Al Kay and Alain Trudel are two more great trombonists. Has anyone mentioned Joe Alessi either?

not yet... however the original question asked about people known for playing really fast. personally, joe does not spring to mind. not that he doesnt' play fast, because he surely does. and of course he's one of the greatest players out there. but when i think of guys playing really fast, i'm thinking of guys like urbie green, bob mcchesney, andy martin, or, if we're thinking the classical guys, even Ian bousfield. but that's just me.

Hey now... I mentioned Joe....

By the way, the original question was not "Who is the fastest", it was "Who is the best." To me, fast does not equate to best. Joe is one of the best players out there, regardless of how fast he can play. (Which is pretty fast, check out his recording of Enrique Crespo's "Improvisation #1 for Trombone" on his Beyond the End of the Century recording.

It really doesn't matter as much how fast we can play, or high, or low, for that matter. It matters how "well" we can play. Tone quality, tone production, intonation, flexability, sound production, sound quality, these are all things we should focus on before speed.

erik, spare me the lecture.. read the first three posts
1.. who is the best player
2... in terms of doing what
3... "playing really fast"
i know playing fast does not necessarily equal playing well, nor does playing well imply playing fast. all i'm saying is, if the person wants to know about people known for their fast playing, joe alessi isn't the first name to come to mind.
give me a little credit man.. i'm not some dumb kid. i've played for a long time, and it's how I make my living. i'm simply trying to answer the question eventually clarified.

Um..... ok

1. I wasn't "lecturing" you, I was commenting on how too many people think playing fast is the only important thing. So, I apologize for not getting that across. If you really think I was "lecturing" you, then you need to calm down a bit. I was simply making a point.

2. I, also, have played for a long time, and it is how I make my living, playing and gigging along with teaching.

3. In terms of playing fast, Joe Alessi IS one of the first I would think of. Some of the recordings I have of his solo works are simply amazing. Sure, he may not be the fastEST, but I would definately put him up there.

So, before you go attacking me for making a point, think about the point itself. Was I incorrect? Aside from the misunderstanding about the original point (due to my bad wording), am I totally off target for what makes a "good" player "good"?

of course not.. but let's face it... the original question posted was a BS question anyway.. I mean, let's face it.. you can't answer a who's the best type question. it's all music, all art, all subjective. personally, i'd rather hear a guy with a killer sound play a nice long potato note then to hear most player's best licks. i don't need to hear speed.
the question of whether joe alessi comes to mind when you think of fast??? that's all up to you .. and me... what comes to my mind may not come to yours and vice versa. no big deal.
did i feel lectured.. sure.. not because I need to calm down, thank you, but because tone does not translate on a forum. and let's face it... this is the same forum where i was told what a great bone player Duke Ellington was, so you can understand why a 31 year old player may have his guard up against being called out by an eleven year old. (i know you are older, but you get the idea)
so... in the interest of just trying to share music and ideas, let's just get back to making some good listening recommendations (because since we can't say who is best, we can at least do that, right?)

plus, it would not really be a defenate answer, i think more of an opinion instead of one person. so everyone has different people, also it looks as if this thread is starting to make people argue...so yah...

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which i think you also covered that.

Alex Iles

Andy Martin

Tommy Dorsey

Frank Rosolino

Ashley Alexander

James Miller

Bill Reichenbach

are the few who's style I study most.

Jeff Uusitalo does some crazy things speed wise, and i havent seen his name up here.

He's not a legend but if you can find some of his recordings I think you'll be impressed.

One that is probably easiest to find is Kenton's recording of Granada Smoothie from Journey into Capricorn. However, it's probably not quite his best speed wise.

I will try to find a way to get his feature on Bein' Green from Barduhn by the Dave Barduhn Big Band, its a rare album i believe.