Evolution (The Improvisational Style of Bob Brookmeyer For Trombone) [Paperback]

Rob Hudson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2003

21 improvised solos spanning Brookmeyer's career, showing how he sounds today, and tracing his path along the way.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Universal Edition (May 15, 2003)
• ISBN-10: 3702417494
• ISBN-13: 978-3702417499
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,046,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An editorial glitch., April 8, 2004

By 

Bruce Samet "Bruce Samet" (Mount Airy, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution (The Improvisational Style of Bob Brookmeyer For Trombone) (Paperback)

I second the previous reviewer's comments, without qualification; but I'd like to warn buyers of one major proofreading failure, in the presentation of "I Hear a Rhapsody." The transcription occupies six pages, pp. 64-69. In my copy (just yesterday received from Amazon), which I have no reason to believe is unique, the content of page 66 is erroneously reprinted as page 68, the music that belongs on page 68 appears on page 69, and the final page of the transcription is missing. Since the page numbers themselves are in correct sequence, this apparently is the result of an editorial and proofreading failure rather than a foul-up in physical production, and it really needs to be fixed. Definitely, buy this book if you're at all interested -- nobody active in the field right now deserves and rewards attention, study and appreciation any more than Bob Brookmeyer (personal opinion, but I'll fight for it!) -- but check your copies, and if they're not correct, by all means let Universal Edition know. It's not at all unreasonable, I think, to ask them to send you the missing page.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important note from the publisher, April 14, 2004

By 

Michael Breneis (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evolution (The Improvisational Style of Bob Brookmeyer For Trombone) (Paperback)

Dear Bruce and all people who bought this book or want to buy it. The described mistake is real and exists in the whole first print run. We already printed an errata sheet which will be inserted within all copies lying on stock. All customers are invited to send me an email with a request for the correct pages 68/69. You will receive them as PDF via email or as printed sheets via snail mail. Sorry for that!

With best wishes,

Mike Breneis, Senior Editor, Universal Edition Vienna/London/New York
[e-mail], www.universaledition.com

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than Just a Glimpse -- A Remarkable Analysis, March 22, 2004

By 

Stephen A. Smith (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution (The Improvisational Style of Bob Brookmeyer For Trombone) (Paperback)

When I learned about this book, I was working on a similar project. Consequently, my initial reaction was ambivalent. As a writer, I couldn't help seeing Hudson's book as competition. I had begun with an original idea, and suddenly I was second in line. On the other hand, I had focused on Brookmeyer because I'm passionate about his music. As a fan, I was eager to read this new book, and to see what Hudson was offering. I ordered it immediately from the foreign publisher. (Amazon now offers it much cheaper!)

Hudson did a marvelous job. He weaves transcription together with exposition, creating a remarkable insight into Brookmeyer's improvisational style. Hudson chose 21 solos spanning the length of Brookmeyer's career to date, from his recordings with Gerry Mulligan and Clark Terry to his recent output on Challenge Records. A few of the albums are unfortunately out of print, but I expect that will change in the next several years. In the meantime, there's always a variety of Brookmeyer LPs for auction on the internet.

Every transcription is accompanied by at least a page of analysis by Hudson. This is crucial. Most transcription books simply offer a collection of solos, useful only to the musician who spends time learning each. Hudson offers something very different. You will have to read music and have a basic understanding of harmony; but you can appreciate and learn from this book just by reading it, whether or not you choose to learn the solos.

The icing on the cake is an eight-page interview. In preparing my own work, I read through many Brookmeyer interviews. I even interviewed him myself. Hudson's is the best I've read. He did a great job at getting Brookmeyer to explain some of the methods and mechanics behind his music. The interview is replete with fascinating ideas and concrete examples.

For me, profiling Brookmeyer had a singular goal. Too many people believe that music is subjective. It's not. Music is equal parts art and craft, and craftsmanship is not subjective. Some music is simply better than others; and for my money, Brookmeyer is king of the hill. Hudson successfully conveys that bottom line, that Brookmeyer is a master craftsman -- and in "Evolution," he has provided a tool to help understand Brookmeyer's music.

If you're interested in further reading about Brookmeyer, check out Rayburn Wright's "Inside the Score." Whereas Hudson examines Brookmeyer's improvisational style, Wright analyzes Brookmeyer as a composer -- specifically, Brookmeyer's compositions "Hello and Goodbye," "First Love Song," and "ABC Blues," plus a three-page interview. Brookmeyer was also interviewed by Jazz Journal International in 1995 [Vol. 48, No. 11, 12]. by Jazz Improv in 1999 [Vol. 2, No. 3], and by Cadence in March 2001 [Vol. 27, No.3]. Finally, you can find older articles featuring Brookmeyer in back issues of Down Beat, particularly September 7, 1955; January 19, 1961; November 9, 1961; January 31, 1963; January 26, 1967; and January 25, 1968.

You'll enjoy this book. More importantly, it will open your eyes. Learning about Brookmeyer's music continues to be a sobering and maturing experience for me. It has taught me to be more critical, and it has given me tools to probe deeper into the music. This book is an important contribution. Kudos, Rob. You beat me to the punch, but you did a marvelous job.