JJ Johnson (Quintergy), Urbie Green (Big Beautiful Band), Slide Hampton (World of Trombones), Frank Rosolino (Conversation), Bill Watrous.

BARITONE/EUPHONIUM: Performers to look for: Brian Bowman, Robert Childs, Nicholas Childs, Roger Behrend, Jean-Pierre Chevallier. Specific recordings of interest: Child's Play and Euphonium Music (both by the Childs brothers) on Summit Records (not always in stores) - Box 26850, Tempi. AZ 85282; Elegance-Barat (Behrend).

TUBA: Performers to look for: Sam Pilafian, Roger Bobo, Dan Perantoni, Gene Pokorny, Jim Self. Composers and standard repertoire: Vaughn-Williams Concerto and show-off pieces like "Flight of the Bumblebee." Specific recordings of interest: All brass quintet recordings are excellent (the Canadian Brass Quintet has a wonderful tuba player!); Travelin' Light (Pilafian) - kind of jazzy; Tuba Tracks (Pokorny); Changing Colors (Self). The last two are on Summit Records (not always available in stores) - Box 26850, Tempi, AZ 85282.

BRASS QUINTET: (two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba): Performers to look for: Empire Brass Quintet (Boston based); Canadian Brass Quintet (the consummate performers: serious and humorous with a mix of styles, they are entertainers and incredible musicians!); Philadelphia Brass Quintet; Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble. Specific recordings of interest: Canadian: High Bright and Clear (baroque era), Basin Street (jazz), Canadian Brass Christmas, Champions (a mix), and a number of videos of concerts. Empire: not sure of title... something like: Empire Brass: Bernstein, Gershwin, Tilson-Thomas, they also have a nice Christmas album

PERCUSSION: Specific recordings of interest: Bach on Wood and Bach Beat (Brian Slawson) - CBS Records - percussion ensemble arrangements of classic pieces; The All Star Percussion Ensemble (Harold Farberman) - MMG recordings; "Nexus" (percussion ensemble) recordings; John Williams and Friends (two guitars, string bass and marimbas); Arthur Press has an old recording of orchestral excerpts and how to perform them; recordings by Dave Samuels of "Spiro Gira". Jazz Drumset performers: Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Louie Belson (has a great video out also), Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Mel Lewis (Thad Jones/Mel Sewis Orchestra), Dave Weckl (with Chick Corea), Peter Erskine, Cindy Blackman (also composer). Vibraphone: Gary Burton & Lionel Hampton.

JAZZ: We play Big Band arrangements, mostly swing style, so I am going to focus on the big band era. Soloists for specific instruments are included above. Big Band Groups to look for: Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman.

Jazz bass performers: Ray Brown, Charlie Mingus, Milt Hinton, Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Christian McBride. Charles Mingus, "Changes", Rufus Reid with Stan Getz on "Serenity" or "Anniversary", and Paul Chambers with Miles Davis on "Steamin' with Miles Davis" are some student suggested album.

Jazz guitar performers: Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Larry Coryell, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Jane Miller, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden.

Jazz piano performers: Oscar Peterson, Kenny Barron, Mary Lou Williams, Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Marian McPartland, McCoy Tyner, Jim McNeely (with Phil Woods & Stan Getz), Lyle Mays (with Pat Metheny), Chick Corea, Toshiko Akiyoshi.

Jazz vocalists: Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Cleo Laine, Joe Williams, Manhattan Transfer, Singers Unlimited (origianlly the Hi-Lo's), and Diana Kroll.

Other big bands of note: Artie Barsamian's Boston Big Band (Mr. Piermarini plays on, and arranged a chart for their After Dark recording). Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, GRP all-star big band, Bill Holman, Toshiko Akioshi, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra (she is an amazing composer!) -- and-- DIVA is a big band made up of all women musicians (even today, they still get comments like, "You play well for girls!" Sigh...), Bob Florence, Gordon Goodwin

BAND: Good band recordings are sometimes hard to find, but they often include solo baritone horn (euphonium) work which is even harder to find! British Bandsman Centenary Concert features solos on euphonium and cornet; Making Tracks, by the Desford Colliery Caterpillar Band, features solos on baritone, tuba, flugelhorn, cornet and percussion; The Eastman Wind Ensemble has many fine recordings, as do the military bands.

BAROQUE: Last year we did an extensive unit on the Baroque period (1600-1750) in our band/orchestra workshops. Many of the student really enjoyed some of the music of this time, like Handel's Music for a Royal Fireworks, or his Water Music, and Pachelbel's Canon (actually, Canon in D, by Johann Pachelbel) is always a favorite. We listened to portions of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #5 which had some amazing trumpet parts, and Vivaldi's series of concertos, "The Four Seasons" is popular with kids who really enjoy classical music.

Have I made mistakes or left out important performers or recordings?? Please let me know and I will make the additions or corrections in future updates of this list. muffitt@bandnotes.info

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