The mix of trumpet with keyboards has been around since Miles plugged in back a generation ago. Here are a couple recent salvos coming from two different directions.
The tree trumpet team of Dick Titterington, Thomas Barber and Paul Mazzio emphasize unison lines and textures with a rhythm team of Greg Goebel/key, Dave Captein/b and Jason Palmer/dr. The tunes are mostly highly arranged with crisp and punctuated lines on “Salt Mines” an d”Nothing Yet” which still leave some room for concise solos by the horns. Captein’s keyboards as an excellent foil on material like “The Stable Mate” and “the grooving “Yo Tengo Tango” as the band can go from Tex Mex to Woody Herman with aplomb.
Graham Haynes has a clear tone on his trumpet and he also dabbles with electronics in a band with Lorenzo Feliciati/g-b-key, Roy Powell’key and Pat Mastelotto/dr. The band has a dark sound, not unlike 80s Miles Davis as Haynes pierces through a funky groove on “Rapid Fire” and veers through sepia textures o “Lazy Elephant.” Feliciati’s guitar gets fuzzy on the heavy metallic “Trap Dor” and a mechanic groove is a foil for Haynes while thick synths create a Weather Reportish wave on “Moon At Noon.” Lots of shadows with piercings of bright light.
Heavy Wood Records