New York,
March 2nd, 2007
Burt Collins passed away this week.
Burt was a great --- an actually great -- trumpet player, a good, solid, lead trumpet player and a remarkable jazz musician. If you don't know, Burt's famous solo among the musicians is on a track called New Girl, by Duke Pearson, from a Duke Pearson Big Band record from the late '60's.
I used to hear Burt regularly with David Matthews' Band in the '70's. He was featured on Melancholy Baby played at a furiously fast tempo and Burt was so graceful and comfortable at that tempo, we were always in awe. He'd just laugh and say, 'boy, that was fast!'.
His advice, which I sought -- 'practice Carmine Caruso and go out and sit in with absolutely everybody'. Burt had a long and successful career in the studios and was definitely a role model for guys of my age. It's many years later and we're still trying to catch up to that Melancholy Baby tempo.
Let's not mourn. Let's practice! Burt would approve.
Tim Ouimette.
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Jazzorg note: Carmine Caruso was a highly-regarded teacher of brass instruments in New York City from the late 1930s through the 1980s. The New Girl track that Tim mentions was re-issued in 1996 as part of a 5-CD set entitled Big Band Renaissance, which is a 'must-have' for big band fans. You can hear a sample of the Duke Pearson track at [this link] and just catch the beginning of Burt Collins' solo. You can also read a brief, light-hearted bio at [this link]
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Tim Ouimette doesn't want to come across as the official 'obituary guy' but he thinks that Burt Collins ought to be remembered.