Joe Alessi live on Sarah´s Horn Hangouts

One of the most influential brass players alive, live on Valentine’s Day. Joe Alessi — principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic since 1985 and teacher to a generation of the world’s leading trombonists — joined Sarah Willis at the NY Phil’s Digital Archives for a Horn Hangout that ranges across an extraordinary career.

It’s a masterclass disguised as a conversation: how Alessi practises, how he teaches, what a life at the top of orchestral playing actually involves — plus a surprise Valentine’s Day guest, because some things can’t be planned.

In this conversation

• Life as principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic
• Teaching, and what Alessi listens for in young players
• Career stories from four decades at the top
• A surprise Valentine’s Day guest appearance

Transcript

Auto-generated from the live stream — expect the occasional robot mishearing.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Day, yes. A big round of applause from all over the world and here in the room to our room are big round of applause for Joe Alessi. Yes. Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. Yes. Welcome back to the Horn Hangouts. We are celebrating in style here in in the only way New York knows how and that’s overdone as much as possible. I found these glasses today on Broadway. What do you think? What do you think, Joe? Excellent. I’d like to How much?

How much? you. Too expensive they were. I can’t really see you that well, to be honest. Um anyway, I I think we’ll just take them off for now. We’ll put them on later. Welcome to the Horn Hangouts and we’re really happy to see you. Um we’ve got people watching all over the world. I really can’t believe this. Seattle, Mississippi, um Greece, Germany, my mom in London, California, Arizona, Birmingham Conservatory. Hello, Logan. Um really, this is really quite amazing. Rose Building next door, that’s not so far.

Joe, you’ve got so many fans and friends. And this I paid a $1.99 for. A $1.99? Well, I’m glad you’re going all out for Valentine’s Joe, you’re my Valentine today. Okay. You are, but I know you you have another Valentine, your wife Kathy. Yes, and I I’d like to start by giving you a little Valentine’s gift. Me? Yes. Even though you’ve already got a Valentine? Well, I’m I’ll get to that in a minute. This this is some nice chocolate for you. Oh, I see. Thank you.

Oh, oh. Now, for my wife, I just I got her the deluxe package. Oh. So, this is the big big heart. Okay, that’s all right. I’ve got So, happy Valentine’s, Kathy. Happy Valentine’s, Kathy. Yes. That’s the right way around, especially on a live stream. Thank you very much. the for the session that we have a little Valentine’s bear. Aw. put that down here. Okay, that’s great. Thank you. And we also have some other goodies. We have some stick-up things that you can that you can put them on walls and and things like this.

Great. Where are we going to put them? Well, we’ll maybe we’ll get my students open them that up. We need to explain where we are. Yes, sure. We are at the New York Philharmonic Archive room offices. It’s amazing in here. There’s there’s when I when when you walk in, there’s sort of all sorts of Bernstein stuff. There’s there’s there’s everything in here. There’s there’s there’s batons. There’s I was offered Toscanini’s silver platter to put our cupcakes on. Unfortunately, it was bigger than this entire table, so so we left it in its box.

But what is your connection to here? Um well, of course I play in the New York Philharmonic and I’ve been here 34 years and uh there’s I think there’s a lot of probably uh records about me in in this office. Probably um I think Oh, there it is. You are Turn a little to me, Joe, so we can we can chat. Yes. Is that okay for the shot? Okay, we’re just making sure. So, yeah, we’re going to get we’re going to get to this a little bit later.

and uh they might have some information on my audition. They might. audition comments. I think I’ve Somebody showed me those once. I actually in this in this um office, they also have records of my father when he played Mahler 6 with with the New York Philharmonic with Metropolis. He did the New York premiere. So, he came over from the Met Wow. and he was one of the extra trumpet players. Wow. So, I’ve seen I’ve seen that, actually. Well, we’ve got some some really cool stuff here, including an amazing picture of you from the old days.

I think Tim’s got it. It’s with a very impressive beard. Wolfman Jack. the beard one? There you go. Oh, yes. That’s something. Yeah, I know why I ever why I ever audience is looking at it right now. Well, also, yes. My student Carlos looks exactly like me. I told you you look like me. We’ve got some really cool stuff. We’ve also got a journal. The old journal from 2002. Look at you, fresh-faced. This is a better look, I think, for me. a better look for this.

This is Yeah. Carlos, you should try this look. Yeah, that that’s a cool look. Um and there’s pages and there’s loads of photos in here of you that we’re going to go through later. I mean, really impressive stuff. You had a whole photo shoot going on here. I’m not quite sure what you were thinking in that one. Uh probably I couldn’t wait to have a beer afterwards. But the the New York Philharmonic Archives is an incredible place. You can come in here and and ask, you know, what did Bernstein put on the on the second horn solo of Mahler 9?

And and Gabe has been so grateful here. Gabe actually Gabe is on the chat. Um if any of you have any questions about the New York Philharmonic Archives, cuz it’s not just here. Here’s all the original stuff, but everything is online and it’s for free, right, Gabe? You can That’s right. It’s really incredible. So, there’s so much history in these offices and I’m very grateful that we can that we can do it here. So, thank you. And the last time I was here was with Barbara Haws and we just a shout-out to Barbara.

if she’s watching. Barbara, are you watching? If if you are, see what you’re missing, all the uh festivities, Valentine festivities and cupcakes. Aw, and cupcakes. Yes, we’ve been wished Happy Valentine’s from Los Angeles from Annie Bosler and Henry Hart. She’s a wonderful horn player and Henry is 2 months old. So, they’re watching. Kevin Jones is watching Jones is watching from Sydney on the train going to work. Amrit is Birmingham Conservatoire. Um Emstek, Germany. You’ve got a lot of fans out there, my goodness. Snowy Omaha. Um my goodness.

I mean, this is really this is amazing. Boston, Hadley in Boston, Harrogate, Yorkshire, Netherlands. Everyone likes my glasses. I’m going to put my glasses on for all of you that have missed them. Happy Valentine’s Day. Can I try them? You Of course you can try them, I’ll be honest. Might as well. Yeah. Okay. All right. All right. Get on down. Saturday Night Fever. my prescription ones over the top. Cuz I can’t see anything. Never mind. Never mind. Joe, I have a tiny little video to show the viewers because last time we met, history was made.

Mhm. History was made out on the plaza. You were trying to You were wondering what that was. Right, I History was made. We were out on the plaza and we were I think we actually met since then. We met in in Carnegie Hall briefly at the Low Library and Charter done by Chicago Symphony. But the last time we worked together, last time we spoke together, was out on the Lincoln Center. And you were playing some trombone. I was holding a trombone. Anyway, I was moving the slide.

How many trombones did we have in the end? Ooh. We uh unofficially, we broke the record. We did it. 500, I think, or something. it was close to that. We have a little clip of that now, which handsome Tim, who was of course with me here on the Horn Hangouts and behind the desk. You’re going to play it now for us, handsome Tim? Great. We’re going to move out now. We’re going to move out now. Moving out into the plaza. At this year’s International Trombone Festival, there’s an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest mass trombone ensemble.

How many do we need to break the record today? We have need more than 369 369 I think I think we’re going to do it today. We’re going to make it? It’s a really funny story about that Joe because apparently we were just told by Gabe here in the New York Philharmonic archive that they rolled the ladder you had to stand on all the way over to Lincoln Center. Yes, well this is my chance to really be a conductor and so I was going to do it in a big way and make sure everybody could see me.

I could see it. It started to rain, do you remember? It was a it was a it was wasn’t didn’t rain too hard but all all the trombone players were you know fantastic with great attitude they came over and and and we you know we made that happen and it was a great way to start the festival off. You had the entire New York Philharmonic French horn section out there. were all out there that was I remember we said we said to Phil Myers and stop staring at that girl.

He said, “I’m not staring at that girl. I’m watching her slide to see where I should move mine.” Yes, I remember that. Yes, that was a great moment. Anyway, that brought back nice memories. I just want to tell everybody who’s might be watching on Facebook cuz we’re doing a Facebook live of this. Welcome. We’re really happy to to have you with us and um we want to know where you’re all watching from but if you have questions for Joe, we need you to go over onto the chat onto the live page at sarahwillis.com/live because that’s the chat I have.

Facebook live chat is too confusing. Um so if you have any questions for Joe, get them in now because we’re going to get to them in just a second. That’s a very nice mug, Joe. Thank you very much. It’s your new horn hangout mug. I’ll put it in my house with pride. It’ll be great. honored. Um anyway, um so let’s get back to Valentine’s Day and New York City. Are trombone players fluffy Valentine’s Day kind of people? I mean I I I’ve got chocolates from you so I I think probably.

Well, um I think so. I think trombone players out of all the instruments they’re romanticists, you know, so I have a feeling that they romanticists? Well, they they Is it all this wooing? Yes, exactly. That’s what operating the slide and and uh but yeah, they they like a good melody, you know, they like to they can they can croon, you know, the As we just said. anybody and so I think it’s it’s uh I think the you know what it is I think? It’s from the history of the great ballad players.

Bill Watrous, he just passed away and Urbie Green just passed away. These people could play a melody and turn a phrase uh just amazingly well and they a lot of them played the love songs, you know, love this, love that and melodies and soaring melodies uh Carl Fontana, he was he was more of a you know, a good you know, he could play anything as well but Watrous and Tommy Dorsey and Dick Nash, you know, they they all trombone players want to play these beautiful tunes and and soar and and that matter of fact I use that in my teaching with my students to to learn how to play in the high register.

Listen to these players and all emulate them, copy them. So that’s that’s something you can you can fix actually people’s high high registers that way. I remember one student if I could just talk briefly about that. Um he he he was a fantastic student. Um he couldn’t play in the high register very well. So I said, you know, bring me one song that you love to to play. And I said, “Okay.” Well, told me what it was. It was Princess Leia’s theme you know, theme song which is a That’s our that’s our solo.

Yeah, well we we stole it. No, no. Is it that one? Isn’t it that one? No, no. I thought it was. That’s our solo anyway. I’m getting trombone players think that Anyway, so he he he brought it in and I told him to write it out at a certain range, you know, that he could play it comfortably and he did and he and he played it expressively and and with no worries and I said, “Okay, bring it to me a half step higher next week.” And he wrote it out and you know, over a course of a month he was playing higher than he ever could play.

Do you think it’s because of he was sliding into the notes? It was it did that make it easier to play those high notes? No, I just think that that he was passionate about this particular melody and he had to make it sound right because it was his favorite all time melody. So I think that’s a a really you know, anyway it’s off a little off topic but No, not at all. We on the horn hangouts you can talk about anything you want. There are lots of interviews with you online and and we have your entire um you know, history of where you started and your your your granddad and your your your dad being your teacher and I’ve heard some talk about him wonderfully.

We actually have a picture of your with the the grandpa photo you sent us. Yeah, there’s a there’s a circle around his head um and he there’s stand he’s standing on a street corner in New York City. You could see the old cable cars and and and he’s going he has his trumpet case and he’s going to his some gig and it looks like there’s a trombone player next to him. If anybody knows who that trombone player is, please let me know um but we haven’t been able to identify that person but um anyway taught you trombone.

My dad taught me the trombone. It was uh you know, I won’t get into the whole story cuz people have heard that so many times. It right, it’s already online. We’re for the the horn hangouts is for the stuff you can’t Google. Exactly. Like what are trombone players good romanticists? Well, there you go. You you actually noticed that you are you are our cupid today. Oh, look at that. Wow. We go all out here. Thank you so much. It’s great. Um so so you are you’ve been principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic since 1985 and here in the archives we’ve actually we they they they provided us with with some original program covers.

I’ve we’ve got the we’ve got them to show you. Now, where are they? Um they’re they’re back here somewhere um of your very first concerts and your your your solos that you’ve written. Look at those. This is this was the first time I was a soloist which was 1990 in April and I I picked a nice easy piece. The Creston fantasy for trombone and orchestra. easy? No. No. Okay, sorry. It’s one of the harder ones but I memorized it Yeah. and uh uh there’s a there is an archival recording of it.

I know that. And with Leonard Slatkin and it was a thrill. I mean it was very scary, you know, to get up in front of the Had a had a had a trombone player been a soloist before? Cuz that wasn’t such a done thing, was it? know. Somebody asked that question. I think in a children’s concert, not in a subscription concert. It was might have been a you know, winner of a solo competition. But uh anyway, that was very that was really thrilling to do that and a little side note about Creston.

Um many people don’t know he was a an immigrant from Sicily and he had a a very funny name and then his his name was changed by the family I think mainly for professional reasons. But I would have I would have changed my name too but Giuseppe Guto Vegio. I know that sounds ridiculous but that really was his name. And people say, “Are you sure?” But you can look it up. Guto Vegio. Guto Vegio. I think I would have married him. Yeah. Signora Guto Vegio. Yeah.

So anyway, this is these are a few treasures that we’ve got here. Um and but but you’ve done so much. It’s impossible to talk about it all really. It’s I mean we have to do like three a three-part hangout, a 10-part hangout. But one thing that’s very very close to your heart are your students here at at Juilliard and anyway all around the world you conduct your trombone choir and um because a lot of students watch these hangouts, it’s it’s really they love to get the the insider tips on how is the state of trombone playing today as as a student?

What would you say you see you can see probably everywhere. I mean I I was at the Juilliard School yesterday and talked to the horn class. They’re fantastic. The standard is just going up and up and up. Well, um if you look back 30 years ago, you know, I remember going to a I won’t say what country it was, but going to on tour and maybe going to a certain country and hearing some students. And there was a lack of understanding about just basic things about how to move the slide and which is the you know, the most difficult thing to do on the instrument, how to make legato on the on the instrument.

And so but now if you go back to that same country you know everybody knows how to play good legato. And matter of fact, they’re What is the secret? She asked to the horn player. is is to move the slide at the right time. So if you move it a little early and because you know, you you get anxious and I’ve been you know, I’ve seen this in my own playing. We can all be afflicted with this. And then if you move it just a little early, then there’s a portamento.

There’s a glissando. And this tiny little glissando, sometimes people don’t hear it. You know, while they’re cuz they’re used to they’re used to hear the sound of making glissando and not even aware. So one of the things we do here at the school is is everybody has to record themselves at half speed. I’m sorry. They they record themselves and play it back at half speed. This way you can hear clearly where these little things occur. And my teacher did that with me on a reel-to-reel you know, uh machine way back when.

And it was eye-opening. You know, cuz I didn’t know I I had no idea what was going on in the in the miniature world of of of slide technique. And you know, it’s just like taking a microscope and looking at you know, a surface, a table surface. It looks fine, but if you look really closely, there’s all kinds of mites and you know, whatever. You don’t have no idea what’s on there. Um but it’s the same type of thing and and and so nowadays there’s so many people aware of this and and uh uh that being said, there are there are people that think they can do it right and it’s my job to show them, you know, hey you really should take a good look at this.

So the overall standard of of students these days has gone up. Absolutely. So how what makes that special student that makes everyone look up from a panel? Well uh somebody who who uh uh studies themselves with their audio device Yeah. and and who listens for their rhythm and pitch. And actually somebody posted something today uh my friend Raymond Lam Lam in uh China and he found a class I gave at uh New World and somebody recorded it and lo and behold, it’s on the internet now.

But but it’s in China by now, best seller. I listened to it cuz it was from 10 years ago. I completely forgot what it was about, but the some of the things I talked about is you know, the attitude, the right attitude. Um you know, especially if you’re going to play an audition and and that is there’s always going to be somebody you have to prepare like there’s always going to be somebody better than you. And and and you have to uh you know, go into a regiment, a training regiment and that’s what I I did, you know for my auditions.

Uh I took it very seriously and and tried to compare it to like an Olympic athlete. Absolutely. Cuz it’s a short small event. You know, you’re up there for 5 minutes or 10 minutes and the Olympic athlete even trains longer for that day and that last maybe 5 seconds, you know. Um or you know, in in in the case of a uh pommel horse or whatever or a jump or something like that. Um so anyway, it’s it’s it’s something that the what separates, I think to go on a little further about that is yeah, somebody who really really checks their rhythm and intonation because of course, 90% of people who go to auditions don’t follow up on those two things.

And only 10% do. At at least that’s I’ve been on so many brass committees. So I would say if you just that’s kind of the ratio. If if if 20 people show up on one day uh you know, you’re going to get maybe three that play in tune and in rhythm. Yeah, three maybe, you know, uh and In your class here, your low brass class, they they they might as well not come if their tuning isn’t perfect I read. You’re quite strict about that with them.

Well, yeah. No, it’s good. I’m a intonation policeman in the in the lesson and I’m saying, you know, that’s sharp, that’s it and it’s kind of training helping them train themselves to recognize where the tendencies are. You know, so the the instrument has different instruments have different tendencies, of course. And you know some people don’t think about that, you know, and the amount of that you have to adjust. So anyway You’ve got some some people there’s all these questions coming in. Daniel says the Leia solo is different.

So so me me me me That’s it. That’s it. Now I got it. That’s our solo, too. Okay, we’re going to get Oh, we’re going to get it. Oh, we’re going to get it. That’s the one. Joe, you were such a hero. I did it in the same tune you you sang. I’m the same key you sang as well. But that’s the tune it shout out to the family the Horner family. Um anyway, it was Mark Horner and and it was miraculous. It was just like riding a bicycle.

Amazing. Amazing. Well, that’s a good thing. I’m going to go and practice my high register with that as well. And I’m sorry that I didn’t sing the right tune at the first. We forgive We forgive you. Um Darren Allison, I was we’re going to get back get on to the New York Phil uh section now. Um Darren Allison says, Joe, what are the things you miss most about playing with Warren Deck? So that must be a tuba player watching there. You must miss Warren. We’ve got a photo of your um section.

I’m not quite sure if we have the right one with with Warren Warren in it. We’ll just show the photos we have of the section. I’m not You did You did send me one with him in it, didn’t you? Possibly. Anyway, we’ve got We’ve got some in the in the archived photos. Well, Warren was one of the finest musicians and tuba side I’ve ever heard in my life. Yeah. He He was so solid in his approach and and uh you know, he he had a sound that really is I’ve never heard anybody play tuba with that kind of sound.

And he was also very um interesting to talk to and you know, we’re very good friends and uh we’re going to see each other in uh end of August. He’s He’s going to come up to my place and get him on a hangout, I think. Yeah, oh that would be great. That would really be fantastic. He’s so interesting. Anyway um and and and said and and listening to him teach is is quite amazing. And I borrowed a lot of things from him. There’s something online of someone posted a three-part series of all the quotes that you did in a master class.

And I read them yesterday just before my master class and I thought I can’t go out there. I can’t say anything nearly as good as that. They’re such fantastic quotes. I don’t know if any of you know where where they are online. They’re somewhere. Uh maybe you could post them in the link, but they’re they’re a three-part um all your best quotes, something like air constipation was one I I remember. That’s That was very good. That the air you can take the air in, but then it doesn’t come out.

come out. Yeah, and that’s that’s something that everybody has to practice, you know, put put a metronome on take the air take your breath boom and play. You know, this is it sounds easy, but it isn’t. We spend a lot of time learning how to breathe in, but the people that can breathe out they breathe out the air that they breathe in. It sounds so normal, but Yeah, we that’s fear. Fear and holding back. Um yes, there’s another question here. This is quite a big one from Paul.

Joe, what was the greatest challenge you have have had to overcome with your playing? Probably my the thing I my one of my weaknesses is low register. So I have to I hear that queen of low register. It’s my favorite. Yeah and and I’m always I’m always feel very very flattered if someone says they thought a bass trombone was practicing in the room next door. Um yeah, I’m more set up for the high register mainly cuz I played trumpet, I think in the beginning and that’s my first note on a trombone was a high B flat cuz that’s what I heard.

Show off. Well, that’s what I that was the tuning note on for a trumpet. But so yeah, my low register I’m constantly working on and um you know, certainly things change, you know, in as a brass player, you have to kind of update yourself as you go along and you don’t have anybody there saying, hey, do this, you know, you have to figure it out yourself. And so you you know, you go through periods of transition. You know, the teeth change, your gums change, can change as time goes on.

changes as well? changes The tongue velocity? Exactly. Oh, it sucks, doesn’t it? Yeah, yeah. So there’s there’s adjustments that you have to make. Yeah. Yeah. So that would have been that that’s a that would have been a big challenge for you. What’s that? They they wanted to know what your big doesn’t sound like a huge challenge. This is what was the most the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome. Well, I would I would say that. You know, work reworking my all my playing so I could connect my high register to my low register.

That’s obviously something that every brass player works on, but you know, I’m I I work on that every day in my routine. Tell us about your day. Because you remember Christian Lindberg posted this video. Yes. And and everyone saw that video and thought, “Hmm, okay, are his days really like that? Okay, we’ve got to try and do more.” I certainly tried it for about 1 day. Well, um yeah, my my day is I I have a lot of students here. This is the most students I’ve had.

How many? 10. 10 students. So and they’re all they’re all wonderful to work with. So there’s a lot of time that I devote to them. Um and uh so yeah, but a basic day is uh today I did commute from my home and the mouthpiece goes in the passenger seat with me. And uh so I buzz on the mouthpiece cuz I do find buzzing on the on the mouthpieces is useful, very useful. And um uh anyway, I won’t go into that’s a whole huge thing, but then you know, I’ll get to get to the This morning I didn’t have to play the the the first part of the rehearsal, so I could leave a little bit later and the traffic was so nice.

But uh right across the street we have an apartment now, so which is great and and uh I share it my daughter it’s her place and but some nights I’ll I’ll stay there and that makes life a lot easier. So anyway, after the rehearsal uh what did I do? I had lunch. Oh. And then No, but I mean a typical day. A typical day. a typical day, not just today cuz today’s not finished yet. So who knows what can happen. You’re going to have a great Valentine’s night.

A typical day is is um you know, come over to the orchestra and I do a a warm up. How long is your warm up? 20 minutes. Mhm. And my warm up now consists of some different things that uh because maybe at this stage of the game you get bored of the same thing, so I’m trying to uh you might know this, we talked about this last time is you know, I’m working on my improvising all the time. sirens. Yes. And working on my improvising, that’s that’s a real huge goal of mine.

Yes, I I heard your your ex says does your exchanging classical lessons for jazz lessons. This is correct. That’s And I knew that cuz our friend Jason, who’s a horn player at Juilliard, who’s helping out behind the stream, his roommate is your jazz partner. Yes, Caspari. So you guys sit there and jam and improvise. has a large bore horn now. And and uh you know, he’ll he’ll um he brought that in and he’s learning it very nicely. And so the first half an hour I teach him Blazevich and you know, basic scales and things like that.

Second half an hour then I’m his his student. And and we’ll you know, so we worked on we work on a lot of different things. I heard a Clark Terry lick the other day and I played it for Caspari and he said, “Oh, I know exactly what what that is.” And now I can play it. Great. It’s it’s a it’s a little thing like this. So it’s just for the subdominant. So So if you’re in C, sorry, if you’re in the key of C uh going from G to C uh you can use that little lick.

And that’s a little augmented lick that that I heard Clark Terry do and and anyway, he helped me identify these things. And then you know, and then I can um incorporate these things into my warm up. So not I’m not only warming up but I’m learning jazz patterns and and like the melodic minor scale is very important in jazz. Uh so I’m doing that in thirds. That’s a good idea. I got a book of of from a horn a horn player that a French horn player that does jazzy gave me all the scales and I was like, “Whoa, I can’t play any of those.” Yeah.

Well, it’s it’s a little yeah, overwhelming, but Caspari is such a good teacher. He just works on one little piece of the puzzle and it gets me to understand it. So you put that in your warm up? Put put these little things in my warm up. You have an orchestral rehearsal then after that? Yep. And you come on over here. Yes, I I we this morning we did the Schumann second, so I played the alto trombone. And uh then usually in the afternoon I I teach three or four lessons.

And then my low brass class, which is today. Uh what are we doing in low brass class? What’s on low brass class today, guys? Russian Easter, uh Night on Bald Mountain. Russian Easter, Night on Bald Mountain. Some good repertoire. So some little so quiet pieces. Yeah. Yeah, not not so quiet. And then the concert’s tonight. Okay. Well, that’s that’s okay. Yeah, that’s There’s some very funny funny questions that are coming in. Can I just sort of shoot shoot shoot cuz I I I love them. They come from This this is a real mixture of questions coming in.

Let us know where your your writing in from. We want to know that. Joe will get a copy of the chat, so he’ll see everything you write, he’ll see everybody who’s been on the chat. If you’re watching on Facebook, you can write us there, but I’m seeing the live chat on the website cuz it’s easier easier to see what’s going on. So get over onto the website, send your questions in for Joe. Here we go. Quick answers. Uh Rafael Gagoo says he still remembers when you came to Lille in France for a trombone festival 5 years ago.

That’s nice. Thank you, Rafael. Alejandro from San Jose, California says, “I’m not a classical player, but I’m wondering if you change the color of your sound you’re playing alone with the trumpets. Do you brighten up to match or sustain match the trumpets or sustain the thick trombone sound?” It depends what piece it is. You know, if if it’s But of course you would adjust. Well, yeah, always always and and different trumpet players you play with Yeah. uh over the years it’s it’s it’s different. So but if it’s this today we’re doing the Schumann second, I’m playing the alto, I’m just trying to be very light with my sound, as light as possible and clear and just listen to Mr.

Martin Yeah. who’s right next to me and and so but if it’s we’re playing Wagner or something like that, um you know, to play with you know, the heftiest sound you can play, but also not pushing the sound either. Yeah. So “What is your favorite Strauss tone poem?” asks Luke Cryanek. Oof. Well, probably Death and Transfiguration. Here, here. Yeah. I love that one. Annabelle wants to know from Mannheim in Germany, “What’s the best or the most beautiful memory you have playing in the New York Philharmonic?” Now that’s a tough one cuz you’ve done it for quite a long time.

Do you have anyone where you say Mhm. that was the one. Probably um well, with with Maestro Von Stade and we did uh he he he does a great Mahler one. So we’re going to do that. Actually, we’re coming to on tour. We’re going to take that on tour next year. Although I’ve played Mahler one so many times, it’s it’s I don’t really care to do it that much more, but uh It’s a sad day when you say his version his version is really great. And and another one is uh Riccardo Muti when he came, we did uh the Festa Romana.

Yeah. Oh, that was such so much fun with him. That must be a good piece for him. I admire Riccardo very much. Okay. “Do you miss Phil Smith?” says Shawn Alexander. Goes without saying. We have a nice picture of you and Phil Smith Yes. I feel if you’re out there. Hi Phil, if you’re watching. If you’re watching, be great if you were. Yeah, of course I do. He’s he’s one of a kind. There’s something on YouTube of you two and your um you were you were you were having some sort of competition or something or banter?

Yeah, we we we did some crazy uh little videos together, mainly cuz on tour sometimes you’re bored. You know, what are we going to do today? Oh, wash our clothes. You know, and and we we decided, you know, we the problem was is we we love to practice. There’s a group of brass players Oh, you guys did the the the car park video, didn’t you? We it’s it was all about practicing and cuz what you have to do to practice in a hotel different funny things.

So yeah, some That was very good. That’s a classic one. That’s out there on YouTube, too. So if see if someone can find the the the link to that and put it on the chat cuz And that proves that proves that Phil can actually, you know, be a fun person. He Yes, he is. There’s a there’s a very nice question. He has nothing to do I’d like to know if he was watching, actually. We should get He has his hang hangout is is way overdue as well.

We have to get him in there as well. I said do the content. John wants to know if you like amusements parks and do you scream while on the rides? Well, that has nothing to do with trombone and I love that question. Yeah, that’s that I knew he would come right Oh, you know who that is? Yes, I know who that is. That’s a trumpet player, matter of fact. Hello, John. And we went to a great adventure together and and he’s the one who actually really screamed on this ride.

Okay. That’s a good question to choose. Okay. It’s just one of these rides that you go you you go up on a on a thing and then it shoots you off the over the edge and then you have to it releases and you go straight down. And yeah, he he screamed pretty loud. Aki is watching you from Joe watching from Finland. Um I say hello from Joe from Finland. It’s night time here and you’re one of the best. There’s really I mean this is really quite going on.

Keep Keep them coming, guys. Keep them coming. And just going back to Phil Smith, I want to say though that to work with him all those years really was the highlight of of my career and I remember how welcome welcoming he was to me and it was meant meant a lot to me. So And you have a wonderful There’s no replacement for him, but his um the his successor in the in the New York Philharmonic, Chris Martin. Oh. And Chris was here with me this time last year and did a wonderful hangout.

He didn’t get Valentine’s Day though, so he didn’t get He didn’t get the flowers. Sorry, Chris. Yeah. But But what a player, huh? What a guy. You know, we got so lucky, you know, to have Chris Martin and I love working with him, you know, and just he’s an amazing musician. Yeah. Yeah. So, tell us what you’ve got planned because that’s also something we can’t Google. What have you got planned for Yeah, for the trombone world for cuz you you’ve commissioned so many fantastic pieces. Yeah, a lot of my students know and and just people know me.

I I have a binder and I carry around this binder. This is the binder? This is the binder right here and it just it’s all of the things that I have I have to practice. There’s quite a lot of stuff in there, Joe. It’s a lot of stuff. This is this is for the my coming trip, which is next week and I go to University of Las Vegas. So, I’m leaving New York just at the right time. It’s very cold here. and warm. And so, this is a piece till you hear where I’m going tomorrow.

It’ll be nice and warm. Well, true. Off to Cuba? Cuba, yes. Very The difference I think is I don’t know how many degrees, but quite a lot. be a lot A lot warmer than me. But yeah, this is a new piece by Bruce Broughton. Uh uh a great something for horns in in LA when we were there. Wonderful composer and he wrote a tour de force uh trombone piece for me called Quit Quaternity. Quaternity? Does that mean eternity times four? Exactly. Earth is the first movement and he goes through the elements.

Uh air Yeah. and then for piano and or is it with orchestra? It’s with wind band. Excuse me, with wind band. Uh fire Yeah. and the last movement is water. So, this is coming up? This is coming up next week. Fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. Can we can we get a little sneak preview? Sure. Sure. I’ll Yeah. You don’t have a music stand, so I’ll just be your music stand. How about that? you something from the this movement here. Sorry. I love this. from air. So, this is a real world premiere.

No one’s heard this. heard this. You’ve heard it first on the Horn Hangout. This is amazing. It’s a beautiful melody. What a what a Valentine This is my Valentine’s Day present apart from chocolates. So, it’s a beautiful little melody. Hey beautiful Joe, how do you have the control to to pick up the your trombone and play with that control when you’ve got a freezing cold mouthpiece where you’ve been talking for half an hour? How do you do it? That’s my question for the Horn Hangout chat.

You get lucky sometimes. You get lucky? That’s not getting lucky. That’s perfection. I am holding the Joe Alessi binder. We we need sort of we I think we need to put a cupid on there or something today. I have little stickers that So, oh yeah, we can put the stickers on it. That’s right. Okay, well, we’ll do that after. Um so, this is all this is really this is like a real piece of I hadn’t seen that you talking about your binder in any of your interviews.

So, I people people are I mean, now we have iPads, you know, so that’s Yeah, of course. That’s the and Right. And that’s something I may do at some point, but yeah, every a lot of my solo um work is with wind band, but on this trip, there’s also um a uh to opportunity to play with orchestra. And my friend Maestro Stefan Sanders who uh was a student here amazing bass trombone student. Uh I called him Heifetz because he really was quite something. And anyway, he’s now a conductor and he conducts a few orchestras down south.

So, on the same trip, I’ll go visit with him and we’re going to I’m going to do Grøndahl and and Rota concerti. And so, every once in a while there’s something nice you can do with the orchestra. Um How many pieces do you have you commissioned? Do you do you have do you keep the track? Well, somebody Doug Doug Yeo asked me that recently and I have to compile a list. So, I’m Lots. A lot a lot of things, yeah. Uh either I commission or premiered, but you know, of course Christopher Rouse was one.

I am there’s a good possibility. I can’t say who it is right now, but it’s somebody very well known in the world of composition and jazz and he’s we’re almost ready to announce it, but but this is something announce it today? I can’t because it’s I can’t I can’t I can’t. I wish I could, but you’ll hear soon. Okay. You’ll hear soon. I don’t want to Exciting. Okay. Yeah, it’s very exciting. And Greece says hello. Leonidas, we are waiting for you to come to Greece. Oh, I’d love to come to Greece.

Phil wants to know if did Joe get the nine nine nine eleven turbo? Nine hundred eleven turbo? What is that? Is that a good car? Uh who said that? Phil. Phil? F I L. F I L. get the nine one one turbo turbo? but that’s maybe someday. I’m actually That’s not Phil. That’s not our Phil. thinking uh electric. Okay. for maybe another car down the road. And here’s from Andy Farmer. Here’s the obligatory equipment question. When Joe plays jazz, does he use his Edwards large bore horn or the small or smaller bore jazz horn?

Yeah, I have a small bore jazz horn that Jim Pugh used to play uh and there was a we did the New Year’s Eve concert and um Renee Fleming asked me to improvise on on a tune. And if Renee asks Yeah, she can’t turn her down. So, and um so, uh I decided, “Hey, I’m going to play it on a small bore horn.” And that’s what I did and uh I’m glad I did. So, that’s something I’ll I’ll like to play more down down road, but yeah, if you want to play you know, get around the horn and and play jazz and do it well and do it authentically, you do have to play a smaller bore.

So, yes, I have one waiting ready to go for me. Why do you think it’s so hard for classical musicians to play jazz? Um they’re they’re usually it’s so time-consuming to do what we do as classical players and and you know, we’re we’re teaching, we’re we’re we’re reading music, you know, uh one of the great things to do to teach yourself how to play jazz as a classical just simply improvise anything with no music. Just just say that and I just can’t. Just improvise on that.

And you know, you can do anything. You can start and that’s it’s actually good good an improvisation a free improvisation is a good way to explore and and just make up make up things. Just that come to your hand. Sometimes you can make up something that really sounds good. You know, so I don’t know if we’ll see. I love it, Joe. It’s it’s I I I don’t know why, but the horn players French horn players find that really somehow really difficult. We have to work on that.

Um yeah, it’s it’s I don’t know why. We get stuck in our Yeah. keys and sort of I don’t know. Well, that’s that’s something think? Do you Is improvising easy for some classical musicians? I don’t know. I We’d love to hear from you. What do you do? Yeah, something something happens when you do it you get drawn into it and then it becomes easier and easier. Now, Marshall Gilkes, shout out to my mentor Marshall Gilkes cuz he had me doing an exercise that I I think all my students are going to have to do.

Oh, Which is you know, everybody practice the scales. Yeah. Practice scales. I think every most everybody can do thirds, major thirds, okay? But prac- practice all your scales in fourths, Yeah. fifths, sixths, and sevenths. And if you do that and you get familiar with all that, then when you improvise, you can access any interval that you want because you’re doing it every day. That’s very good point. Yeah. Carol Jarvis is watching from London. Good. Thank you, Carol, for all your promotion you’ve done. Thank you very much.

We’ve actually never met. Oh, But we we are dying to meet because she does for the trombone world she does so much for the trombone world and likes to likes to present as well and and she did a great job at the trombone association. valuable to God save the queen. to the organization and she does so much. So, Yeah. She does It’s great that she’s watching. Really it is. Eric wants to know I wonder if that’s our Eric, Eric Rawski. Maybe he’s watching. What is your favorite spot to eat in New York?

Well, I’ve got a New York Philharmonic mug. I I don’t really know all the amazing restaurants in town because I only walk home. I I only Yes. Well, I only I only walk around. Like I go across Broadway, I go across Columbus. And then guess what I do next? I walk back to Broadway and then the next day I go, you know, and I just try to pick cuz I’m in such a hurry all the time, you know, and don’t have a lot of time, but um there there are some I mean around here uh that I’d have to think about that.

But I the fact is I don’t really know. Now, once we sell our house, we’ll move into the city and my wife and I will write some suggestions in the chat then. Sure. Sure. Absolutely. That would be great. Yeah. I just got to ask you this. Shawn Alexander’s watching. Hello, Shawn. When will you wear your Chewbacca suit again? I wish we had a picture of that. We don’t, but I There’s video There’s a video online if you’re watching. to you, yes. Yeah, that was where we were doing the Star Wars uh trilogy and uh You were Chewbacca?

I’m sorry. Yes. You’re a fine figure of a man, Joe, but you’re you’re not that tall. Well, this this suit was for sh- a short Chewbacca. A short Chewbacca. you wear the Chewbacca Oh. uh when you wear the Chewbacca uh Who’s that? Is it Mr. Rogers? I don’t know. Mr. Rogers? I don’t know. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Wait a sec. Somebody’s copying. It sounds like It’s It sounds like me. like a Valentine. Oh my god. Look who’s here. Hey, you’re stealing my idea. Play it to her, not to me.

Don’t play it to me. No, no, please. You’re going to get this. All right. He gets up there because you were played at the beginning of this show. I got YOU A VALENTINE. OH MY GOD. I brought you Thank you so much. This This gives me a great opportunity. My great friend. Aw, everybody, you know who this is. And one of the greatest trombone players on Earth, right here. Jürgen Rieland. Jürgen, welcome. Thank you very much. Welcome. Welcome. I thought when Sarah suggested to stop by, I thought it was a great opportunity to say you’ve been a great inspiration for me all my life and you are still.

And I think not only for me, but for the whole trombone world. I think I speak on behalf of the whole trombone community that if I say that thank you for your fantastic work and we hope Thanks, man. More many decades more. Happy Valentine. Brought you some chocolates. Did you? Oh my god. Oh, excellent. Ah, yes, yes. It was all I could get from the station to here. This was a This was 99 cents, right? $2. Okay. All right. But he’s got the glasses. Look at the glasses.

Jürgen, thank you so much. Jürgen’s playing is is playing tonight at the Carnegie Hall. Yes. Um and you guys just arrived, didn’t you? You just arrived on the train. Can we meet after the your concert tonight? Yes, we Okay, great. Thank you so much Where are we going to meet? Okay. Okay. Are you going to stay Are you going to stay Are you going to stay for a bit? Yes, sure. Jürgen, stay hanging. Thank you. Oh, he’s taking your honor. He’s taking your not taking your thing.

Thank you for coming. Thank you. Jürgen von Rieland, everybody. Did I say that right? Jürgen Jürgen von Rieland. Rieland. Oh, he’s always said Rieland. I always said Rieland. Rieland Rieland. What a nice surprise. You got your own Valentine. Is that Is this Is that Dave Finlayson coming? Dave Finlayson or Colin, I thought. He can do both. Anyway. Um Tim, what what shall I do with this one? What should we do this one? Should we let it uh Should give it to my student here. There you go.

Off we go. Make a wish. What is Doesn’t that nice? Should Unbelievable. Thank you. I just thought it was a It was great planning because because Jürgen’s been on tour for ages and and is not online all the time. We’ve been sort of sending backwards and forwards. been your guest yet? Uh not yet, but that is something that we need to I’m going to I’m going to give you a surprise for that. You You You’re going to come in in a tutu. You never know. Actually, the both of you’ve been on a Horn Hangout already, but That’s true.

It was the World Trombone Quartet minus Minus two. Everybody got sick. Everybody got sick. And we were trying to get something arranged with with with uh Michel and with Stefan. Stefan Schulz says a big hi from Berlin. Um but we we could You know what Mic- Michel’s like with uh with with with social media and phones. rotary phone. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So everyone the the chat’s GOING CRAZY GOING “WHOA!” JüRGEN! YEAH, that was really nice. Thank you so much for doing that. That was really Um yeah, the World Trombone Quartet.

What about your chamber music activities? Well, we just went to Italy together and that was a great trip. Uh we did a program at my seminar over there and uh we also have a CD called uh uh Just for Just for fun. Fun. I was just about to tell you that. which is, you know, a lot of great repertoire on there and it’s such I love trombone quartets, so that’s like playing in a string quartet for us. And, you know, to play with great players who are listening and adjusting and and and taking risks it’s really something, you know, so I have a wonderful time with that group.

Yeah. When When When’s the next tour? Well, yeah, I I’m not sure. We Well, if anybody wants us to play out there, let us know. Get the bookings in. Get the bookings in. Um Nathan Scott Owen dis Just a What Just a little a few words about your experience playing with the New York Phil Principal Brass Quintet. Mhm. A principal brass quintet, that’s fun. Yeah. Well, again, if you’re a brass player, you you want to have experience playing in a brass quintet. Of course, unless you’re a horn player.

Uh yeah, you’re playing hears us anyway. All right. Well, well, playing playing in um They would hear you. Yeah, I do my best. Yeah, uh playing in a brass quintet Uh playing in a brass quintet at an early age in San Francisco, I had a excellent brass quintet and, you know, that was some of our my first professional experience and we even worked on Etler at the Alvin Etler uh quintet. And anyway, then then did some things in in college, but uh you know, it it seemed natural to have do something with with the Principal Brass Quintet here and we did a lot of lot of lot of con- concertizing around the world.

Yeah. And we became a favorite of the patrons. They would want us to play a you know, a party or at a museum or, you know, Probably cuz brass players not only play great, but it’s cuz we’re very social. Uh-huh. Very sociable and the patrons like like, you know, like people who have a good time. I’m sure string quartets have a good time. They just don’t sometimes don’t look like it. A brass quintet always sort of look like they’re having fun. Yeah. I I agree with that.

We There was one concert we did. They wanted us to do the Lincoln Portrait because it was on I think we were performing uh on Lincoln’s birthday and there’s no there was no arrangement of Lincoln’s portrait. And so um my friend did it and uh my ex- my son actually did, you know, the speaking for that. He He came in and did that and anyway, it’s a nice a nice arrangement for that type of thing. What’s your favorite part about being a trombone player? What’s the absolute best thing?

with Jürgen walking in and and my my really good colleagues all over the world, uh you know, I think that’s probably the best cuz I think we all support one another and and uh that’s that’s, you know, to to visit with Jürgen or let’s say my friends in Italy, Antonello. I think he’s watching. Antonello, are you watching in Italy? Yes, I think I’ve seen the name. my great friend. And, you know, I have a lot of friends in Italy. Um and, you know, all over the world and and it’s just fun to meet with them and actually being in New York is wonderful, too, because everybody comes here.

Yeah. And, you know, we always meet up and have a beer or talk about something. It You got New York Phil, Berlin Well, not Berlin Phil, but members of and then Concertgebouw and there’s I mean, it’s it’s great. You walk out onto Lincoln Plaza here and there’s you meet You always run into somebody you know. Absolutely. It’s such a But it’s tiring cuz then you’ve already always got to play host. You’ve got to go out tonight and have a drink with the Concertgebouw boys. Yeah. Yeah, and I have a 9:00 a.m.

lesson tomorrow. I I have a 9:00 a.m. lesson tomorrow. My student, Hanai. Oh dear. She has a 9:00 a.m. Hanai, your lesson is being canceled. Yeah. No. No, but you you give us all so much, really. You are such a You just the way you pick up your trombone and play with this effortless ease. You said in an interview once playing being a good brass player is actually very uncomplicated, but being a a bad brass player is very complicated because you get You get You get all sorts of things, but the way you play for me is just how it should be.

You pick it up and you blow. Mhm. And that’s the secret. There’s There’s lots of things we have to work on as brass players. You know, there’s always going to be some uh thing that, you know, you have to adjust. And and and this adjusting is so important. My father said that and you know, he said, you know, like I said, there’s You have to keep keep find a new path sometimes and that’s if the old path doesn’t work and you’re sticking with it and, you know, try something new.

Mhm. Try anything, you know, and that could be your, you know, angle or the way you breathe or or maybe an adjustment with the with your teeth. Sometimes the jaw is too tight. Uh you know, a different vowel can help tremendously. Like I’m telling my students a lot about the vowel cuz if it if people concentrate too much on the consonant and especially in legato playing, the vowel has to stay like a singer. You know, if you if the vocal leads, for instance, that everybody everybody plays, you know, singers sing ah the whole time.

And not not a lot of students know that, actually. So, uh that’s what connects the notes is the vowels. And so, anyway, that’s little things like that. Making adjustments. It’s little Little things. Very important. Bring a big results. Joe, you are a hero for me and for I think everybody watching out there in Horn Hangout Land. I I just know you want to thank him as much as I do. Write in. Joe’s going to get a copy of the chat, so write in any messages you want.

Unfortunately, we’re out of time. We have to now put the office back, the poor New York Phil Archives office. We have taken it over with all our all our Cupids and our roses and The nice thing is we do actually have now for everybody I don’t know if they’re going to taste as good as they look. Ooh. But we’ve got some Valentine’s cupcakes that we are now going to eat and make a big mess on the floor here. Thank you very much to the to the New York Phil Archives for having us, Gabe and your team and Sarah for helping with all this.

Thank you very much. To handsome Tim, who we couldn’t have done this without. He’s very busy behind the camera, so uh you want to just Okay, he’s Okay, he’s waving. He’s waving. Couldn’t have done it without him and his team at Five Stream. And I want to thank you for all that you do for the you know, the brass community around the world. It’s It’s really uh it Things were boring before you. Really. Really. No, I’m saying I’m serious, cuz you’re bring you’re bringing us together.

We’re we’re talking about all kinds of different things because of you. And and I think it’s really quite something. And And so, if you if if you do, you know, want to have somebody interview you, I would like to be that person. That’s That’s very sweet. I Yeah, to do my What to do a Horn Hangout about me? Yeah, I think I think it needs to happen. We’ll see. See, I prefer to be the interviewer, then I can always pass the questions on. Joe, but you’ve been an amazing guest.

Thank you so much. I hope it’s just I hope it’s just one of one of many. Yeah. Thank you. And happy Valentine’s Day. Day. Happy Valentine’s Day to my wonderful wife Day, everybody. Kathy. Hi, Kathy. Happy Valentine’s Day. We love you. Come on in. Come on, you guys. Who wants to come in? Come on, Gareth. Come on, Jason. Come and have a cupcake, everybody. Cupcakes. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Here we go. Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. There we go.

Run an extra mile tomorrow. See you soon. All right.

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