1:36 did anybody catch that circular breathing technique he did there? That was awesome. Here is a true innovator who took this instrument to levels never seen before. Speed, vibrato, technical wizardry...and yet the soul and sheer beauty of his playing has always captured my heart !
I believe I met him in a line at Port Townsend Jazz Festival many years ago.... I was floored! But like Howard Roberts he is such a genius that his music escapes me. I keep hearing he is difficult to play with...I hardly hear anything about him and yet he is the only only reason I like trombone. I love him! I wish he would come to Seattle. Conchya in Seattle
Bill plays a highly modified 1949 Bach 16 with Gold Brass Bell (not a 16M keep in mind, just a straight 16) that was given to him by Billy Byers in the 60s. Its been his main axe since then and on every solo album hes put out.
Yes, he's using circular breathing. As to his use of vibrato, he is VERY conscious of what he is doing with it. I heard him explain how he adjusts whether he vibrates above or below the pitch according to who he is playing behind. I'm sure his response to tromboneJTS critciism of his vibrato would be, I play it the way I feel it, if you don't like it, you play it your way. Bill is one of the most aware players I've ever seen.
One thing that Bill does is to play ever so softly. I tried this out myself and it did produce a rounder tone but it also exposed a lot of technical flaws in my playing. You may not want to sound like Bill but pulling back on the air might be a good diagnostic tool to articulation and slide problems.
All the "trombone techie" talk aside, what really matters is the ARTFUL way in which he applies these techniques. And am the only one who finds Corea's comping WAY busy?
@luigianguiani He told us in the UK way back on tour in the early 80's that he played a New York Mount Vernon 11C ...But to get the equivelent today it would be more like a Vincent Bach 7C
Es un trombón Vincent Bach Stradivarius LT16M Y Boquilla Vincent Bach 11C , Yo uso este mismo equipo, especial para tocar jazz , con resultados extraordinarios.
Furthermore Bill Plays with a Reinhardt Type III A Embouchure, which means he plays with a lot of top lip in the mouthpiece with very little to almost no lower lip in the mouthpiece. This Embouchure Type has many weaknesses and strengths just like other Embouchure's, however one of its most notable strengths is eased tension in the high register. Many people with this type have a "easier"time with high register than others.
@razornet1 Hmm. Interesting. The reason I love jazz so much is because of the misleadingly loose seeming structure. It seems as if at random, but really it's complex. I can also see why someone wouldn't like that.
'Willie' gave me credit for being the first cat that he met in New York, after being released from the Navy...We met on 'Jam Session' night, at 'The Cork & Bib' in Westbury Long Island...although apprehensive about getting on the bandstand with this heretofore 'unknown trombone terrorist', I gave it my best shot....and everything worked out! Fast forward about 50 years, and I was putting my 'swan-song' cd together, I got the 'wild' idea that since he and I had started together, it might be nice to put a 'cap' on i(with him)t, so I wrote a duet for he and I, and re-melodized/re-harmonized the bridge to Tommy Dorsey's theme song (naming it "The Bridge") and this is how it turned out: www.reverbnation.com/richpulinmusicalfamily/song/11042903-bridge-duet-bill-watrous--rich
It might also interest people to know that Watrous plays slightly off center. His mouthpiece as I mentioned before is placed very high, however aside from this it is also slightly to the left of his mouth rather than dead center. Now whether or not this adds something to his flexibility is unknown to me but Im just saying it could be a reason .
Hey guys I have a question. I have practiced trumpet for 1 year. How much it will be hard for me to play trombone? What 's the hard parts of it compare to playing trumpet? Trumpet was one crazy instrument my jaw was not able to control it even after a year..
@ladiviniiisimagarza Not sure right now but he has been playing Bach for MANY years. I think his website tells what he plays. The truth is he could sound like that on anything.
Bill Watrous said in an interview once that his father gave him his own personal Olds Super, which was a fine horn, however Bill noticed that in the first position several of the notes were slightly flat & could not be remedied because the tuning crook was in as far as it could go, so that horn taught him to hit the right notes in different positions however, with the bach strad that he is playing here I believe, he said that the intonation was perfect. And he has indeed been playing that bach for a long time. Rest In Peace Bill Watrous you are , and were a masterful trombonist.
First off, let me clear up an error. There is no such thing as ZERO PRESSURE!!! Some pressure is required to maintain a seal between the lips and mouthpiece to actually produce a sound on the trombone that doesnt sound like birds dying a slow painful death. Now second, Bill Watrous is one of my favorite trombonists and musicians. He uses a pressure in a way were it is severely DIMINISHED from what it would take a normal player to hit some of those high notes. He still uses SOME pressure though.
1:36 did anybody catch that circular breathing technique he did there?
That was awesome.
Here is a true innovator who took this instrument to levels never seen before.
Speed, vibrato, technical wizardry...and yet the soul and sheer beauty of his playing has always captured my heart !
Best use of circular breathing that I have heard while playing a ballad. Such beautifully connected phrases
Probably the best jazz trombonist alive today! A true master of the instrument.
Always a hero and teacher. Learning at 74yrs.
I love old Watrous, glad to find this on the interwebz, thanks for posting!
Such a great!
he came to my high school today, and boy, i was amazed... and i play bass! haha
I tried to think of the name of the tune but it never entered my mind.
This is the slowest I have ever heard Billy Cobham play...
I believe I met him in a line at Port Townsend Jazz Festival many years ago.... I was floored! But like Howard Roberts he is such a genius that his music escapes me. I keep hearing he is difficult to play with...I hardly hear anything about him and yet he is the only only reason I like trombone. I love him! I wish he would come to Seattle.
Conchya in Seattle
76'-And seeing /hearing it ,for First Time -goo U toob....BEAUTIFUL stuff...
Bill plays a highly modified 1949 Bach 16 with Gold Brass Bell (not a 16M keep in mind, just a straight 16) that was given to him by Billy Byers in the 60s. Its been his main axe since then and on every solo album hes put out.
o melhor de todos os tempos...esse cara é fantástico!!
Blesses to have had him in my presence last year at my school omg
Yes, he's using circular breathing.
As to his use of vibrato, he is VERY conscious of what he is doing with it.
I heard him explain how he adjusts whether he vibrates above or below the pitch according to who he is playing behind.
I'm sure his response to tromboneJTS critciism of his vibrato would be, I play it the way I feel it, if you don't like it, you play it your way.
Bill is one of the most aware players I've ever seen.
One thing that Bill does is to play ever so softly. I tried this out myself and it did produce a rounder tone but it also exposed a lot of technical flaws in my playing.
You may not want to sound like Bill but pulling back on the air might be a good diagnostic tool to articulation and slide problems.
He's got the best tone that I've ever heard for zero pressure technique
El mejor trombonista de jazz de todos los tiempos.
Very talent man!!!
Thanks you very much for your information. greetings from Mexico City.
¡¡¡BEAUTIFUL!!!
This was part of a one hour television special, PBS I think. It featured many of the Downbeat magazine poll winners from that year.
God, what a tone
All the "trombone techie" talk aside, what really matters is the ARTFUL way in which he applies these techniques. And am the only one who finds Corea's comping WAY busy?
The Tune is "Nancy With the Laughing Face"- was written for Frank Sinatra's daughter not his wife.
We love you!:)))
the trombone magician
super !! sound biu....
Great job Bill
@luigianguiani He told us in the UK way back on tour in the early 80's that he played a New York Mount Vernon 11C ...But to get the equivelent today it would be more like a Vincent Bach 7C
É o cara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Es un trombón Vincent Bach Stradivarius LT16M Y Boquilla Vincent Bach 11C , Yo uso este mismo equipo, especial para tocar jazz , con resultados extraordinarios.
@slipbone
He's listed on the Bach Trombone Artists page.
Furthermore Bill Plays with a Reinhardt Type III A Embouchure, which means he plays with a lot of top lip in the mouthpiece with very little to almost no lower lip in the mouthpiece. This Embouchure Type has many weaknesses and strengths just like other Embouchure's, however one of its most notable strengths is eased tension in the high register. Many people with this type have a "easier"time with high register than others.
bill watrous just did a clinic at my school today. three words... "fucking" "awesome" and "epic"
Heros.
Tune is "Nancy With the Laughing Face"-
witten for Sinatra's wife.
Yep. That's how he's holding some of his phrases out for ages
pefecto vibrato
Shit he's amazing.
@razornet1 Hmm. Interesting. The reason I love jazz so much is because of the misleadingly loose seeming structure. It seems as if at random, but really it's complex. I can also see why someone wouldn't like that.
nice hair.
Such a special talent. How did he do it?
'Willie' gave me credit for being the first cat that he met in New York, after being released from the Navy...We met on 'Jam Session' night, at 'The Cork & Bib' in Westbury Long Island...although apprehensive about getting on the bandstand with this heretofore 'unknown trombone terrorist', I gave it my best shot....and everything worked out! Fast forward about 50 years, and I was putting my 'swan-song' cd together, I got the 'wild' idea that since he and I had started together, it might be nice to put a 'cap' on i(with him)t, so I wrote a duet for he and I, and re-melodized/re-harmonized the bridge to Tommy Dorsey's theme song (naming it "The Bridge") and this is how it turned out: www.reverbnation.com/richpulinmusicalfamily/song/11042903-bridge-duet-bill-watrous--rich
Jesus, master!
I wonder how he tongues soo smoothly
Valentin Morales doodle tonguing
It might also interest people to know that Watrous plays slightly off center. His mouthpiece as I mentioned before is placed very high, however aside from this it is also slightly to the left of his mouth rather than dead center. Now whether or not this adds something to his flexibility is unknown to me but Im just saying it could be a reason .
Nice hair, he he.
"Nancy, with the Laughing Face"
sounds like "Stormy Weather"
Hey guys I have a question. I have practiced trumpet for 1 year. How much it will be hard for me to play trombone? What 's the hard parts of it compare to playing trumpet? Trumpet was one crazy instrument my jaw was not able to control it even after a year..
Just go for it. Buy a bone and you will pick it up.
@ladiviniiisimagarza
Not sure right now but he has been playing Bach for MANY years. I think his website tells what he plays.
The truth is he could sound like that on anything.
Bill Watrous said in an interview once that his father gave him his own personal Olds Super, which was a fine horn, however Bill noticed that in the first position several of the notes were slightly flat & could not be remedied because the tuning crook was in as far as it could go, so that horn taught him to hit the right notes in different positions however, with the bach strad that he is playing here I believe, he said that the intonation was perfect. And he has indeed been playing that bach for a long time.
Rest In Peace Bill Watrous you are , and were a masterful trombonist.
I'm pretty certain he plays a Bach Stradivarius 16M, not the LT.
@1vibrato No sizzle's not necessarily a bad thing, especially in a quartet setting playing a ballad.
私の昔から大好きなｵｰﾙﾗｳﾝﾄﾞ白人敏腕ﾄﾛﾝﾎﾞｰﾝ奏者､ﾋﾞﾙ･ﾜﾄﾗｽ､７０年代俊英時の趣ｿﾛ､ｺﾘｱ､ｺﾌﾞﾊﾑ､ﾛﾝがﾅｲｽﾊﾞｯｸｱｯﾌﾟ #jazzm
What trombone did he play?
Only for curiosity.
What song is this?
Actually, it was written for Sinatra's daughter of the same name
@jarvis37th nancy...with the laughing face..."If I don't see her...."
whats the name of this song?
Nancy with the laughing face
trombone god.
Nancy, with the laughing face
@klhdsgkjsdfl yeah it is circular breathing, and it's fucking nuts. Circular Breathing is such a hard and mind-boggling skill
Where was this recorded?...anyone know?
What trombone did he play?
Only for curiosity.
@SuperTB4 Why would that be? Not mad, I'm just curious.
@trombonepenguin I agree with KistaAkhan on this one. Donald Trump of t-bone. Def. Haha
First off, let me clear up an error. There is no such thing as ZERO PRESSURE!!! Some pressure is required to maintain a seal between the lips and mouthpiece to actually produce a sound on the trombone that doesnt sound like birds dying a slow painful death. Now second, Bill Watrous is one of my favorite trombonists and musicians. He uses a pressure in a way were it is severely DIMINISHED from what it would take a normal player to hit some of those high notes. He still uses SOME pressure though.
All these years and the same hair cut.....
@TboneTuneList Alright: There Will Never Be Another You in all 12. 1, 2...
I love Bill Watrous, but in this video he overuses that sappy slide vibrato.
Nancy is Sinatra's daughter, not wife
Nice circular breathing ...
@klhdsgkjsdfl Yes, Bill is a master at circular breathing.
@klhdsgkjsdfl yes indeed, good eye
This is not "Nancy with the Laughing Face". It is clearly "Memories of You". And "Nancy" was not written for Nancy Sinatra.
respect for the performance, but I deffiniately know now why I dont like jazz (sorry, nothing personal).
@klhdsgkjsdfl YES, LIKE A BAGPIPE.