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Flawless Trombone Execution Is Don Immel Trademark On His New CD
DON IMMEL
LONG WAY HOME

Don Immel plays trombone, and how he plays it! If you dig deep into his biography, you uncover some interesting nuggets. His grandfather was a Professor of Music at a Los Angeles College and Don’s father was a public school music director for 43 years. Don himself taught trombone at several universities before stepping onstage himself to play with major symphony orchestras (who knew they even used trombones?) and backing big-time jazz acts like Chris Botti. But Immel also picked up some spare change over the years playing on Hollywood film soundtracks (“Matrix 3: Revolutions,” “The Newton Boys,” “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Keeping The Faith” and “Crocodile Dundee in L.A.”). So guess what, it’s in his blood. His uncle Jerrold composed music for film and television (the themes for “Dallas,” “Knots Landing” and “How the West Was Won”).

A couple of other interesting biographical details. Don Immel, from Seattle, currently lives in Denmark and plays there not only with a world-class symphony, but also his own Bryggeriet Chill Project (“It’s the Danish word for brewery because we got our start playing at micro-breweries”). Immel also founded Quake -- an avant garde chamber group with woodwinds, strings, percussion and trombone – that mixes Schubert, John Cage and pop tunes with painters, dancers and storytellers for a multi-media presentation that has featured such guests as Walter Gray of the Kronos String Quartet.

Now get this. Immel says, “I am excited about combining the technical aspects of classical music with the freedom of jazz along with the energy and excitement of contemporary pop forms. I don’t feel restricted by my instrument.” Well that’s for sure. On his debut CD, he plays trombone on tracks ranging from smooth jazz to chill to vocal blues to new age to trad-jazz to modern-classical. Wow! Let me say it again. Wow!

Immel is an extremely proficient trombone player. If you want to simply sit back and enjoy the warm tones of his horn, listen to the soft-and-slow “Leaving Paradise” and “Still In Love.” His band gets on a funk kick with “Lemonade Alchemy” and “See The Memo.” He taps into smooth electronica or techno chill on “Dualife” and “Charm Offensive,” but what makes it warmer than most music in those genres is that he is playing a natural instrument that uses the human breath which takes the edge off the electronic elements. The CD also shows what Immel can do as a composer, producer and arranger. Long Way Home can be purchased online at CDbaby.com, amazon.com, digital download locations such as iTunes and Napster, and at his own website (donimmel.com).

Not a masterwork, but a darn fine album for a debut. And shouldn’t everyone have at least one album in their collection that features a trombone?

Posted on: 06.06.2008 by rdavis | Flag as inappropriate

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