Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists

Musical performance on brass instruments has blossomed in the 20th century because of technical improvements in horn making, a vastly increased literature, and an astonishing number of outstanding players. Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, and Doc Severinsen have become household names, and classical musicians such as Maurice Andre, Christian Lindberg, and Barry Tuckwell have pursued distinguished careers as soloists. Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists analyzes and celebrates nearly one hundred brass soloists who have performed and been recorded widely, and whose genius, technique, and style have combined to produce unforgettable moments in music.

?The book is a wonderful reference guide to some of the greatest brass players from Miles Davis to Philip Farkas to Herbert L. Clarke. Far from a quick orchestra-program outline, each biography offers a complete personal and musical background of the artist. Bibliographic references offer researchers a place from which to continue more in-depth study, and the selected discographies are invaluable.?- The Instrumentalist, ?This well-researched, clearly presented book fills a lacuna in the reference literature. Recommended for general readers, upper-level undergraduates, and faculty.?-Choice, ?Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists fills a gap in musical biography, particularly for classical instrumentalists, who receive scant attention in traditional sources. This is a must for music libraries. The descriptions of technique and recommendations for practice and teaching contained in the analysis section will be useful to brass students.?-Reference Book Bulletin, "This well-researched, clearly presented book fills a lacuna in the reference literature. Recommended for general readers, upper-level undergraduates, and faculty."-Choice, "Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists fills a gap in musical biography, particularly for classical instrumentalists, who receive scant attention in traditional sources. This is a must for music libraries. The descriptions of technique and recommendations for practice and teaching contained in the analysis section will be useful to brass students."-Reference Book Bulletin

MICHAEL MECKNA is Professor of Music History at Texas Christian University. He is the author of Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists (Greenwood, 1994) and Satchmo: The Louis Armstrong Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 2004).