The avoidance of the trigger is mostly about tradition more than
anything else, and also that the number of instrument choices is
limited. Probably 95% of the trigger trombones in existence are "large
bore symphonic tenors", which really shouldn't be used in a big band.
But last night I played a big band job with my current instrument of
choice for that setting, which is a King 3B with F attachment, upon
which somebody grafted a lighter weight Edwards bell. There is nothing
about the F attachment that inhibits jazz soloing in any way. The
trigger may not be used much during soloing because on most arrangements
the trombone soloist needs to play mostly above middle C in order to be
heard.
But to the original issue, whether the low-E cutoff is appropriate for a
generic "trombone" voice, if we were talking strictly about standard big
band jazz arrangements, a low-E cutoff makes some sense. However, even
back in the Glenn Miller era, lots of charts wrote pedal tones in for
the trombones. But more than that, there is the symphonic trombone
section that often goes below low-E, concert band music which does
likewise, Hollywood scores that use much more of the range, and don't
forget Broadway books which demand the extremes of range.
I just don't understand why somebody would have gone to so much work to
do only half the job.
Carl Dershem wrote:
Maybe it's an east coast/west coast thing? Most of the bands I play
in, here in San Diego and up in L.A. have players who use triggers on
2nd and 3d chair. I prefer having a trigger even on my 3B not so much
for the low range as for the added flexibility it gives me (there are
passages that flow better using the trigger, and it can make page
turns simpler if you cal play with one hand). A lot of the bands I
work with have 1 Bach 26 or similar on 3rd, and a 3B or 36 on 2nd
chair, with only the lead player playing a 'straight' horn, and I've
found it gives the band a fatter sound.
But ... different strokes, eh?
cd
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