Trumpet Concerto
“Puckett should be a household word.”
Parterre Box
concerto with Trumpet and String Orchestra, Harp, and Piano
18 minutes
for Sean Jones
SCORING
Trumpet soloist
String Orchestra
Harp
Piano
PROGRAM NOTE
Trumpet Concerto (2024) – Joel Puckett
This concerto was born out of a hallway conversation with trumpeter Sean Jones. We were talking about how the great jazz clarinetists of the 20th century—Benny Goodman, in particular—had works written for them by major composers like Aaron Copland. But where, we wondered, were the trumpet equivalents? Where were the concertos written for jazz trumpet players who could move between genres with fluency and soul?
That question led to this piece.
Written specifically for Sean Jones, Trumpet Concerto is not a jazz piece, but it is a piece shaped by Sean’s musical identity. The phrasing, pacing, and harmonic color all reflect the lyrical intensity and improvisational fluency that define Sean’s playing. The work unfolds in three continuous movements and is scored for chamber orchestra, echoing Copland’s instrumentation while creating a sound world all its own. It is, above all, a collaboration—a piece written for a friend, inspired by a conversation, and shaped by the kind of voice that doesn’t often find its way into the classical concerto tradition.
PERUSAL SCORE
RENTAL INFORMATION
RECORDING
Coming August 22!