Few instruments fall victim to typecasting as often as the trumpet.
With its high, piercing tone, it’s the perfect candidate for brash jazz solos, funk stabs, and overly-enthusiastic marching bands. If the trumpet was an actor, it would be a trim, athletic type, possibly a martial arts specialist, cast mainly as eye candy in action movies.
But we rarely get to see the trumpet’s softer side.
Enter: Aaron Esposito (AAESPO), in whose hands the trumpet becomes a truly beautiful instrument.
On his 2017 and 2018 releases, Layers and Light, using just one instrument and some reverb and overdubs, he shows off the trumpet’s full emotional scope. (Okay, on Light it’s a flugelhorn, but that’s basically just a slightly overweight trumpet.)
I’m featuring two of AAESPO’s songs this week because a) this past week has felt at least two weeks long, b) each one is only about half a song in length, and most importantly, c) I genuinely could not choose between these two tracks. Over the past few days, whenever I would decide on one, the other would spend the next hour stuck in my head. Then I’d change my mind and go through the whole process again.
So two songs it is. Hope that’s okay with you.
What makes these beautiful songs:
1. “9” – there’s something haunting and vaguely military in this one; as if it’s a more melodic version of “Last Post.”
2. “Circles” – the arpeggios and lilting, nearly waltzing pace make it sound like a Chopin prelude transcribed for the flugelhorn.
3. Both – the echoing loops give the feeling of infinite sonic space. If you feel like supporting an artist this week, and if you need a bit of sonic space, go purchase both these albums and give them a listen in full.
Recommended listening activity:
Pushing two couches together to make a nap fortress.