Jazz Horn

 

Horn in Jazz - Wikipedia article

The Jazz Horn - This site is a labor of love by Harlan Feinstein, and lists in concise horn just about everyone who’s anyone in the jazz horn world, plus a good jazz horn discography (although it’s pretty lean on Arkady Shilkloper’s work as well as other European jazz hornists). Not many links, but a lot of information in list form.

“Recent Listening: Jeffrey Snedeker’s French Horn” - article by Doug Ramsey

“A One-Night French Horn Festival” - New York Times article by Peter Watrous about Tom Varner’s Julius Watkins horn festival.

Jazz Horn Basics - podcast excerpts from Jazz Clinic - Starting at Ground Zero by Jeffrey Snedeker presented at the IHS 2008 Symposium in Denver. Link given for handouts. Completely recordings can be ordered from www.ihs40.com.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Introduction to Improvisation - free online course in the basics of jazz improvisation taught by Gary Burton. Part of Coursera (college courses for free)

See Dave the Rave’s List of “Jazz French Horn Recordings” on Amazon.com - 26 recordings listed.

AB+ (Alex Brofsky)

David Amram

Jim Buffington

Vincent Chancey

John Clark

Richard Dunbar

John Graas; also check out the detailed article on him in the Encyclopedia Dubuque; also “John Graas: Complete ‘50s Sessions” article by Marc Myers.

Giovanni Hoffer

Claudio Pontiggia

Jim Rattigan

Willie Ruff

Arkady Shilkloper
Interview with Arkady Shilkloper by Sarah Willis at her Horn Hangout

Mike Simpson

Mark Taylor

Rick Todd

Adam Unsworth

Tom Varner

Julius Watkins

Online Jazz Lessons [Jazz Everyone] - first lesson free; full membership is $15 per month (access to everything)

Dissertations - Jazz Horn

Bridewell-Briner, Kathryn E. "Chasing the Changes: A Survey of Selected Resources for Classical Horn Players interested in Jazz, Including Transcriptions of three songs as performed by Wille Ruff." M.A. thesis, Florida Atlantic University, 2006. ProQuest #AAT 1432660

Hart, Leslie, Improvisation in the Collegiate Horn Studio, DMA, Eastman School of Music, 2011, 201 p.

Lucas, Heidi, The Horn Can Swing: A Guidebook for Teaching Jazz Style and Improvisation to College Horn Students, DMA, University of Georgia, 2007, 258 p. [free download]

Ormsby, Verle Alvin, Jr. “John Jacob Graas, Jr.: Jazz Horn Performer, Jazz Composer, and Arranger.” D.A. thesis, Ball State University, 1988.  UMI# 89-14102.

Salisbury, Linda, “Twelve Jazz Standards and Improvisations Transcribed and Adapted for Horn”, DMA, University of North Texas, 259 p.

Smith, Patrick Gregory. "Julius Watkins and the evolution of the jazz French horn genre." Ph.D. diss., University of Florida, 2005. ProQuest #AAT 3204487.

Schaughency, Steven. "The Original Jazz Compositions of Julius Watkins." D.A. diss., University of Northern Colorado, 1994.

iRealPro. This very inexpensive app is an essential tool for any aspiring jazz player. It provides a backup band of piano, bass, and drums, and comes with a library of thousands of tunes, although you can input your own very quickly and easily. Run, don't walk to get this app for your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Wondering where to find that tune requested at your last wedding gig? Check out the Fake Book Index - a list of legal fake books.

Ken's Jazz Lounge - playalong CD accompaniments by Ken Wiley of 12 jazz standards, made expressly for the horn.

World of Jazz Improvisation - Articles from the jazz improv course of Joan Wildman.

Jazz Café - jazz charts by jazz hornists John Clark, Tom Varner, Vincent Chancey, Rick Todd, Tom Bacon.

Give It One - CD: The London Horn Sound goes Big Band