I'm Just Wild About James Markey

A while back I posted a trombone duet played by Michael Davis and James Markey.  Since listening more to James Markey I have to say he may be the best trombone player I've ever heard.   It was sad when the great Douglas Yeo retired from the Boston Symphony because he is such a good musician.  Though it is kind of pointless making comparisons of musicians who play at that highest level, Markey is a spectacular addition to that brass section.

Here he is playing

Henri Dutilleux 

Choral, Cadence et Fugato from a masterclass with Christian Lindberg.  He was 17, already pretty great back then.

Here's a piece he played a little while back which has some of the best brass playing I've ever heard.

Capriccio by Steven Verhelst 

If I were a composer I'd be writing something to send to him, praying he would be interested in it.

Here's a Youtube where he talks about playing the trombone and music, in general and his musical history and how he took up knitting and why a musician might make a good knitter (I don't knit, just for the record, or crochet or do tatting, though I can sew on a patch pretty well).   I especially like how he points out the practical usefulness of a musician being able to play the organ, professionally at a young age.  Which is one of the things I wish I'd done when I was a kid and which I suggest to young keyboard players.

And here he is playing

J. S. Bach 

Sarabande Second Cello Suite

You can hear him on this CD, playing the Verhelst piece, which I have ordered within the past hour and this one, which I'll order as soon as I can find it.  He may be the best trombone player I've ever heard and I'm a bit of a trombone fan.

They're saying we're due for some bad thunderstorms tonight, so I'll post this a bit early.