Asked about his intriguing new album, west coast trumpeter Dick Titterington talked about the project’s genesis during a Christmas party. Their bandleader had asked each musician to write a new composition for the occasion. Titterington says that the trio enjoyed one another and the resulting interplay so much that they expanded the Christmas encounter into material for an entire album. The CD, Horn Art Works: 14 Pieces, has emerged on the HeavyWood label at https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hornartworks.
It has plenty of counterpoint, humor and lines whose intricacies are closely woven despite the small number of instruments. The three movements of Titterington’s “Russian Blue” emphasize the virtuosic characteristics of all three musicians, from the purity of Tim Jensen’s flute to the muscular, strategically-placed offbeat notes of Lars Campbell’s trombone. Titterington’s trumpet playing is brilliant.
This charming chamber music encounter includes bonus tracks featuring a frequent Titterington collaborator, singer Rebecca Kilgore (it’s okay; they’re married). Those pieces are both entitled “No Encore.” They are arranged by Titterington and Kilgore. Â Welcome as they are, this album doesn’t need an encore. I would be surprised if its intricate sense of fun didn’t inspire frequent replays.
Here is Titterington’s “Russian Blue.”