Please suggest some great trumpet pieces/recordings...?

Question

I'd like to buy or put together a CD or iTunes playlist for a young lady who's starting out on trumpet. She's already in a youth jazz band and doing very well. I'd like to expose her to the best of the genre. 

I'm thinking first of great classical works such as Haydn's trumpet concerto and the trumpet part in Brandenburg #2. I believe there's another great classical trumpet concerto by... Hummel? (can't remember, but I used to hear it on classical FM radio, back in the days when we had classical radio.) Other classical suggestions welcome.

This collection should not be limited to old classics. I'm thinking of Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Herb Alpert... What would be your (informed, expert) list of the best, hottest, most famous? Thanks very much for your throughtful input.

petr b · Accepted Answer

There are at least three "standard" trumpet concertos from the 20th century, well known and often performed. They often show up in, or are required repertoire, upper-level conservatory students:

Aratunian ~Trumpet Concerto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KctLeYS7BRg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0O2gCh4gsk&feature=related

André Jolivet ~ 
Concertino for trumpet, piano and orchestra (here, with Maurice André,Trumpet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM4yXpFWYbw

Concerto for trumpet (known as No. 2 because of his preceding 'concertino')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZUaDpKTTo0

Best regards.

SkuaGirl · Answer

Håkan Hardenberger (who is definitely one of the best trumpeters in the world) made a very good recording of Hummel's Trumpet Concerto in E (sometimes played in Eb) for Philips. with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. (the CD includes the Haydn concerto). Other "hot" names are Maurice André, Rolf Smedvig, and Sergei Nakariakov, so you might want to check them out. 

Here is Nakariakov playing Paganini's Moto Perpetuo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXnkAnmAOEc

del_icious_manager · Answer

Another 'hot' trumpeter is the Russian Timofei Dokhshitser (now sadly deceased). Particularly seek-out the trumpet concerto written for him by Mieczysław Weinberg (Moisei/Moshe Vainberg) - one of the best trumpet concertos ever written.

Karen · Answer

There are so many great jazz trumpet players, it would be impossible to say who is the greatest of all time. Each one is unique in the way he or she plays (yes, there are some really good women trumpet players). I would say the greatest trumpet player is the one you like the best. As for me, I like them all for who they are and how they express themselves on the instrument.

theshowmecanuck · Answer

Look up 'Bix Beiderbecke'. He died young but was a contemporary of Louis Armstrong in 1920s. He is considered one of the top and most influential Jazz musicians from that period. You are already aware of Louis Armstrong, so there you go.

Cally · Answer

Depending on her skill level, Get her Jingle Bell Rock (it has three parts).

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Please suggest some great trumpet pieces/recordings...?

6 Answers