P

erhaps no single musical element identifies jazz musicians moir than their personal sound.
Given the libertiesjazz players may constantly choose that the classical genre does not so
Jrecfucntiv uUow. the section leaders of jazz handsmuch less their soloistscan he ri-udily
ideniijiablc in as soon as a single note.
Technology has evolved along with jazz, particularly the umplifkation of live and reconled
sound. The electronics have influenced the players anil via'-vcr so. And after some 90 years of
jazz history, we are at a point where dijjeicnces oj opinion often divide tlon^bonists and their
listeners as to what that sound should he.
Does playing twmhone soloa [(ost'-mif in some way "cheat" or disrespect the sound of
what 1 might call, Joi lack of a better hrief term, the "full-on," more mic-distant and open
(rombone-soloing tradition? Are there advantages, disadvantages, differences, and/or
prejudices? I have personally witnessedas with such headv suhjecis as politics and religion
heated debates ihat can occur between respected iiidivi(iuals on and ajter the gig about the topic
of the microphone and its relationship to the sound of ihe jazz trombone.
So I figured il was high time we look at the topic in our ITA Journal. /ji a highly
unscientific manner, 1 couiacted some 30 respected players and inquirvd about theii \lew^. i
reached out across continents, genders, and age groups. More than half of them replied, and not
all "for the record." One trombonist who described il us "a beauliJuUv volatile topic" captured
the thoughts ojsome participants- And two well-known performers did expressly decline to
share any thoughts for publication, one stating "/ wouldn't get in the middle of that," another
not wanting to "jump in this quagmire of dissension."
I doubt thut any discussion regarding "the ideal jazz trombone sound" would last long:
jazz, by its definition, calls for individuality oj expression. What I hope to do is illuminaie the
un<k'rs(a(Jtlin^^s that provide the foundation for various schools of thought on the issue so that
hopefully eyeryone can come awayjrom this with not only a more thorough understanding oj
the position they themselves hold but also a more healthy respect Jor the logic of any opposing
vifw(s}. That, to me. is good education.
None oj the trombonists quoted within this article had access to the others' replies; so I am
grateful to each for their willingness to contribute their (limighis independently. Some of their
answers are presented anonymously.

-30-

International Trombone Association Journal /

www.trombone.net

Influences
Antonio Garcia: When you were
developing your sound early on, which
trombonists particularly inspired you with
their close-mic sound?
Various: Albert Mangelsdorff, Bill
Reichenbach, Bill Watrous, Bob McChesney,
Carl Fontana, Curtis Fuller, Dante Luciani,
David Gibson, Frank Rosolino, Hal Crook,
Harr)' Waters, Jiggs Whigham, Jim Ptigh, Joe
Prejean, John Fedchock, Lawrence Brown, Paul
McKee. Quentin Jackson, Slide Hampton,
Urbie Green.
Steve Wiest: Carl Fontana and Bill
Watrous. k seemed to me that in those days
Jim Pugh was doing some live Woody Herman
recordings with ihe close-mic sound as well 1
really enjoyed the efficient-sounding nature of
this lighter soundand the "beyondtrombone" quality it produced.
Deborah Weisz: 1 really loved Carl
Fonianas sound, on mic or off, 1 didn't really
ibink of Carl's sound as a 'X-lose-mic" sound,
just as a wonderful, warm sound on the
trombone.
Ray Anderson: [ had no concept about
mics. I'm old enough to have grown up in the
pre-PA period. A big sound was a goal and a
necessity I played rhythm-and-blues; and P ^
were rudimentary, to say the least. Usually oniy
vocalists had mics.
Garcia: And which trombonists inspired
you wiih their open-horn sound?

Various: Al Grey, Andy Martin, Carl

Fontanj, Conrad Herwig, Curtis Fuller, Dave
Bargeron, Frank Rosolino, Fred Wesley,
Freddie Assunto, J.J. Johnson, jack Teagarden,
James Pankow, John Allred, Lawrence Brown,
Phil Wilson, Quentin Jackson, Slide Hampton,
Tom "Bones" Maione, Tommy Dorsey, Tricky
Sam Nanton, Trummy Young, Tyree Glenn,
Urbie Green, Vic Dickenson, Wayne
Henderson.
Allen Hermann: There are wonderful
players such as Wycliffe Gordon who defy
classification!
Doug Sertl: The trombonists thai
inspired me as a young player and even today
have nothing to do with how they use a mic. It's
all based on how they play: their musical
Ideas, mastery of the instrument, soulAnderson: I've always been inspired by
people with big sounds: Vic Dickenson,
Trummy Young. J.C. Higginbotham, Dickie
Wells, Bennie Morton, and the like.
Jiggs Whigham: Most all classical
trombonists have a great open-bom sound, as
well as so many jazz players.
Wiest: One of the greatest exponents of
tising both sounds is my absolute hero on the
instrument: Slide Hampton. Whichever
direction or sound Slide chooses always seems
to be natural and musically appropriateJohn Fedchock: My first inspirations to
becotne a jazz trombonist all came through
listening lo studio recordings; so, in essence.

every trombonist was close-mtked. Check out

YouTube, and look at the distance the
microphone is from a variety of players. The
proximity of the microphone is siinilar in most
instances. The sound engineer has the power
to turn the level up or down. Close-miking is
not realiy the issue here: this is really more of a
playing-volume issue.
Some may say that ihis is a trombonesound issue- But 1 have worked alongside some
of the giants of the jazz trombone, and 1
personally find no distinction between players'
personalized "open-horn" sound and the
volume they are playing. Slide Hampton's
sound at a sofi volume has the same dark
richness as il does at louder volumes. Urbie
Greens sound, belting it out at his loudest, still
has all the beauty of his soft ballad playing. I've
stood nexi to Al Grey playing coolly into a
microphone and heard the same brilliant sound
he displayed when crackling through a plunger
IVe also sat six feet in front of Carl Fontana
while he tried horns for an hour, putting them
through their paces at all volumes. His inherent
sound remained the same.

Bluffing?
Garcia: Some trombonists find close-mic
soloing a cop-out, saying that it masks the true
"open-hom" sound of the instrument. Your
thoughts?
Michael Davis: 1 couldn't disagree more.
Seems to me, Carl and Frank both had great

www,trombone.net / International Trombone Association Journal -31-

sounds whether they were playing into a mic or

not, The players I like today are the same way
Wiest: I agree and yet disagree here. U
does indeed mask the true open-hom quality
of the trombone, but I find that sound to be
very attractive and desirable. It adds one more
color to the compositional palette oi
improvisation. 1 think of the close-mic sound
in the same manner as I consider a mute.
Anderson: I think it's very important to
develop a sound that represents you. I don't
believe one sbould rely on a microphone for
thai. But perhaps you play quietly.....
I just heard Slide Hampton with two
young trombonists and marveled at the way
they could all stand perfectly still and play
with the mics right on their bell. ! could never
do that. Different strokes for different folks.
IVe been using a clip-on mic and a
wireless transmitter/receiver for some years.
The clip-on might seem like the ultimate in
close-miking, but actually it functions like nomiking in that the dynamics have to produced
by tbe musician. You can't swallow it and
make your soft stuff loud, and you can't get
away from it to make your loud stuff softer. I
love it because I can wander around the stage
and bend over or whatever I need to do
without my sound going out of the PA.
Hermann: Let me hear their sounds and
articulations open-hom before I pass judgmentRick Simerly: I don't fee! that close-mic
is a "cop-oui," Obviously if you get too close to
the mic, the natural sound of the 'bone is
affected; bui most players wbo use ihe mic
know how to do it. They usually know the
correct distance from the mic, exactly what
they want in the sound and for the EQ
equalizationi of the instrimient.
It could also be argued that the true
sound of the insirument is the controlled
sound that a close-mic player gets. It isn't
forced or out of focus, which is sometimes the
case when an "open-hom player" has to play
lo a big room. Then again, ciose-mic players
are sometimes at the mercy of the sound
system, which varies from venue to venue.
I've always felt trombonists have to be
flexible and that the most important thing is to
"play the room." If you have a good sound
system and can use it to your advantage, then
do so. If not, it shouldn't ruin your night.
Once 1 played with a 40-piece trombone group
and a kicking rhythm section. My mic was the
only one available: it ran through the tiny
ceiling speakers and sounded horrible. I just
had to suck it up and play loud without It. I
fell my sound was forced and the performance
flawed, bul 1 had no choice in the matter.
Tom Brantley; I do not think close-mic
playing is a cop-oui. If anything, I think it is

-32-

I feel that an
artist's personal
"voice** is paramount:
all the great jazz
artists have had one.
VThiohever
microphone technique
enables the
production of the
"voice** is the choice
of the artist.

the opposite because it takes so much control

and air to play that softly and produce the
many notes and wide range that the ciose-mic
folks usually perform. Also, your sound, your
tone must be really focused.
On the other hand, as a listener and a
player, I think that close-mic playing can really
limit the colors of sound that can be created,
along with really limiting your dynamic range.
And another limitation as a close-mic player is
that you are at the mercy of the sound-person
and the sound equipment being used (the mic,
monitors, speakers, etc.),
Scott Whitfield: I see no reason the two
schools of thought can't coexist peacefully. It is,
after all, a choice.
Ed Neumeister: To each hi&'her own.
Whigham: The "cop-out" is an
unfortunate and silly premise! These are
simply two ditferent techniques! I have had to
play out without the opportunity of a mic
(such as in the Kenton band) and have also
done a great deal of recording and concerts
where a soft, intimate sound is required. Both
have their place! ! feel that an artists personal
"voice" is paramount: all the great jazz artisis
have had one. Whichever microphone
technique enables the production of the
"voice" is ihc choice of the artist.
Delfeayo Marsalis: Close-miking can be
helpful in large auditorium and outdoor
settings, but players should never rely upon
the microphone and amplification to create
their tone and sense of projection,
Weisz: My ovm preference is to play
more "open-hom" in situations that require a
mic. But sometimes in performance it may be
necessary to play close-mic, particularly when
the trombone soloist is performing with a big
band and amplified rhythm section. You need
a mic to get ihrough all that sound; and if the
sound situation and/or mic is not adequate,
you may choose lo play close-mic for more
"presence." Sound is personal, and what one

International Trombone Association Journal /

www,trombone.net

person likes may not be another's "cup of tea."

Such is life and the art of music!
Fedchoek: It's rare in today's jazz festivals
or concert halls to actually hear a group playing
completely acoustically. Knowledge and use of
amplification is necessar)' in today's jazz world,
I've spent considerahle time over the years
studying sound-reinforcement just lo find ways
for a sound system to not "mask" my natural,
open-hom sound. Regardless of musical
approach, eventually everyone will need to play
into a microphone for a major performance.
I've heard many who ha\'e a great acoustic
sound but when faced with playing into a
microphone do not handle it correctlyand all
ihe time they've spent toward gaining their o\\'n
individualized sound is losl.
Technically speaking, there are natural
correlations between playing-volume and
facility- Flexibility throughout the ovenone
series and executing intricate passages can be
achieved with a litile more ease at a moderate
volume. But 1 wouldn't call it a cop-oui, if
persons are honestly expressing themselves,
musically speaking. 1 believe it becomes a copout when used for the wrong reasons.
For some, a danger can be in developing
a solo style that's too focused on "chops" and
facility and not enough on musical content.
Those players, as well as another lype basing
their style purely on aiteniion-getting blasts
and musically baseless effects, have fostered
heated debate over this "microphone" subject.
Overall, I believe this debate to be over
musical issues involving a select, diametrically
opposed few. not necessarily a microphonespecific issue affecting all.
I'm noi one for stereotypes; but there are
some people, botb musicians and nonmusicians, that seem to expect or prefer ibat
the trombone be played strongly most of the
time. This stereotype may be perpetuating the
issue. To the genera! public, the irombone's
"cbaracter" is expected to be brash, bold, or
even sometimes comical. That character
doesn't come ihrough as apparently at
moderate volumes, possibly spoiling many
people's preconceived expectations- So, rather
than "fighting City Hall," some players
unfortunately repress ihe exploration of their
ovm more sensitive sides.
1 believe the trombone, like other
instruments, should be offered every
opportunity to ihink "outside the box." Would
you expect to have a modem guitarist like Pat
Metheny play unamplified on a Freddie Greentype acoustic guitar? Of course not. He would
lose his identifiable approach. When a young
Miles Davis realized he didn't initially possess
the dynamic flair of Dizzy Gillespie. thank
goodness he realized ihat one of his

contributions to jazz could be a more subtle,

understated approach to playing.
Ultitnately a jazz player's approach and
sound should be a direct result of his
personality I believe myself to have a soft-spoken and somewhat understated side. Over
my 30 years as a jazz musician, those
personality qualities, among many others, are
now reflected in my playing. Ignoring those
more subtle ideas because they may not be
expressed as idiomatically on tbe trombone has
never been an option for me.
Everyone should be able to express their
complete personality through their music,
regardless of their chosen instrument. Whether
in or out of a mic, played loudly or softly,
contrasting styles can only complement each
other in the bigger picture, setting each other
apart and adding lo each of their importance,
ln jazz, as in life, difference is what makes the
world go 'round.

Another Genre?
Garela: Is close-mic soloing a genre unto
itself, say, as much as the classical guitar and
the jazz guitar are so often addressed as two
different instrumental techniques (if not
instruments)?
Whigham: Certainly.
Anderson: No.
Neumeister: It's part of our style for sure.
Mark Mullins: Just as the guitar has many
different sounds it can use and still be called a
guitar, so does the trombone. Inherently it has
ihe ability to be an incredibly dynamic
instrument, and 1 would consider the use of
close-miking to he just another way to gain a
different sound out of tbe hom. You don't have
to like it, but it is part of what a trombone can
do. I wiU say it is not my favorite way to go
these days. Twenty years ago it was.
I see the reason for choosing close-miking
as a soiuiion to be heard in difficult situations.
When you can't hear yourself in a loud
situation, you know that if you bury your bell
in and "eat" that mic it will get you closer to
where you want to be. You feel as though you
have power to bypass tbat soundman who bas
not been getting it done for you all night. This
opens up a proverbial can of worms in regard
to sound-reinforcement, keeping your sound
decent out front, and keeping ihe monitor-guy
on your side. (1 hear the sighs already)
Sometimes close-miking can work nicely
as an effect if you are careful with il. It's almost
like a guitar pedal that boosts you to the lead
channel of the guitar amp for a solo. But most
of the time it creates a dark muddy blob of
sound that creates havoc for the mix out front:
although you might hear a little better, it can
ruin the sound of the entire group.

Simerly: I'm not sure close-mic playing is

a genre unto itself, but I do ihink there is an
an to the technique of close-mic playing and
open-sound playing. Close-mic players have to
know about sound, distance. EQ, and more
when relying on a mic and sound system.
They also have a control to their sound and
can measure the volume-peaks in their sound
so as to not distort. Open-sound players have
to know how to project in certain situations.
This involves getting a great sound with a loi
of volume and being able to play fast and
articulate at higher volumes.
Wiest: I believe that close-mic playing is
its own genre. In my own sensibilities, I feel
close-mic soloing to be one of the many
musical options that make the trombone such
an ideal jazz instrumentWhitfield: No, It's simply a different
concept of sound.
Marsalis: Close-mic soloing is clearly noi
a genre. Instruments that rely upon electricity
for amplification cannot be compared to those
that are naturally resonant. When we hear
great soloists on acoustic instruments, it is ihe
resonance and tone of the inslrumenl ihat
attracts us along vi^th the melodic ideas. No
one has ever suggested close-mic opera
singing, nor will they ever!
Davis: 1 don't think close-mic is its
own genre. Many times we ha\'e to use
a mic to compete with other louder,
electronically amplified instruments.
But being a jazz soloist has much
more lo do with the actual content
of what you are playing than it does
with whether you are using a mic
or not. Time feel, harmonic
knowledge, the ability to react
musically to what's going on in
the rhythm section, the
building of a solo will always
be more important elements
than whether one is using
a mic or not,
Sertl: Close-mic
soloing is definitely
not a genre. It
doesn't affect how
well you
play, your
technique,
or your
flexibii iiy
It's really

Close-mic
soloing is clearly

not a genre.
Instruments tbat rely
upon electricity for
amplification cannot

be compared to tbose
tbat are naturally
resonant.
Marsalis
not anything except how close you want to get
to your mic. The only change is that if you
swallow the mic with your bell, you might
sound like a jazz kazoo.
Brantley: I don't see it as really its own
genre. For instance, the
group "Bonerama"
consists of five
Delfeayo
Marsalis
Photo
courtesy of
Dslfeayo
Marsalis

guys playing "ciose-mic" all of the time. They

are often p ^ i n g "all-out," whereas mosi oiher
close mic-players are usually playing quile soft.
"Bonerama" could he considered "jazz/rock"
rather than straight-ahead jazz as most other
close-mic players are.

It's rare in
today's jazz festivals
or concert halls to
actually hear a group

Recording

acoustically.
Knowledge and use of
amplification is
necessary in today's
jazz world.

Garcia: Regardless of your preferred

style of soloing live, do you have to
compromise in some way in the recording
studioor vice-versa?
Marsalis: No. The more relaxed you are
in any situation, the better your lone will
project. Using isolation hooths and closemiking in the studio tends to make for a
sterile, clear, and one-dimensional-sounding
recording. Many times the rhythm section
souuds like a play-along track, with no sense
of dynamic or rhythmic mterplay
Neumeisler: When recording. I usually
don't move around as much as 1 might on a
live gig. But othervk^se, 1 use the mic for all the
sound possibilities available: up close for a
certain dark sound, and various distances for
other sounds (including completely ofT the
mic). If one uses dynamics at all, then the mic's
distance is imponant so as not to overhlow
and distort the sound when playing louder.
Simerly: The studio can he a totally
different animal. It depends on ihe situation:
whether section work, solo work, same-room
location, everyone in isolation booths, etc.
However, for a solo mic, 1 think trombonists
need to first find a mic that best recreates their
sound. Establish a correct distance from the
mic in order to get the sound you prefer, and
set the levels in correlation to the distance
according to tbe volumes you'll be pla)ing. 1
bave never liked the "room-sound" of being too
far away from tbe mic.
Sertl: The mic is simply a tool. When I
solo viath a big band, 1 almost never use a
mic during rehearsal; but I make sure I don't
allow myself to overblow to be heard over a
17-piece big band. At the concert I definitely
use a micwith proper monitors, if possible.
The best position for the mic, 1 find, is 2-4
inches away from the horn. If it's a rehearsal
with a bigger group, say jazz orchestra, I
probably would ask for a mic in rehearsal.
The point is to amplify tbe pure sound of the
horn. Getting too ciose to or swallowing the
mic witb tbe bell tends lo muffle your sound.
The same is true in recording. In tbe
almost 30 years I've been recording, the
concept is basically tbe same. The mic is 4-6
inches away from the horn, and I'm using a
medium volume. The key, without a doubt, is
ha\'ing a great engineer! Choosing the right
mic and the right person "turning the knobs"

-34-

playing completely

Fedchcck

makes all the difference. You don'I need to

blow the same volume as live: you just need a
good engineer and mics.
Whitfield: No difference. 1 play the way
1 play
Weisz: No. I have not had to compromise
in tbe recording studio, due to wonderful mics
being available that allow me to play more
"open-horn."
Mullins: Sure, for me these tend to be
two ditiereni tbings, although one tries to
remove that wall. In the studio 1 try to make
sure whatever comes out is driven from the
same internal fire that a live solo migbt be
bom out of. Ain'i always easy! And playing
live, 1 sometimes like to think as though it's a
recording session in order to make myself
focus better on specific performance issues
(remembering parts, intonation, etc.) tbai
sometimes get set aside because it's "jusi" a live
gig. That's one reason I like to record my live
performances.
Anderson: Yes, you bave to adjust in the
studio. You can't go off mic, and you have to
be careful not to overblow and freak out the
mic. ln the studio you are also trying often to

International Trombone Association Journal / www.trombone.net

get just tbe essence of wbat the musical idea is:

you don't necessarily want to play the 25minute solo. Of course, this is one reason why
live recordings are so wonderful and valuable,
Whigham: I often have to adjust. For
example, when soloing in front of a big band
or large orchestra, I prefer lo use a mic.
However, I'll often step to tbe side of tbe mic
and not use it for cadenzas (unless it's in a
recording studio or an enormous hall).
Wiest: In artistic recording situations. 1
try to make sure that my microphoneplacement is such that it picks up my true
sound at any dynamic level. Then, of course,
the end result rests upon tbe quality of ihe
mixing process. Therefore, it is superimportant to use a high-level ribbon mic as
well as a bigh-leve! "blue-ribbon" engineer! A
true master of tbis process is Phil BuUa, who
mixed my recent CD as well as Maynard
Ferguson's final project. Phil bas also
engineered all of the University of North Texas
1:00 Lab Band recordings since 1985. 1 feel
that engineers of this quality are all-importani
in achieving tbe ultimate studio sound. They
can actually reproduce both the open- and
close-mic textures using mixing techniques.
Whitfield: Personally, ihe closest 1 ever
get to a microphone is about 6-8 inchesand
sometimes not even that close, depending on
tbe situation. 1 enjoy being in control of my
acoustic sound but will dejimtdy use the mic
for extra presence.
Davis: Of course playing in ibe studio
and playing live require slightly different
approaches; but the most important elements
of good playingsound, time, pitchare the
same no matter what or where we are playing.

Practice
Garcia: Do you retrommend any
particular practice regimen for developing one's
close-mic solo sound?
Anderson: No.
Davis; It seems to me it would be tbe
same recommendation lor developing a gootl
overall sound. Have a clear mental picture of
your sound at all times. Make use of your
practice time to focus on sound so that when
you go 10 play jazz, your sound is secondnature and not your primary' focus. Don't
overblow the microphone.
Fedchock: 1 haven't practiced for an
"open-horn" or a "close-mic" sound. I jusi
practice to have a good sound: a combination
of ail the good sounds (on all instalments) that
I've heard over tbe years. Hours and hours of
long-tones have brought me to the sound I
now have. Playing into microphones has had
no bearing on that. 1 strive to have the same
qualities of timbre in my sound, whether on or

off a mic. Those who have sat next me in a

section know that my lead playing, even when
pushing the dynamic envelope, retains the
same qualities present in my softer
microphone-playing.
J,J. Johnson had a similar view about
sound-quality and piaying-volume. He relayed
one of his practice concepts to Steve Turre, as
quoted in an October \997 JazzTimes article
'Bone Voyage," in which Steve said:
I was talking with J.J, on the phone
when he was still liWng in L.A. about
developing my sound, and he told
me 10 play long tones soft. You want
a big sound so you practice with a
big sound; but he said, "No, practice
soft." When you can get it to be
round and pretty when it's soft, then
when you play loud it's gonna' be
round and pretty too. Just like when
you want to play fast, practice slow,
the same thing with sound. It was
like "ding, I never ihougbt of that";
bui it's so obvious. J.J. said play so
soft it hurtsso when a master tells
you, I just try to do it. When you get
down real soft, it's harder than
playing loud as you can; and it
showed me something about control,
Mullins: Practice on a close mic with a
PA or headphones- And understand where these
monitor-engineers come from: some of them are
very good and know more about what we do
than \'ou ihink diey do. Give them respect when

i5ter (pfaying) and Virginia

Commonwealth University brass students.
Kioto courtesy of Antonio Garcia
Immediate Right: Antonio Garcia and Rick Simerly
at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Photo courtesy of Antonio Garcia
Far Right: Michael Davis and Bryan Hooten at
Virginia Commonwealth University.
Photo courtesy of Antonio Garcia

you walk in, and you'll be amazed al what they'll

try to do for )'ou lo keep you happy all night.
Rodger Fox: When I am in a recording
situation, 1 tend to play as if I were
performing live and do not alter my sound or
style. I feel this captures my slyle and sound.
For a hard-blowing solo, I stay off-mic 12-18
inches. If 1 am playing a ballad, 1 would work
4-6 inches from the mic and piay with my
practiced, focused, soft sound,
1 favor a consistent practice and
performance method, practicing soft and
loud, only using the close-mic technique as
just one of the tools for a soloist. It has been
my experience thai if 1 practice at a soft
volume with a focused air-stream and sound I
am able to use this directly onto the mic for
the close-mic sound. But I also recommend
practicing exercises with a full, loud sound to
be able to have the technique and chops to
play a solo without a mic. In my opinion,
soloists need to use all the colors that the
trombone can produce, not by only playing
with a ctose-mic style.
Hermann: I really would like my hom lo
sound like it does in my living room when 1
practice. Studio recording gives me my best
shot in the world of sounding the way I sound
in my living room. 1 don't see any need for me
to compromise there.
But it's usually not possible to get that to
happen in a club or concert venue. Add the
drums, and 1 need a mic. Add crowd noise in a
club, add a mic! What seems to matter to me

is that I hear my sound clearly and ihai it has

"presence" during soloing.
Some trombone players actually use a
close-mic to reduce the high-end sounds,
sometimes "swallovtang" the mike. But I prefer a
Oat EQ. with ihe bell about 2-4 inches from the
tnic-1 noticed in playing with Carl Fontana that
he also prefened a flat EQ, with his bell about 610 inches from the mic. He seemed to need less
feedback to liis cars from the mic system than 1
dobut his sound was a bit bigger than mine.
For developing a good close-mic sound
or a good sound iti generalI am a big fan of
long-tones. I remember taking a lesson from
Dick Nash in the mid-'BOs; and his advice was to
play lots of long-tones, with crescendos and
decrescendos for each tone. I am trained as a
physicist, and for years I had tried gimmick after
gimmick lo achieve a great sound. Bui it was
after doing long-tones for some years ihat I
finally found more or less the sound 1 had been
looking for Dick NasbfinallysoK'ed my
problem: loLs of practice and lots of long-tones! I
have passed that on to students over the years,
and il has seemed to work for them as well.
Brantley: 1 always recommend players to
not limit themselves or specialize. 1 think young
players should be able to "piay the occasion"; so
thereibre, they should practice playing with a
great sound at all times, with most practice on
the softer side. Only practice playing loud when
playing a piece or improvisation that calls for
itunless there is a specific need to work on
sound-pmjection or "Inud playing,"

Marsalis: Avoid close-mic playing like the

plague it is; but if you must, use tbe Yamaha
Silent Brass or comparable device to gauge the
articulation and tone quality.
Wiest: To start out, I always recommend
that one have a role model in the area of tone.
Carry this role model with you in your mind at
all times, and adjust your tone accordingly!
Eventually you will synthesize the role models
into your ovim voice.
As far as a process when playing closemic, the obvious first step is to control your
dynamic level If you can gel a sound engineer
to set your mic and leave it alone, you can
then move in and out of the pickup area just
as a jazz vocalist would: the closer you are to
ihe microphone, the softer your dynamic level
should be. 1 tend to prefer hearing myself in
the house speakers when 1 am close-mic, but
many anists favor a special monitor mix for
this purpose.

and usually argue the point thai they can also

play loud or soft.
Sertl: 1 don't know any players based on
iheir mic technique, just based on whether
they can play or not.
One Respondent: Close-mic: Andy
Martin, Bill Watrous, Bob McChesney. Curtis
Fuller, John Fedchock, Paul McKee. Open
hom: Alex lies, Conrad Herwig, Luis Bonilla,
Pat Hallaran, Pete McGuinness, Robin
Eubanks, Scott Whitfield, Slide Hampton.
Steve Armour. Steve Davis. Steve Turre.
Another: Slide Hampton is my favorite
example of someone who uses hoth styles at a
virtuoso level. Tom Garling and Steve Davis are
two more great artisis thai can make
wonderfully organic use of both open- and
close-technique. I think Steve Turre is one of
the strongest exponents of the open-horn jazz
trombone sound today: he continues to knock
me out with what he can do on the horn.

1 recommend that you get with a soundengineer friend and some other musical pals
who will listen from the audience-seats for you
as you go through many mics, settings, EQs,
and more to establish your own preferences.
Sertl: Don't waste your time practicing
any kind of mic technique. Practice mastering
your instrument: develop a good strong sound,
work on your soloing, and listen to the greats.
How you use a mic will not improve how you
play If you can't play your way out of a paper
bag without a mic, you can't play your way
out of a paper bag with a mic shoved up your
bell. Spend your time working on things that
will improve your playing. Once you're out
playing gigs and soloing, how lo use a mic will
come with practice and error.
Weisz: I believe the focus should be on
continuing lo develop one's own personal
sound and bringing thai sound to all
situations, including those that require use of a
microphone. But it is a good idea to leam a bit
about micropbones: which ones work best for
trombone and what sound EQ may be needed
when working viath a microphone that is not
ideal for trombone. No matter your personal
preference for playing on mic, a liltle
education in this area will be helpful.

As far as close-mic exemplars, Paul

McKee comes instantly to mind. Paul not only
makes this sound viable and desirable, but
when you hear him use it, it's difficult to think
of any other way to play at all! A couple of
other young artists that seem to have a grasp of
the entire spectrum of the instmmeni are
Michael Dease and Elliot Mason: these guys are
absolutely killin'!

Current ESxampIes
Garcia: Would you care to name several
currently active trombonists who seem to you
adept at soloing close-mic, open-hom, or both
styles easily?
Neumeister: As far as 1 can see and bear,
all the lop players have good mic technique.
It's part of ibe gig.
Simerly: I have found tbal some people
are offended by characterizing them as either

-36-

Another: Bill Reichenbach, Bob

McChesney, Andy Martin, Conrad Herwig,
John Fedchock, John Allred, Slide Hampton,
Steve Davis, Larry Farrell. Mark Nightingale,
Jim Pugh, and Birch Johnson are some players
who I think sound good on the mic and
without a mic. I don'i know anyone who has a
bad sound open-horn yet has a good sound
close-mic.
Another: Soloists of today that can play
in both genres include Jim Pugh, John
Eedchock. Steve Wiest, and Bill Reichenbach.
Another: Wycliffe Gordon and Steve
Wiest are mostly open. Steve Turre, Robin
Euhanks, Conrad Herwig, and Slide Hampton
do both.
Another: Urbie Green, Bill Watrous, Andy
Martin, Alex Isles, Curtis Fuller, Phil Wilson,
Ban Van Uer. Mark Nightingale, and Jiggs
Whigham all use botb techniques very well.
Another: One of my favoriies is Ed
Neumeisier, who has a wonderful sound openhom or on mic. In particular, he really knows
how to play viith the mute/plunger
combination on a mic and still gel wonderful
"presence," which can be a challenge.

Last Chorus
Garcia: Your additional thoughts? Angles
I've missed?

International Trombone Association Journal /

www.trombone,net

Hermann: It's all about sound and

articulation to me. I don't care so much where
the mic is as long as the sound is good. That
having been said. 1 rarely have heard a
trombone sound 1 liked without miking.
Exceptions are of course related to small or
really great acoustical venues.
As a physicist. 1 can say that the attack is
critical to the sound- It contains the high
frequencies; so longuing is most important to
sound. If il takes a mic for the tonguing to be
heard, so be it.
Anderson: Again, I would caution that
your tone, your sound, is your voice. You
don't want to only be heard when there is a
PA. do you?
Marsalis: Bob McChesney has a great
book for multiple tonguing. In his description
of developing the doodle, he pretty much sums
up the main problem v^th close-mic playing:
"Be aware that fast legato playing on the
trombone is more difficult lo perform
accurately at louder volumes. This is not to say
that variation is not possiblethe variation will
be uithin a generally lower dynamic range,"
The only reason a person would use a
close mic is to play fast, play in the upper
register, or to do both simultaneously In
general, the close-mic concept discourages
using the trombone's full dynamic range and
promotes dispassionate performance.
Fox: I have never been a fan of a
completely close-mic style of playing, 1 find
players who always use a close-mic technique
end up losing endurance and the ability to
perform in a totally acoustic environment. It's
like only practicing ai a soft volume and not
developing a complete overall soundI would not recommend to any student or
performer to develop a completely close-mic
style of playing. To be able to work in the
business of music, a musician needs to be able
to adapt to all styles. The close-mic style
doesn't suit commercial styles of playing (such
as rock, biues, and Latin) and cannot be used
in a big-band-section context.
Brantley: My own tendency is to play offmic or "open." But I am always working on
playing with more of a "close-mic sound."
since ihat is where my weakness is, I always
want to have as many "color-of-sound" options
as I can.
If 1 am in really good shape, practicing a
lot and on top of my game, then 1 am very
comfortable with the close mic. Ironically, if 1
am out of shape, then sometimes I will use the
mic as a "cop-out"but I am never very
happy v^ith it because 1 am out of shape, have
not practiced, and therefore cannot play with
the sound that is in my headContinued on page 45

Continued from page 36

In my classical playing, I rarely practice

placing "loud." In fact, most of my playing is at
a ver)' soft volume so that I can work on my
conirol and flexibility and also work on a
good, centered, and solid-to-the-core sound, I
practice the same way when 1 am in the style
called "jazz." 1 tell myself and my students that
we should never rely on equipment to get the
sound that we want: use it as a tool or color
but not as a crutch.
Wiest: In general, it pains me greatly to
hear trombonists argue about the close-mic
concept. It pains me to hear trombonists argue
about anything at all! (It's not in our nature.)
I feel that the natural voice of the
trombone is simply one of the greatest
instmmental sounds in the orchestral
spectrum. I also believe that the close-mic
trombone sound is such a unique color in jazz
that it almost qualifies as a different
instrumem! Far from being something we
should stay away from, this texture should be
honed, maintained, and included in every jazz
trombonist's vocabulary. The trick to me is
when and how to use this exciting texture. To
refer to a Branford Marsaiis quote: "The music
tells you."
Whigham: !n the attempt to niake music,
our task is to simply ser\'e the music as best
we can. An important aspect of this is common
sense. Unfortunately, as Voltaire wrote,
"Common sense is not so common."

Coda
In reviewing the remarks of the superb
trombonists commenting within this article,
keep in mind that what may look like
disagreements among ihcm aren't always. First,
of course, they did not hear each others'
thoughts when sharing their own. But even in
live conversations, different people can interpret
the same question somewhat differently and
thus ansu'er with wider variation. I can envision
any number of these players sitting around a
table, trading thoughts, and coming back with,
"Yeah, I see your point...."
Fiere are some thoughts from one person
with whom I was unable to discuss this article,
trombonist Bill Watrous, as described in an
interview long ago:
I use the trombone like a vocal tool,
more or lessmy attitude towards
playing the instrument is pretty
much like that of a good vocalist. In
other words, 1 believe in the ofKn
throat and a full column of atr at all
timesand control over it.
in fact, one of the things that I ask
people in clinic situations is: "How
long can you hold your breath? For
instance, are you one of those people
who. when you dive underwater, can

I really loved
Carl Fontana's sound,
on mio or off. I didn't
really think of Carl's
sound as a **close-mic**
sound, just as a
wonderful,
sound on the
trombone.
Weisz
only be under a few minutes before
you have to come up for air. or can
you swim the whofe length of the
pool underwater?" Some panic when
they're underwater, and some don't....
What I try to do is utilize the
resistance in the instrument, you see,
to enable me to just get a
comfonab!e...sort of a meeting of the
ear versus the resistance. And I go
thereas long as 1 can keep it there
and its in balance, I can go forever. I
can play a hundred hours in a row,
and my body'U wear out and fall
down before my mouth will.
Basically, that's my playing attitude.
I don't play with what they call "a
heavy tone." Some people use a real
heavy stroke; 1 don'tI try to play in
sucb a way that I can manage an
awful lot of light articulations over a
given space, shall we say.
"Bill Walrous, www.jazzpfofessioiial.com/
interviews/BUl%20Walious.hlm. Copyiight
1982. Les Tomkms.. Al\ Rights Reserved.

It is often said that no instrument comes

closer to emulating the lyricism of the human

voice than the tromboneand trombonists are

often the people saying it. Consider, then, that
the jazz vocal tradition is almost exclusively
mikedand most often close-miked, at that.
In my view, this is because of the same reasons
that jazz trombonists might seek such
reinforcement: sonic competition with
numerous other instruments (amplifted and
non-amped), combating the noisy ambience of
the club or hall and its often talkative patrons
(and active blenders and espresso machines),
compensating for the uneven acoustics of a
venue that might naturally elevate other
frequencies present more than one's own (to
the point of generating "wolf-tones" in the
hall), the opportunity to hear more of the
center of one's tone rather than merely its
outlines, and the option of not always
sounding as though one is shouting the
musical language.
Vocalists have the option of singing in
chest-tone (a la Broadway or opera) or in the
lighter head-tone (as in most jazz vocals). As
Delfeayo Marsalis aptly put it. "No one has ever
suggested close-mic opera singing." But what,
then, for the head-tone vocal lines of jazz,
which are sung not in the high range but in the
more conversational tessitura of the human
voice? A close-mic use would seem valuable in
preserving the timbre and balance of the music
when one is not "belting" a song. Opera also
benefits from having a conductor positioned in
front of the vocalist and accompaniment to hear
and adjust sonic balances. A jazz combo has no
such benefit (nor do many big bands): the realtime communication has to occur entirely
between the players, who first have to hear each
otheris musical ideas.
I had the good fortune of growing up in
New Orleans, where there is as much a heritage
of full-on brass-playing as in any city in the
world. In addition to my fine college studies, it
took me many years of listening, apprenticing,
and experimenting to leam how to play in a
traditional New Orleans brass band and not
utterly destroy my chops. Playing Ringling
Brothers Circus was a similar learning
experience. Contrary- to common expectation,
neither really called for "blasting": you had to
leam how to poke in and out of the texture
with your volume-changes as the music
prompted youand your embouchure would
be just fine.
If not different genres, 1 certainly cortsider
the jazz-club and brass-band illustrations
above to at least bear the potential for very
different styles of trombone-playing (along
with the potential to carry over styles from one
to the other). If the guitar were always played
acoustically, these styles would certainly
demand that the instrument be played in two
very different, physical ways. At many schools

www.trombone.net / International Trombone Association Journal -45-

\.

Ray Anderson and Mark Blankenship at Virginia Commonwealtti University.

Photo courtesy of Antonio Garcia

thai oiler jtizz and classical guitar lessons, ihe

performance techniques are so different that
for all intent, ihese are considered two different
insimmenis.
I believe it important that trombonists
who want to express themselves across a wide
spectrum of musicand who want to work
are well-served to have open-hom and closemic skills readily at their disposal. It's no
accident, in my view, thai so many great
soloists are also great lead pla)'ers in a jazz
trombone section. Diversify! Any lead players
would say that practicing and performing
exclusively close-mic would be the death of
their lead chops!
I also believe you should practice mic
technique in addition to the trombone itself. 1
found Steve Wiest's comparison of mic-use to
mute-use an especially valuable analogy. How
many of us have had to spend considerable
time teaming how to get the most expressive
sounds we can out of a given mute? A mute
offers a palette of colors, and so does the
microphone. Why not devote some time to
learning Us breadth of possibilities?
You could choose to leam mic technique
exclusively on the gig; but that will only expose
your inexperience (especially il you can only log
fleeting moments on the mic at a gig rather than
be positioned there all night). 1 encourage my
students^wheiher as soloists or as an
ensembleto "simulate game conditions" when
practicing. Otherwise, you will find yourself
distracted by the new, [-lesky element present on
the gig (such as using a mic) and may thus play
worse than you would if you'd been focused.
Distractions can lower the quality of your
musical coniribuiion: you can suddenly find
yourself with limited piich-range, flexibiiiiy. and
dynamic expre^iveness merely because you're

out of your acoustical comlort zone.

Practice on good systems and bad. If
you've ever been in a quality mixing session, a
critical playback of the mix is not necessarily
over top-of-the-line speakers but instead could
be over the speakers that most closely simulate
the equipment the music will later be heard
through by the consumers of the material.
Similarly I'll sometimes practice with a
lousy sound systemeven jusl using a small
guitar amp and a micfor the same reason I'll
sometimes continue to practice a while when
my chops are really tired: because these things
happen on the gig. Sometimes your chops are
tired, yet there are two hours left to go.
Sometimes you've been presented a horrible
sound system, but you still have to play
Experience and knowledge are your power.
Practice not only for the great emironments
bul especially for the poor ones, because you'll
be lucky if even half your jazz gigs are
acoustically what you'd consider ideal. Know
how to work your hom to get the best out of a
bad sound systemand at what point you'll
need to cut the PA loose and fend acoustically
for yourself.
It's a blissful thing that many jazz
trombonists defy categorization by being
versatile enough lo "pla)' the room" as they best
see fit. As I tell student bassists: "Play the bass,
not the amp. Gel the color you want out of the
acoustic bass, and then add the amp as needed."
The same applies to the trombone (though one
can always choose to go for special effects).
1 recall ha\ing the opportunity to perform
along with a hosting jazz trio at an
international music conference. 1 arrived at the
venue to discover thai I was not going to be
provided any mic or PA. Consider the logic:
there was a dmmmer; the guitarist had an

-46- International Trombone Association Journal / www.trombone.net

amp; the bassist had an amp. Anyone who

might say ihat these amphfiers would only be
used 10 the extent needed to produce a
halanced, acoustic jazz-combo sound had left
no room for tbe opinion of the soloist joining
them: the trio would of course have its own
idea as to what a balanced sound would be.
And how well could the drummer hear the
featured soloist? At what sonic point would a
potential lack of musical exchange between the
front row and back tmncate the real creation of
music in the jazz tradition?
1 had no choice but io play much more
one-dimensionally than I otherwise would
have- 1 was grateful that I received kind
comments afterwards from audience members
regarding my tone quality and expression, but
tbe bottom line was that I'd had to leave lots of
my expressiveness at home. I believe ii would
be much better for any trombonist to be
afforded the same sonic options as a vocalist
with a trio would have: lo be off-mic, on-mic.
or anywhere in between. The irony that this
had occurred at an international music
conference certainly suggested that not
everyone would agree with my preference for
sound-reinforcement options!
Along with learning from the live and
recorded examples of such visionaries as Bob
Brookmeyer, Rob McConnell, An Baron. Gary
Valenie (none of whom mentioned by my
interviewees), and the many anLsts already
cited above, I was blessed to hear and sit next
10 so many brilliant players in New Orleans.
Just one example would be the lale,
incomparable Bubby Gistigliola. a quiet man
I'd met in his 60s who could whisper a jazz
ballad, tailgate a Dixieland tune, or play the
"March" from Aida dozens of times over, each
time taking the lanfare up an unerring octave
at fortissimo. The fact ihat he was by day an
electrician who took his hom out of the case
only some months a year for ihe Mardi Gras
season was all the more impressive.
The unspoken lesson was clear on this 20
year-old at the time: leam all you can about
varying stylistic approaches to the music and
the instrument, and you just might develop a
personal soundand get some work.
Antonio Garcia is (he Director of jazz Studies
and Coordinator of Music Business at Virginia
Commonwealth University and has performed
with such artists as EUa Fitzgerald, Phil Collins,
Dave Brubeck, and Mel Torme. His new book with
play-along CD, "Cuffing the Changes: Jazz
Improvisation via Key Centers" (published by Kjos
Music) offers musicians of all ages standard-tune
improv opportunities using only their major scales.
Visit his website at www.garciamusie.com.