We will be performing our hip-hop/funky/swing/salsa arrangements of video game music from all your favorite games with our mind blowing 14 piece band – Aug 23 in Brooklyn at club Sunnyvale 1031 Grand st. Brooklyn, NY!
Posts Tagged ‘trombone’
ConSoul will be performing live Aug 23 at Club Sunnyvale, Brooklyn
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016This brass is up to something good!
Saturday, September 19th, 2015The Sunshine Collective’s latest ralease “She’s up to something good” really brings out the sunshine. This is not your usual kid’s song is either a grown-up-song kids like, or a kids song that has grown up. Its superhero-y vibe is great and the arrangement using live brass and strings brings out the retro vibe in the song. Highly recommended! You can also see shots from our studio in the song!
ZEDD ft. Selena Gomez “I Want You To Know” Star Wars Remix
Sunday, May 17th, 2015In a previous blog post we announced a new remix of “I want you to know”.
After a few suggestions we decided to attempt to combine the Star Wars Imperial March (A.K.A. The Darth Vader March) into the remix and came up with a completely mad new rendition of the whole thing. If you enjoy brass, Selina Gomez, Star Wars, and wacky videos – this one is for you!
New ZEDD ft Selena Gomez “I Want You To Know” remix
Thursday, May 7th, 2015We created a really really cool new remix of Selena Gomez’s “I Want You To Know” (did I say really really Cool)
with a live brass band replacing the electronic backing.
Its six trombones, two bass trombones, eight trumpets, four cornets, four euphoniums, three tubas, two bass trumpets, four french horns, live snares, bass drums and cymbals.
I know there are other remixes out there, but I hope this one stands out, as I tried to give it a completely fresh angle. I think Selena’s voice meshes with the brass so nicely. Maybe we can do an original take of a new song one day!
ENJOY!
The Making of Jay Z’s “Somewhere in America”
Monday, July 22nd, 2013Haven’t posted in a while, too many exciting musical projects. In this picture I am prepping to record the Trombone solo that can be heard on the song “Somewhere in America”. The final take was done on a rare 1960s conn 20H and dialed in with the (music genius and world’s foremost pop/loop/hiphop/younameit producer/engineer) Ken Lewis. The pBone sounded quite good. It excels in getting that “dry jazz” sound, and for the final result we wanted something more “meaty”. The 1951 Conn 20H is one of the last small (shall we say tiny) bore horns made before everyone made the final switch to the medium and large bore horns. The pBone which is made of 99% plastic has a surprisingly good sound!
Twerk, yeah, ugh-huh
Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley
Only in America
Skyping-in on the recording session. With a spot of tea.
Friday, September 28th, 2012Erin took this really snazzy (lets bring that word back) picture of Ron Bertolet blowing his selmer sax while Paul Bennet is sipping. Paul was the bassist of the 1970s English band MAZARIBA which disbanded in the late ’70s and has recently reunited and are working on releasing their reunion album. Although these days Paul lives on Long Island, NY, I hear drinking tea on whilst listening with studio headphones on Skype is a British passtime. Incidentally the saxophone is a rare “Low E” model alto which has a deeper tone due to it’s extra length. Most saxophones have two low note keys, this one has three.
Dubby, jazzy, housey, techy, indie, blues & funky … 2011 was all this and more
Friday, January 13th, 2012There are so many occasions to show gratitude. And yet, there are millions of times when I do not express it enough. Thank you! Thank you all for a great year!
Thanks again to Jim Allchin Ron Abel Michael Amante Ruslan Agababayev Yitzy Bald Andreas Bärtels Amir Ben-Haim Johnny Berman Brenda Balasz-Beylek Amir Benhaim Dori Ben Ze’ev Ron Bertolet Yerachmiel Bigun Justin “Just Blaze” Smith Tal B.R. Yanki Briskman Yochi Briskman Suri Brody Walter & Blue tha Engineer at Brown Sugar Studios Jean Carter Teddy Charles Shlomi Cohen Shloime Saul Stern Dachs Dad Barry Dallman Nydia Davila Def Jam Phil DeGorter Don Downs David Eastman Yoni Eliav Nir Erez Marissa Famiglietti Mike Ficco & the Long Island Jazz Orchestra Freilach Orchestra Ian Freitor Avremi G. Jacob Garchik Linda Garrity Charlie Gordon Mark A. Gatz Brian Gelfand Gal Gershovsky Moshe Ginsberg Tony Gorruso Zino Groenewegen Cliff Haywood Mendy Hershkowitz Zuben Mehta & the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Brian J. of the Pimps of Joytime Laura Jeanne Joseph Kaminski Kris Kasanova Terry Keevil Karen Kelly Charles Kiger Ron Ben-Haim Ray Kilday Israel Lamm Eli Laufer Moshe Laufer Gideon Levine Gabriella Lewis Ken Lewis Lex à Her Majesty’s Sound Kjetil Linnes Shahar Livne Steve Lynch The Maccabeats Maybach Music Bonnie McAlvin Stone McEwan Jeremy Miloszewicz Marco Meister Miami Boys Choir Mom Tony Eli Lishinsky Tony Montalbo Gershy Moskowitz Danielle Morandini Bizu Riki Mullu Avi Newmark Shai Nissenboim OdessMama Marco Panascia Yehoshua Pasternak Yehuda Piamente Michael Pruzansky Kenny Rampton Leib Reigler Mathias Roska Mona Rosenblum Rick Ross Dalit Segal Yosef Chaim Shwekey Lipa Schmeltzer Naftali Schnitzler Jerry Sokolov Soulfarm StadiumRed Studios Stewart Taylor Yosi Teaberg Dave Trigg Vignir Vigfusson Murry R.Kahn and the West Islip Symphony Wily Bo Walker Kanye West and Avrum Zamist!
From all of us here at New York Brass!
A Weird Ballad
Thursday, January 12th, 2012When I was a wee 5th grade human puppy, my then trombone teacher Shemi Peri invited all of the students to a master class with a dude that had the biggest trombone I had ever seen; It was a bass trombone. Up to that point in my training I had never seen anything so gigantically brass. The dude’s name was Eliezer (Eli) Aharoni and he was there to show the class the latest techniques in breathing and playing trombone. Aharoni had also written some trombone books which impressed all of us. This particular afternoon meeting and listening to Eli Aharoni was the first push towards trombone playing
Eli was the driving force behind the Israeli Trombone Association. Around 1983 he brought the then-presiding president of the International Trombone Association Dr. Erving L. Wagner to give us a master class at the Jerusalem Music Center. The day was the holiday of Purim which is sort of a Jewish Mardi-gras and my hair was colored blue. (I always wonder if Prof Wagner remembers a little boy with blue hair… ). The master class was the first place I ever heard professional trombone playing on the highest level live. What a glorious sound. I knew trombone was the way to go for me.
People were playing duets and asking questions and Professor Wagner was giving advice. Suddenly there was a sudden hush. Someone next to me whispered “Micha is going to play something”, I had no clue who he was talking about. A young 24-year-old giant muscular guy walked in carrying a colossal bass trombone, although in his hands the trombone looked small. Then he played. The sound that came out was the deepest fullest sound I ever heard sort of like a trobonephonium. And I can say that to this day – all over the world – I never heard such a sound. His name was Micha Davis, and in my opinion stands in the front row of bass trombone players in the universe.
Over the years I have played with Micha many times, and we pulled practical jokes and had lots of laughs. But putting aside the jokes and laughs, Micha inspired my playing and keeps on inspiring many others to this day. Eli and Micha’s influence shines on hundreds of talented trombone players and musicians who play in the best orchestras, bands and other music venues worldwide. I have been blessed by the opportunity to play with true giants. I have played and listened to countless trombone players since, some of the finest Orchestras in the world pass through New York, but the control and sound Micha produces is unique. When he plays Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite the storm section gets a new dimension, the bass trombone gives an 18″ sub-woofer a run for it’s money.
In the video Micha Davis is playing Etude #24 from from Eli Aharoni’s (2009) book “The Non-Classic Bass Trombone” titled “A Weird Balad”. Most players feel like they need an oxygen scuba tank or a pressurized diving bell to get through this fun exercise. Micha plays it with his usual nonchalant demeanor.
Time is a sort of river of passing events: Interlochen 1986 ♪♫
Sunday, January 1st, 2012

P.S. I also dug up a picture of my cabin mates. I managed to stay in touch with a few over the years. Murry Dweck who sent me the picture is the guy in the blue sweatshirt trying to cover my face.

My aimlessly ambitious cabin mates went on to do great things. Nana on my left is a plastic surgeon specializing in breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck. Murray who is flashing the full-palm gang sign to my right is a (drum roll) Gynecologist. Topher peeking from the back middle is a MD at Stanford
Bad to the Bone in the ITA!
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011Grateful thanks to Diane Drexler and Taylor Hughey at the International Trombone Association Journal for allowing this group of goofballs to grace their pages!
Next year remember to bring noise cancelling headphones, sunblock and trombone
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Sure I like the song Back Home Again in Indiana but I’d love to do a full brass rendition of Mission Impossible during the final fifty laps. Maybe next year …
Bringing the Brass Bling to producer Ken Lewis
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010Ken Lewis of the production team The Skywalkers got in touch with yours truly for help in making his MIDIs sound “real”.
With at least 50 #1 hits under his belt, Ken is great at getting the sound he is looking for, and he needed an extremely fast turnaround time and lots of options. Trumpeter Tony Gorruso accompanied me to Ken’s home studio and the three of us arranged the tracks at top speed, aiming for a deep monster brass sound.
Bread-n-Butter
Monday, April 26th, 2010When I’m not brassing things up at NewYorkBrass.com, fixing computers or inventing new microphones, every now and then I like to do this too.
How to make a trombone!
Monday, April 19th, 2010If you have ever wanted to MacGyver your own trombone at home out of some scrap copper, shoe laces and a box of thumb tacks, this is your opportunity. I found this Discovery Channel documentary that is specially tuned so all you DIYers out there can participate.
Easy, No?
Maestro Zubin Mehta endorses and participates in a NewYorkBrass production
Sunday, April 4th, 2010 Zubin Mehta recently endorsed and collaborated on a really cool interactive classical music children’s book, which is in the final stages of production and QA and will be available in stores across the globe starting in July.
About a year ago we have been approached to help arrange music for an interactive classical music children’s book, by Amit Sopher of Classikids.com, who produces interactive books for children. Amit developed a very interesting electronic platform that plays 10 minutes of high quality mp3 on a surprisingly good speaker.
To kick off the project, I contacted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s personnel manager – Mr. Stewart Taylor. Mr. Taylor is my teacher, mentor, and close friend, and was played principal trombone for many years. He suggested talking to another friend – Mr. Yaacov Mishori. Mishori, now retired, served as principal horn player of the IPO, as IPO spokesman and was a member of the management. Mishori has written other books and today teaches at the Buchmann-Mehta High School and presents a weekly radio program.