Famous Signature Songs

SmoothOperator

I joined to ask a question or start a discussion about famous signature songs for trumpet. I've been playing "A Night In Tunisia"(NIT) over the years, I always come back to that song as sort of graded etude of sorts. I've recently working on Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In the Grass"(GIG). I think GIG is a bit more difficult than NIT, but GIG is another one that I feel by playing daily really opens up my playing, especially fast tonguing. Are there other tunes out there that are worth chewing on and digesting in a dedicated way. I think the idea is that these masters played them often and it kept them relevant if I play them then I will be exercising the same chops. Does Miles Davis have a signature tune? It seems that Davis tunes aren't technical in and of themselves, the solos are more important, I played Armstrong's tunes often in the beginning. I think there are some out there Maynard Ferguson, I'll probably save for later. I am working on Herb Alpert, I think he actually had a couple of signature tunes, "A Taste Of Honey"(TOH). TOH is nice for working on large intervals, octaves.

I play lots of other tunes mostly hard bob, or latin jazz, but some are harder to play and just don't sound as good on trumpet. I am looking for the ones that sound really good on trumpet.

Kehaulani

Miles - So What
Harry James- You made Me Love You
Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly
Ziggy Elman - I Can't Get Started
Bix Beiderbecke - I'm Coming Virgiia
Louis Prima - Sing, Sing, Sing
Chuck Mangione - Feel So Good
Herb Alpert - This Guy's In Love
Cat Anderson - El Gato
Clark Terry - Mumbles
Clifford Brown - Joy Spring
Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine

GeorgeB

@Kehaulani
Hard to improve on that list.

Dr GO

From my perspective;

Dizzy Gillespie - Salt Peanuts
Randy Brecker - Some Skunk Funk
Arturo Sandoval - Flight to Freedom
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Herb Alpert - Spanish Flea
Maynard Ferguson - Gonna Fly Now
Bill Chase - Get It On
Woody Shaw - Rosewood
Al Hirt - Sugar Lips
Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay
Lee Morgan - Sidewinder
Kenny Dorham - Blue Bossa

SmoothOperator

@Dr-GO said in Famous Signature Songs:

Arturo Sandoval - Flight to Freedom

What about international players. It gets kind of complicated, they didn't necessarily have charts.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6835403/chocolate-armenteros-dies-trumpet

I've been listening to Chocolate, I assume the "Chocolate Sabroso" is something of a signature sound for him, I'm not sure how popular it is though, now if I can find the sheet music.

Dr GO

@SmoothOperator said in Famous Signature Songs:

@Dr-GO said in Famous Signature Songs:

Arturo Sandoval - Flight to Freedom

What about international players. It gets kind of complicated, they didn't necessarily have charts.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6835403/chocolate-armenteros-dies-trumpet

I've been listening to Chocolate, I assume the "Chocolate Sabroso" is something of a signature sound for him, I'm not sure how popular it is though, now if I can find the sheet music.

Till Bronner - Estate

SmoothOperator

Its a shame that Lee Morgan died so young, "The Sidewinder" could be on the list.

Dr GO

@smoothoperator said in Famous Signature Songs:

Its a shame that Lee Morgan died so young, "The Sidewinder" could be on the list.

I agree so I made the change.

J. Jericho

@smoothoperator said in Famous Signature Songs:

Its a shame that Lee Morgan died so young, "The Sidewinder" could be on the list.

I nominate this one :

SmoothOperator

It might be a topic for another thread or threads, but it would be interesting to follow up on these with related songs, like antecedents, derivatives, contemporary answer songs. For example, So What has a unique form that has been often repeated, I enjoy practicing these along with So What, like Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage. Grazing in the grass is a rhythm changes form etc. Side Winder is harmonically a 12 bar blues.

SmoothOperator

Freaks by Timmy Trumpet probably qualifies by technicality.

True millennial style master the classical trumpet just to get a pop hit playing pedal tones on a cheesy dance track.

SmoothOperator

Harry James - Two Shoes

grune

@dr-go
if 'famous' and 'signature', then...

Herb Alpert: Lonely Bull
Al Hirt; Java

BigDub

If one player stands out to me that has virtually one and only one signature song, then it seems to me Chuck Mangione's “Feels So Good” fits that like almost no other. And from the general public's perspective I think you would be hard pressed to find one out of a hundred who could name any other songs he ever did!

SmoothOperator

Perez Prado's Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White is confusing. I guess Prado wasn't the trumpet player on that solo, and I can't find much on Billy Regis, the trumpeter. Like was that his signature sound?

GeorgeB

@smoothoperator
Yeah, a lot of people thought Perez Prado was a trumpet player when actually he played piano and was more an arranger and band leader. I am 84 so I am familiar with a lot of trumpet players in that era and I really knew very little about the fellow playing Cherry Pink. But he was damn good on that piece anyway.

J. Jericho

How about this one for Uan Rasey?:

Kehaulani

@smoothoperator - that was the first solo I learned when I was starting out.

Dr GO

@j-jericho said in Famous Signature Songs:

How about this one for Uan Rasey?:
True 'nuff this was Uan's signature song. I believe played this on an Olds Recording. But while not Till's signature, his version seems to move me the most:

J. Jericho

@dr-go Till Bronner's interpretation is every bit as good as Uan Rasey's IMO. It evokes a feeling of melancholy sadness and loss without the undertone of pain and senseless tragedy I hear in Uan's version.