In a program of newly commissioned works for trumpet and piano, trumpeter John Adler explores modern classical pieces from the pens of composers most often associated with the jazz world. Dr. James Miley, Dan Cavanaugh, and Steve Owen all contribute pieces to this unique album, full of advanced rhythmic and harmonic language, and often involving improvisational elements. The result is an intriguing package of seven new compositions that could invoke comparisons to the 20th Century works of Hindemith, Kennan, and Eric Ewazen. Dr. John Adler was one of three Americans invited to compete in the prestigious Maurice Andre Trumpet Competition, in Paris, 2006. He was voted "Best Classical Instrumentalist" in Downbeat Magazine, and has been a soloist with orchestras and chamber groups across the U.S.

TRACK LISTING:

1–3 {this is} for trumpet and piano 14:46 (JAMES MILEY)
1 42 Years Later 5:21
2 Under the Rug 4:35
3 ...By the Time I Looked Down It Was Too Late 4:50
4 Solitude 5:36 (STEVE OWEN)
5 Confronting Inertia 10:37 (ERIK FERGUSON)
6 Cantus for Trumpet and Electronics 6:36 (ERIC NATHAN)
7–8 From the Barrage Comes Clarity 7:14 (DAN CAVANAGH)
7 Part One 4:52
8 Part Two 2:22
9–10 Progressing to the One State or the Other (BENJAMIN BOONE)
9 Peace 8:08
10 RAGE 8:05

MUSICIANS:

JOHN ADLER trumpet / flugelhorn
TRACY COWDEN piano

PRODUCTION:

Produced by John Adler & James Miley
Recorded by Micah Hayes & Jon Utt
in Blacksburg, VA, on January 13–16, 2009
Mixed by Micah Hayes, Arlington, TX
Mastered by John McCaig, Seattle, WA
Photography by Colin Soutar
Cover design by John Bishop

REVIEWS:
Gramaphone Magazine
Laurence Vittes
John Adler may not be a trumpet-playing beauty like Alison Balsom or Tine Thing Helseth but the music he makes is hot just the same. For this recording he and Tracy Cowden play seven new works commissioned for the "Fonfronting Inertia" project, which features trumpet works in classical forms written by jazz composers influenced now and then by usual suspects such as the French Impressionists, Radiohead, Andre Jolivet, Charlie Parker and Shostakovich.
The music is heavy on mood and the trumpet's tendency to seek out harmonic and tonal centres based more on a focused intensity than an excess of emotion. The lyricism is often strained, sometimes beyond recognititon, and it's always a voice crying out, as in Erik Ferguson's poignant musical valentine (and title tune). The longest work is James Miley's 15-minute pastel blend, using lots of cool mutes. By contrast, Eric Nathan's exquisite Cantus is emotion laid bare, using electronics to create a video game-like sonic landscape of trumpet sounds and fears.
Young and talented, Adler came up through the ranks of the American music education system at it's best, which is to say less diciplined than the German, less rational than the French and less rebellious than the British. Otherwise, it can hold its own with any. And it's always good to see that the new music it is generating is gaining access to the non-academic world.
The recordings were make in Blacksburg, Virginia, and project a nightclub atmosphere, haunted by spotlights and shadows that occasionally give the music a sinister air.

International Trumpet Guild
Peter Wood
John Adler serves as assistant professor of trumpet and jazz studies at Virginia Tech University and was named “Best Classical Instrumentalist” by Downbeat Magazine in 2003. On this 2009 recording, his first solo release, he features in- novative classical solo composi- tions written by composers with jazz backgrounds. Accord- ing to Adler, “This project explores new concepts of art and sound, blending jazz harmonic and stylistic language with contemporary compositional techniques.” The works explore extended techniques, electro-acoustic accompaniment, improvisation in a classical context, and prepared and percussive piano effects. The opening three- movement work by James Miley incorporates eclectic sounds influenced by the likes of Radiohead, Dmitri Shostakovich, Charlie Parker, and Steve Reich. Adler performs Steve Owen’s Solitude with great emotion. It opens very pensively, builds to a dramatic climax, and winds back down to a tranquil ending. The title track, one of this reviewer’s personal favorites, incorporates electronic modifications of the trumpet’s sound and requires virtuosic technique. Adler certainly does not disappoint, playing with remarkable agility and accuracy. The final work on the recording, Benjamin Boone’s programmatic Progressing to the One State or the Other is another highlight. The gorgeous first movement, entitled “Peace,” “...explores the gentle and warm nature of the flugelhorn, reminiscent of the great Woody Shaw recordings of the 1970s.” At the opposite extreme is the dramatic, Jolivet-like second and final movement, entitled “Rage,” in which dissonance is truly emancipated and in which the performer is instructed to play “Viciously and Violently.” Throughout this innovative recording, Adler performs with remarkable facility. He sets the mood brilliantly on each track through his extremely wide dynamic range and his varied coloristic treatment of the instrument. He changes musical styles effortlessly, setting a vibrant emotional palette for each piece. Definitely not a recording of “easy listening” tunes, this CD is filled with contemporary works that are well written and executed. This CD does exactly what it sets out to do—it challenges and sends music in a new stylistic trajectory, a daunting yet noble task indeed.