Discover legendary trumpet performances, must-listen albums, and stylistic giants across genres — jazz, classical, funk, and beyond.

🎯 Why Trumpet Recordings Matter

Trumpet recordings are more than just musical snapshots — they’re essential blueprints for phrasing, tone, articulation, range, and expression. Whether you’re a student, professional, or enthusiast, listening is just as important as practicing.

From soaring high notes to buttery smooth ballads, these recordings let you feel what excellence sounds like.


🔗 Call to Action:

🎧 Explore curated trumpet recordings and practice along with tracks at Trumpet Recordings Section
📥 Download free listening guides at Free Trumpet Tools
🎶 Want to improve your style? Start with the Ultimate Warm-Up


🎷 Jazz Legends & Improvisational Icons

🎤 Louis Armstrong
• Essential Albums:
• Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings
• What a Wonderful World
• Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
• 🎧 Style: Inventive phrasing, gravelly vocals, and heart-first playing.
• 🌐 Great for: Developing feel, timing, and phrasing.

💥 Maynard Ferguson
• Essential Albums:
• Conquistador (with “Gonna Fly Now”)
• Chameleon
• MF Horn Series
• 🎧 Style: Screaming upper register, aggressive articulation, full brass ensemble sound.
• 🔥 Check out High Note Playing Resources

🎷 Clifford Brown
• Essential Albums:
• Study in Brown
• Memorial Album
• 🎧 Style: Clean, melodic, harmonically advanced solos.
• 📈 Essential for: Learning bebop phrasing with clarity.

🎺 Miles Davis
• Essential Albums:
• Kind of Blue
• Bitches Brew
• Sketches of Spain
• 🎧 Style: Cool, modal, experimental, emotionally powerful.
• 🧠 Study his evolution across decades.

🎼 Dizzy Gillespie
• Essential Albums:
• Groovin’ High
• Sonny Side Up
• 🎧 Style: Virtuosic, rhythmic complexity, Afro-Cuban fusion.


🎼 Classical Masters

🎻 Adolph “Bud” Herseth – Chicago Symphony
• Recordings:
• Mahler Symphony No. 5
• Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky)
• 🎧 Style: Majestic tone, precision attacks, orchestral brilliance.
• 🧠 Learn from Herseth Lesson Notes

🎼 Maurice André
• Recordings:
• Trumpet Concertos by Haydn, Hummel, Neruda
• 🎧 Style: Virtuosic piccolo trumpet, perfect intonation, lyrical lines.
• 👂 Listen to his phrasing for Baroque repertoire.

🥁 Wynton Marsalis
• Recordings:
• Baroque Music for Trumpets
• Carnaval
• Trumpet Concertos (Sony Classical)
• 🎧 Style: Balanced mastery of classical and jazz.
• 🎯 Visit Trumpet Style Resources


🎩 Big Band & TV Legends

🎩 Doc Severinsen
• Recordings:
• The Tonight Show Band Vol 1 & 2
• Doc Severinsen and Friends
• 🎧 Style: Clean articulation, showman’s flair, ultra-bright sound.
• 🎷 Great for learning lead trumpet sound and show band phrasing.


🎺 Pop, Rock, Funk & Fusion

🔥 Bill Chase (Chase)
• Chase (1971) – “Get It On”
• 🎧 Style: Power rock trumpet, jazz-rock fusion.

🎹 Jerry Hey (Seawind, Quincy Jones Horns)
• 🎧 Style: Precision funk/pop section playing.
• Heard on Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Al Jarreau.
• 🧠 Practice with Backing Tracks

🔊 Herb Alpert
• Rise
• Whipped Cream & Other Delights
• 🎧 Style: Melodic, commercial, Latin-flavored.


🇨🇺 Latin & World Brass Giants

🇲🇽 Arturo Sandoval
• Danzón
• Hot House
• 🎧 Style: Dizzy’s disciple, blazing technique, Latin jazz master.
• 🎵 Practice Latin grooves with Blues Backing Tracks

🇮🇹 Nini Rosso
• Il Silenzio
• 🎧 Style: Romantic, expressive tone.


🧠 Experimental & Avant-Garde

🧪 Jon Hassell
• Vernal Equinox
• 🎧 Style: Ambient trumpet, electronic fusions.

🎶 Ibrahim Maalouf
• Illusions
• 🎧 Style: Microtonal trumpet, blending Arabic and jazz traditions.


🔁 Historic Trumpet Ensembles & Rare Gems
• Philip Smith (NY Philharmonic):
• Concert Favorites
• Jubilation!
• German Brass
• Bach, Gabrieli, and more
• Empire Brass
• Baroque Masterpieces


📚 Suggested Listening Exercises

👂 Listen with purpose:
1. Focus on articulation differences across styles.
2. Transcribe short solos (e.g., Clifford Brown licks).
3. Imitate tone, vibrato, and phrasing.


🔗 Explore More at TrumpetLessons.com
• 🎼 Free Practice Sheets
• 🎧 Play-Along Tracks
• 📚 The Ultimate Warm Up Book
• 🎵 High Note Training
• 📺 Video Lessons & Tutorials


🎯 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re chasing the lightning of Maynard Ferguson or the depth of Adolph Herseth, trumpet recordings are your bridge to mastery. They offer clarity in chaos, precision in phrasing, and a world of color no book alone can teach.

So plug in, press play, and start learning from the giants. The sound of greatness is just a recording away.