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[artyart]

Here is a new link to download the file:

https://www.transferbigfiles.com/d36529fc-000a-4455-ad5f-bbab8921aa9e?rid=hwd3sz0V0hBdELk2e21IcA%3d%3d

transferbigfiles.com is an imperfect system. If someone has a better way where this file can be hosted for downloading, I'm happy if someone would suggest it.  The large file size means a lot of bandwidth if many people download it, hence I'm unable to host it on my own website.  If a Forum member has a good home for this and would upload Sordillo's method and then post a more permanent link in this thread, that would be helpful and appreciated.

Many thanks,

-Douglas Yeo

yet again It has reached it's limit :-( Doug I have the space abd bandwidth to allow it to be downloaded for a while at least - contact me back channel if it would help

[Steve Dillon]

Good morning all.

Doug emailed me privately and wondered if I knew of Sordillo, etc….

Yes, I knew of him from my research of the early Band players.

But, he was mainly known as a euphonium player who also played the trombone, which was the case with many of the euphonium players of the day.  (Heck, it was the case with most players of the day! You double on another instrument in order to get more work. Ie. Herbert Clarke, cornet and viola)

Fortunato F Sordillo, Euphonium
Date(s) of SB sercie uncertain, but probably 1912 & 1913tours. Other positions: Boston Symphony Orchestra (trombone); Pryor’s Band; conductor of Boston Fire Dept Band & Boston Consolidated Gas Co. Band & Alexander Graham Bell Post 299 American Legion Band (Boston); private music teacher. Composer, author, inventor. Member, SBFS. B. 4 Jul 1885, Mentifalione, Italy; d. 21 Dec 1952, Brighton, MA.
Sources: Berger roster; The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music; Supplement to the Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music.

Steve Dillon

[Steve Dillon]

I got a chance to look at the book.

As you say, it's almost 100% on running anticipatory glisses (portamenti?) into notes.  Given the fact that Jazz hadn't really invaded Boston at that time and the only groups playing outside of New Orleans and the Mississippi River areas were the Original Dixieland Jass Band and Tom Brown's in New York, he probably really didn't understand the genre.  If you listen to recordings of the era on Red Hot Jazz the trombone parts certainly sound like what he wrote.

I do not believe it is that type of "Jazz" that some of these players are speaking of.

There is an earlier method on ebay right now by Henry Fillmore called "The Jazz Trombonist".

It is not what I would call "Jazz" of the period. It is referring to an earlier Ragtime type of music used by the Bands, not the New Orleans type of Jazz.


Steve Dillon

[Steve Dillon]

Multiphonics of the Band Players.

Doug shares with us the excerpt:

"The manner in which chords are produced is not explained herein.  An explanation would hardly serve a purpose, for it is by experiment and discovery not by explanation and criticism that the ability to play chords is gained."

The question is asked if this is multiphonics?

The answer;

Sort of.

It does not refer to singing and playing, from what I know of the earlier players. (This would have been simple enough to do. Heck, I haven’t played in sometime, and still can do that)

It refers to “split tones” in which the player can get a double, triple or quad buzz and thus make the instrument play like a duet, trio or quartet.

There were many of the older players who could do this, one of the foremost being Gus Helleberg of the tuba.
They talk of Helleberg being able to play “4 note chords” on his big tuba.

But with that said, there is not much said about the technique used for doing this.

I have found one reference to it in some writing about Arthur Pryor;

“Back in 1926 I was conversing with a friend, a violinist, who also knew Pryor. We were chatting a bit about the famous bandsman and he told me the following story. He was at Pryor’s home one day while the bandmaster was playing a few exercises on his trombone. Pryor accidentally happened to blow two separate notes simultaneously. My friend asked him to play the four chord notes Bb D F and Bb at once. Pryor replied: “I can’t do that nowadays.” The violinist was insistent. “Go on, you can do it; I know you can.” For fully 15 minutes Arthur kept working his lips on the mouthpiece. Soon the third note was heard. In another moment the feat was at least accomplished, the four notes of the chord standing out clearly, as though a quartette of trombonists were playing.”

Split Tones!

Steve Dillon

[Steve Dillon]

In Response to Doug’s comments regarding the gliss being used:

“The trombone gliss at that time was looked at as mainly a jazz element.

Charles-Marie Widor's "Technique de l'orchestre moderne" "The Technique of the Modern Orchestra: A Manual of Practical Instrumentation"  was published in Paris in 1904.  The edition I have is dated 1906 in an English translation by Edward Suddard, published by Joseph Williams of London. 

In his chapter about the trombone, he has one of the earliest written commentaries on the glissando.  Regrettably, the translator uses a racial slur at the end which I will not repeat, but it is clear he is talking about players in the jazz style:

Lately, as I was passing near a public ball-room, I heard such strange bellowings escaping from the trombones that I went in and asked the performers, as soon as the dance was over, to show me their music.  This is what they had been playing:  [Widor includes music of trombones playing several glissandi.]  Astounding effect!  One would have thought it was the Beast in Revelations, with a cracker tied to its tail, roaring "Fire!" through a speaking-trumpet.
       
It is not likely that this effect will ever be used in a symphony, any more than the shake, and I only mention it here on account of its rarity.
       
This fantastic howl is produced by the combined action of the slide and the lips, as a glissando is performed by the finger on a stringed instrument.  It is very easy to execute, and suitable for a n***** dance.”

Arthur Pryor was writing glisses as far back as the late 1890’s in the Ragtime he composed.

Was Pryor writing for Jazz?

Yes and no.

If you consider syncopated music a form of Jazz, yes.

If you consider it something else, no.

Pryor would never have admitted to writing “Jazz” as it was called later in the 1900’s, but he would have
said that he wrote syncopated music.

The above quote from Doug is most likely a result of the influence the Sousa Band had when they performed at the Paris Exposition of 1900.

They brought and played a new music that just set Paris on fire, so to speak.

The new music was Ragtime, and the Sousa Band performed pieces composed by our own fellow trombonist, Arthur Pryor.

Pryor was responsible for writing and teaching the band to play this new music, and it is a little known fact that Pryor was very big influence in the spread and composition of early Ragtime.

Here is an interesting link regarding Pryor and Ragtime;

http://www.wgpark.com/page.asp?pid=27

Steve Dillon

[yeodoug]

See Sam Burtis' post below this one for a new link to the file.

-Douglas Yeo

[sabutin]

Hello folks...

I have posted the Sordillo file on my Dropbox site, where there are unlimited free downloads w/no strings attached whatsoever. Here is the URL.

<http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3071112/sordillo_art_of_jazzing.pdf>

Enjoy.

S.

P.S. Dropbox is a great tool. Check it out. Cloud-based, simple to operate, very well supported and relatively inexpensive (free if you only use it for small files), it is my save-disk in the sky. One at home, one on Dropbox. The chances of losing my important files are almost nil as a result.

[hwknapp]

The topic of Fortunato Sordillo has uncovered some very interesting information on a man who was multifaceted to say the least.

Steve Dillon wrote

Fortunato F Sordillo, Euphonium
Date(s) of SB sercie uncertain, but probably 1912 & 1913tours. Other positions: Boston Symphony Orchestra (trombone); Pryor’s Band; conductor of Boston Fire Dept Band & Boston Consolidated Gas Co. Band & Alexander Graham Bell Post 299 American Legion Band (Boston); private music teacher. Composer, author, inventor. Member, SBFS. B. 4 Jul 1885, Mentifalione, Italy; d. 21 Dec 1952, Brighton, MA.
Sources: Berger roster; The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music; Supplement to the Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music.

Steve Dillon

The term inventor seemed interesting so a surf over to the Patent website showed that there are three patents in Sordillo's name. A folding music stand, a mute and a mouthpiece.

Enjoy !

Howard Knapp

[sabutin]

The topic of Fortunato Sordillo has uncovered some very interesting information on a man who was multifaceted to say the least.

Steve Dillon wrote
The term inventor seemed interesting so a surf over to the Patent website showed that there are three patents in Sordillo's name. A folding music stand, a mute and a mouthpiece.

Enjoy !

Howard Knapp

I WANT THAT MUTE!!!

S.

[WaltTrombone]

Guess that would be a Sordillo Sordino?

[blast]

Can I also say welcome back to my friend Steve Dillon.... I am sure you keep an eye on this forum, but it is so nice to see you sharing the fruits of your research with us again... I am utterly fascinated by the description of chords played on the lips... this is new to me.... I can't wait to talk this over with John Kenny when he is next in teaching. Great stuff 

Chris Stearn

[hwknapp]

Okay Guys, if you are interested in the full text of the Sordillo mute, mouthpiece, and stand, here are the  links.

Mute:http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1338108.pdf

Mouthpiece:http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1327970.pdf
Music Stand:http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1480788.pdf

Howard Knapp

[Graham Martin]

Just returning to the treatise itself, I was fascinated by the use of the the word 'jazz' and its variations: 'jazzes', 'jazzing'. I was also very much in approval of placing the definite article before the word jazz, since it implies something of importance - 'the' jazz!

The treatise was written in 1920, according to the copyright, and therefore Sordillo would have at least been able to listen to recorded jazz for maybe four years; if only from the ODJB. If you have listened to Eddie Edwards on those recordings you will know that his ensemble phrasing is resonably complex for its time, as shown on this excerpt from their Livery Stable Blues:

All in all, one cannot but agree with the final paragraph of the Preface and the assertion that playing jazz is the way to learning technical mastery of the trombone for playing all kinds of music:

"Thus conscientious study and practise of these exercises will have a two-fold result: the player will add to his technical equipment and thus be better prepared to play all kinds of music; and he will also be acquiring the knack of playing the jazz, which is highly desirable at this time."

I also agree that playing jazz is highly desirable! Especially 'hot' jazz, which is what Sordillo would have been hearing. And especially for me and my musical friends!

[JohnL]

he will also be acquiring the knack of playing the jazz, which is highly desirable at this time

A most practical attitude. One has to wonder if he went to playing jazz full-time after losing his job with the BSO. There certainly would have been a lot of opportunities.

[hwknapp]

I too would like to know if Sordillo kept up his performaning after the BSO...as the quote below states, he was active as Director of Public School Music.

Howard Knapp

I found this article, the complete article archives from the Christian Science Monitor are pay per view, but this shows what is needed. Sordillo was active in the public school system in Boston, was Assistant Director of Public School Music until 1947 when he was listed as Director.


"School Symphony Band Ready for Concert
Schoolboy Band Ready for Annual Concert

The Christian Science Monitor - Boston, Mass.
Date: Mar 26, 1947

Two more rehearsals and the Boston Public School Symphony Band, consisting of 84 players, will be ready for its 23rd annual concert, which is to be given at Jordan Hall, March 28, at 8:10 p.m. The band will play under the direction of Fortunato Sordillo conductor and founder of the group and head of instrumental music in the Boston public schools"

And here is a quote by Davey Yarborough regarding playing under Sordillo...."At a Yarborough rehearsal, a trumpeter can't get it right, and stops playing. When I was a clarinet player in the all-school symphony orchestra in Boston, our director, Fortunato Sordillo would roar, when we made a mistake: "Stay out of that passage! Just look at your instrument as if there's something wrong with it!"





Howard Knapp

[yeodoug]

Today, my former Boston Symphony trombone colleague, Ronald Barron, gave me an article from the Boston Traveler, January 27, 1953.  It is a tribute to Fortunato Sordillo who had died on December 21, 1952.

It is an informative, touching tribute by Henry Woelber.  I commend it to you. Click the file link below for a pdf of the article (113k download).

-Douglas Yeo

[hwknapp]

Doug-

That is a great tribute to Sordillo, and I particularly like the quote about Belgiorno, "Belgiorno, of the Metropolitan, the Boston Symphony, and a half dozen other first class symphony orchestras. Belgiorno was a restless soul, who could not be contented very long in any position."

A restless soul is right, he played with the Metropolitan Opera, Boston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Howard Knapp

[SilverBone]

Very interesting reading.  Thank you, Doug.

Belgiorno was a restless soul, who could not be contented very long in any position."

It does get rather boring and limiting playing all of your notes in the same position... 

[macbone]

All of this is most interesting. I happen to own a copy of Sordillo's "Art of Jazzing" in very good condition. I never took it very seriously, since it's not really about jazz as we have come to know it, and the glissando is the most instinctive way to get around the slide trb for any brand new student.  Most of us spent years of practice and study on how to NOT glissando unintentionally.
Still, all these gliss drills expose the player to some new ideas about the instrument, esp back then.

[RayHorton]

Late to this thread, but I will relay Igor Stravinsky's remarks on early orchestral use of trombone glissandi, in Expositions and Developments (1959) which is partially excerpted in the notes to the 1964 Columbia Symphony recording of the Firebird, Petrouchka, and Rite of Spring ballets.

Note that S. is speaking here of the original Firebird ballet (1910), not the later suites.  The original ballet orchestra is huge, and the famous first trombone solo glissandi in the "Infernal Dance" from the later suites do not appear.  S. is speaking of a pair of trombone ff tutti glissandi that lead into the "Infernal Dance" (if my memory is correct, since it has been a number of years since I have played the ballet). Bold emphasis is mine:

"Though the orchestral body of the Firebird was wastefully large, I was more proud of some of the orchestration than of the music itself.  The horn and trombone glissandi in the Kastchei scene produced the biggest sensation with the audience, of course, but this effect, at least with the trombone, did not originate with me--Rimsky had used trombone slides, I think in Mlada, and  Schoenberg in his tone poem Pellieas und Melisande to cite earlier but less popular examples. For me the most striking effect ... was the natural-harmonic string glissando which the bass chord touches off like a Catherine's wheel.  I was delighted to have discovered it this, and I remember my excitement in demonstrating it to Rimsky's violinist and cellist sons.  I remember, too, Richard Strauss' astonishment when he heard it two years later in Berlin." 

My point for this thread is that Stravinsky takes credit for making the trombone glissando, used as much two decades earlier by his teacher and others,   more well-known in orchestral music starting in 1910.   

Raymond Horton
Bass Trombonist, Louisville Orchestra