Phil Wilson & Rich Matteson - The Sound of the Wasp (1975)

[Finetales]

Phil Wilson on trombone; Rich Matteson on valve trombone, euphonium, and tuba. Most tunes written by Phil Wilson.

Only ever released on LP, but I just learned it's on YouTube!


The story: When I was in the 8th grade, I went to this local tuba-euphonium day for young players (I started on euphonium, and had yet to start my trombone journey) hosted by a couple DC military band guys. We all read some tuba-euph quartets and then they gave us each 2 CDs to take home: a playlist they had made of some tuba-euph ensemble and solo euph stuff, and a blue ITEA Tuba-Euphonium Legacy Project CD with a bunch of Rich Matteson tunes and solos from various sources. There was this one track on that CD called "What's Her Name?" that featured Rich Matteson on tuba, and an absolutely hilarious trombone solo from an anonymous player. I always wanted to know where that track originally came from, and today after nearly 20 years I found it! After listening to that and then the rest of the album, I had to share it here because the whole thing is a riot.

Phil Wilson plays jazz trombone in a very unique way, with a lot of fun and whimsy in his solos. I've listened to the "What's Her Name?" solo countless times over the years and it's still just as hilarious and fun to listen to now as it was the first time, but all of Phil's solos on this album are delightfully fun and playful in a way that I don't often hear from jazz musicians.

And Rich Matteson...well, he's Rich. Insane chops throughout. If you ever wanted to hear tons of high Gs pasted to the wall on valve trombone, this is your album!

[Doug Elliott]

I remember listening to that album a lot.
Did you catch Phil's quote of the Perry Mason theme?

[AndrewMeronek]

Nice find!

[CalgaryTbone]

This was a favorite of mine back then as well as the Conte Candolli/Frank Rossolino "Conversation". I think I found both at the same time in a little "hole in the wall" NYC record store in my first year of school there.

Jim Scott

[baileyman]

Phil's idol was Vic Dickenson, which may help explain his creative approach.