International Trumpet Guild 2006
"This fine trumpet ensemble, under the direction of Michael Arndt (coordinator of all of the prelude sessions for the 2006 conference), kicked tonight's concert off with a great display of virtuoso playing. We started with Bruce Boughton's Concertpiece whose fluid, melodic fanfare beginning led on to areas of new, interesting rhythmic complexity. Some very poised unison passages revealed the ensemble's lovely tone quality and accurate intonation before more melodic fragments grew and developed from a rhythmic background, ending after their arrival at a series of bold declamatory statements. The ensemble's second piece was a world premiere by Jamey Simmons, who was also the featured soloist. This work, in three movements, takes us in a jazz-flavored idiom first into a swing-fanfarish world of chromatic moments and rhythmic complexity. We heard some long flowing lines with spiky interjections, and the whole movement was delivered with real drive and verve. The second movement is beautiful, a lyrical and at times ballad-like piece with some great Harmon-muted solos. As the movement opens out it builds into a big climax with some very satisfying lead trumpet work before calming down to a more reflective ending. The final movement takes us back to a very fast swing with much excitement and color. Simmons has some great ideas on how to write good accompaniments for jazz solos when you have no rhythm section, something which can sometimes be a weak point in ensemble work. Simmons received a very warm reception from the Pfleeger Conceert Hall audience."