Aurora
All album artwork and illustration was done by a good friend of mine, Nate Farro
My third solo album, Aurora, released in November 2023, and is my favorite album I’ve made.
The project is infused from top to bottom with joy, celebration, fun, and most of all… hope
It features 7 epic new works for trombone by gifted composers and collaborations with some of my favorite people in the world.
Technically I began working on the album about a year ago. But really I feel like I’ve been working on it my whole life.
It’s now available for purchase on CD, digital download, and special release 2-disc vinyl.
I invite you to scroll through this page to learn more about the works, composers, performers, and production team. You can also hear preview clips of each piece on the project.
The Music
Sonata in One Movement by Kevin Day
It was a great honor to record TWO new works by the amazing Kevin Day on the project: one of them opens the album, and the other is the project’s title track. Kevin “has quickly emerged as one of the leading young voices in the world of music composition today, whose music ranges from powerful introspection to joyous exuberance. He is an internationally acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist, whose music often intersects between the worlds of jazz, minimalism, Latin music, fusion, and contemporary classical idioms. “
Both Sonata in One Movement and Aurora were commissioned as part of a large project funded by Dr. Joseph Awad, who is Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University and also happens to be a fantastic trombonist and one of the world’s greatest fans and supporters of all things trombone-related. Joe leads a community ensemble called Bone Therapy, which performs numerous concerts in the Nashville area each year. He was also co-host of the ITF when it was last held in Nashville in the Summer of 2011, and the trombone world owes him a great debt of gratitude for his dedicated service and support of our beloved instrument. This commissioning project is just the latest example.
The Sonata itself is brief, yet incredibly bold, emotional, and inspiring. It displays the rhythmic vitality, lyricism, and raw energy that have become trademarks of Kevin Day’s musical voice. It’s based around a classic A/B/A structure, but with some wonderful surprises, including sweeping dynamic contrasts, quirky meter changes, a short cadenza, and some huge climactic moments.
More info can be found at kevindaymusic.com
As the Willow Tree Grows by Jordan VanHemert
The second piece on the album is by Jordan VanHemert, an Oklahoma-based saxophonist, recording artist, and educator. The main work is preceded by a simple statement of the main melody of a song by Korean songwriter, producer, and filmmaker 고복수 (Ko Bok Soo), which then flows seamlessly into Jordan’s new work.
Jordan says:
“As The Willow Tree Grows for tenor trombone and piano is loosely inspired by the lyrics to a Korean song from the early 1930's called 타향살이, loosely translated as "Living in a Foreign Country." In the lyrics, the speaker talks about how they have been living away from home for ten years and how things have changed since they have been gone. The song expresses the sorrow of losing one's country and being forced to mobilize (palpably felt by Koreans during the Japanese occupation in this time). Whether forcibly or by choice, when we leave our hometowns, things that are familiar are no longer, and cycles of life continue; time marches on.
As I think about the many global conflicts of our time, I think about those who are displaced from their homes. This piece is a reflection of the diasporic movement of people around the world, and how far from home, people are forced to create new homes and new lives, yet it is possible that we all feel a yearning and nostalgia for what we once knew and loved.
This piece was commissioned in 2022 by Jeremy Wilson. In composing this piece, I wanted to capture some of my favorite elements of Jeremy's playing--his lyrical upper register and the compassion in the way he phrases a musical line. In addition, I wanted to evoke a more tender, singing lyricism from the trombone, while staying true to the jazz rhythm and harmonic structures that inspire me as a composer and musician.” ~Jordan VanHemert
Learn more about Jordan at jordanvanhemert.com
Aurora by Kevin Day
Aurora, a gorgeous ballad for soloist with trombone octet is the emotional centerpiece of the album. I am accompanied on the recording by the Vanderbilt University Trombone Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Thomas Verrier.
Aurora depicts the dawning of a new day, as the night sky opens up with light peering over the horizon. ~Kevin Day
It was part of the same commissioning project as Day’s Sonata in One Movement, and the inscription for both pieces explains the inspiration for Dr. Awad’s generous gift.
Commissioned by Joseph Awad, MD, in loving memory of his mother Elvira Nashid Sawiris (1927-2020), who immigrated to the Unites States from Egypt in her 30s and worked into her 80s as a social worker advancing social justice causes. Her love of music and example of service has always been an inspiration to her children.
More info can be found at kevindaymusic.com
Caño Cristales by Rubén Darío Gómez
Rubén Darío Gómez’s music was put onto my radar through his work with colleagues like Jose Sibaja as well as Thomas Verrier, director of the Vanderbilt Wind Symphony, and I am so excited to help bring his voice to the trombone repertoire. Rubén and I had many wonderful discussions about the world of possible sounds and techniques available to the trombone, and Rubén was particularly intrigued by the idea of pairing the trombone with another instrument that also has a variety of colors and sounds available to it. Luckily, at Vanderbilt I have the opportunity to work with Ji Hye Jung, one of the world’s foremost percussion virtuosos, so Rubén had the idea to do a duet for trombone and vibraphone. It turned out to be one of the coolest pieces I’ve ever played, and there are so many amazing tone colors and textures as the piece winds its way through the Colombian countryside. See Rubén’s notes below about the subject of the work.
“Caño Cristales is a river located in Colombia, more exactly in the Serranía de la Macarena. For many people this is one of the most beautiful rivers on earth because of its striking colors and its unique flora. In the first theme of this piece, the composer reflects Caño Cristales’ colors through the use of different mutes in the trombone, and by asking for different types of mallets in the vibraphone. The Serranía de la Macarena, where Caño Cristales is located, was for many years home base of guerrilla groups in Colombia. That aspect is present in the second theme, when complex rhythms and melodies, as well as dissonant harmonies interact back and forth between both instruments. The presence of the high register in the trombone also intensifies the sense of conflict. The trombone- vibraphone combination is very rare in trombone literature, which makes Caño Cristales a unique addition to the solo literature for this instrument.” ~ Rubén Darío Gómez, 2021
More info at https://en.rubendariogomez.net
Everything You Are by Jonathan Salcedo
This piece was written by multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger Jonathan Salcedo, who also performs the piano part with me on the album. Jonathan studied trombone with me during his undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt, graduating in May 2023, and is now making his mark on Music City as he wows everyone with his many different musical skills and talents.
He originally wrote Everything You Are for tuba, then adapted it for bass trombone, which is the way I first heard it. I was enamored with this exciting and quirky piece and asked Jonathan if he’d consider doing a tenor trombone adaption. It is immense fun to perform, and I’m so glad we got to record it for the album.
You can learn more about Jonathan at jonathansalcedotrombone.com
Cole’s Tune by Michael Kamen
In 1995, I went to the theater with a bunch of other band kids to watch the film “Mr. Holland's Opus”, and it changed my life forever. That movie made me want to be a music educator. When I saw the far-reaching impact that the character of Mr. Holland, a public school orchestra director, had on hundreds and thousands of students over the course of his career, I knew that I wanted to do the same.
The score for the film was done by the amazing Michael Kamen, and I have listened to it constantly for nearly 30 years now. But I never performed any of the music until recently, simply because it means that much to me. I felt like I couldn’t do any of Kamen’s gorgeous melodies justice. I finally decided to get over myself and on a faculty recital in 2022 I performed a simple trombone and piano arrangement of one of my favorite melodies from the score, simply called Cole’s Tune. I don't think I’ve ever felt more potent emotion on stage than that moment.
David Rodgers and I then tried to capture the same freedom and emotion from the recital and record it for the album. After all the other pieces had been recorded, we finished our final session by playing 3 run-throughs of Cole’s Tune. Each time through was different, as David used his improvisatory genius to create different atmospheres and moods. The final product you hear is mostly from one take.
Hang the Code by Tom Schipper
“You’re pirates! Hang the code, hang the rules! They’re more like guidelines anyway.” ~ Elizabeth Swann in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”
Tom Schipper, composer of Hang the Code
Hang the Code was written by Dutch composer Tom Schipper in 2017. I was fortunate to be part of the consortium that commissioned the work. The lead commissioners on the project were Chris van Hof and Evan Conroy, and they were specifically seeking a work for tenor/bass trombone duo and electronics that would “draw explicitly and unapologetically from non-classical and non-jazz styles”. Tom nailed it.
The work uses funky grooves, synth-pop harmonies, and catchy hooks so effectively that it makes even me feel like a rock star when I play it. I overdubbed both the tenor and bass parts for this recording, and for me it’s one of the most fun and smile-inducing things I’ve ever done. As the piece progresses, Schipper creates increasingly complex rhythms, changes the downbeat constantly, and the piece threatens to pull itself apart at times.
Hope by Eli Wilson
The album comes to a close with one of the most meaningful and personal things I’ve ever recorded.
My oldest son, Eli, has been taking piano lessons for years. He’s never been that interested in being a world-class pianist, but he loves the ability it gives him to make sounds he’s interested in making. He likes playing pop tunes, or worship songs, or just cool chord progressions that he finds fascinating. Over the last couple of years he has gotten into a daily habit of practicing the etudes and exercises his teacher gives him, but then shifting into 10-15 minutes of simply playing. He improvises, creates soundscapes, and fills our house with the most beautiful music.
Eli Wilson, composer of Hope
One day in early 2023 I asked Eli if he would ever consider composing a piece. I told him he’d need to be able to play somewhat the same thing every time, and he told me he thought that would be doable. I told him that if he came up with 4-5 minutes of repeatable, structured material, I would find some way to put trombone with it and consider using it as the closer for my album. He agreed to try, and worked on it over several weeks. I could hear him experimenting with different sounds and progressions and melodies during his daily practice sessions.
When he finally sent me the voice memo recording of his proposed piece, I was walking along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in rural Quebec. I was there teaching at Domaine Forget for the week. It brought me to tears, for a lot of reasons. I found it beautiful. I realize I’m biased, but I genuinely thought it had potential. A few weeks later, we set up mics in our music room and recorded the piano part. Then I went to work layering trombone voices over it. I sent the work-in-progress to a close friend who was enamored with it. Not only did his comments about the piece end up inspiring the title, I also invited him to contribute some guitar parts to it.
In the end, the three of us created a piece that I think encapsulates the spirit of this whole project. When you hear it, you’re hearing a snapshot of my personal life at the moment. Not only a teenage son exploring his own creativity and expression, and a dear friend stepping outside his comfort zone to contribute his voice to a buddy’s project. But also the culmination of a whole season of my life. Celebration. Joy. Hope. The dawning of a new day after a season of struggle. More on that in a later blog post.
I’ve posted our recording of Hope in its entirety, and you may download the mp3 free as a thank you for your support, and for making it this far down the page! We sincerely hope that you enjoy it and that it brings you some joy and peace as you listen.
The Performers
David M Rodgers, piano
David is the only person (besides me) to have performed on all three of my solo albums. There’s a reason for that. He’s one of the most gifted musicians and wonderful human beings I’ve ever worked with. His artistry is featured on Sonata in One Movement, As the Willow Tree Grows, and Cole’s Tune
Vanderbilt Trombone Ensemble
It was a thrill to record Kevin Day’s Aurora with the Vanderbilt Trombone Ensemble — the first time I’ve ever recorded professionally with current students of mine. Dr. Thomas Verrier was kind enough to conduct the ensemble so I could concentrate on playing. Pictured (L to R): Thomas Verrier, Austin Root, AJ Abbey, Seth Hahn, Jeremy Wilson, Jonathan Salcedo, John Calma, Ian Boggs, Jack O’Nan, Liam Barron
Ji Hye Jung, vibraphone
Ji Hye is one of the foremost percussion virtuosos in the world, and I’m fortunate to have her as a colleague at Vanderbilt. You can hear her making some truly amazing sounds with the vibraphone on Caño Cristales
Jonathan Salcedo, piano
Jonathan is not only a gifted trombonist and composer, he plays piano really well too! He accompanied me on his own piece, Everything You Are
Eli Wilson, piano
Travis John Miller, guitar
My son Eli performed the piano part on his piece, Hope, and we were joined on guitar by our dear family friend, T.J. Miller. I am eternally grateful to have been able to make music with these two people who mean so much to me.
The Production Team
Produced by Nick Laufer
My VU colleague and friend Nick once again did an amazing job as producer of this album. He’s done my other 2 solo albums and the Aries Quartet as well! So grateful to have his expertise and ears in the booth.
Illustration and Art by Nate Farro
Nate is a Nashville-based graphic designer specializing in art direction, illustration, and video production. A design genius, and a dear friend. Learn more about Nate at natefarro.com
Recorded and Mixed by Kevin Edlin
It was great to have Kevin back behind the keyboard for yet another project. He also does a fantastic job and helps me get exactly the sound I want. One of the top engineers in Music City, which is really saying something!
