After Miles Davis put down the Vega Power Model trumpet which he had played and endorsed, he switched to playing Martin Committee trumpets, and no others.
Below Miles and Fats Navarro examining his Vega Power Model Trumpet.
Once Miles’ switched to Martin instruments his selection, complete approval, and lasting musical dependence on Martin instruments [in particular the Committee model trumpet]. The switch was notorious and remains a lasting and compelling endorsement by a multiple Downbeat poll winner who – despite the New York times of October 15 1989 labelling him a “Juilliard dropout” was Juilliard Music School trained. [ https://www.juilliard.edu/music ] The NY Times article goes on to relate that the man who made this lifelong musical engagement with the Martin Committee trumpet had dropped out after –
a Juilliard instructor told his class that blacks played the blues because they were poor, Mr. Davis retorted, ''I'm from East St. Louis and my father is rich . . . and I play the blues.'' He found more valuable mentors at the jam sessions at Minton's, a
nightclub where ''the cream of the crop of Harlem's black society'' listened to the incubation of a new music (''In those days you didn't get too big to be sitting in''). So though he continued to examine the scores of Stravinsky, Berg and Prokofiev and studied with members of the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Davis delivered himself into the hands of his own masters, ''Professors Diz and Bird,'' as well as Freddie Webster, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins and others. ''If they smiled when you finished playing, then that meant that your playing was good.''
In 1944, Miles Davis had accepted his father’s idea of studying at the Institute of Musical Arts [later known as the Juilliard School, in New York City]. In 1945, after three semesters, Miles Davis failed to register for the year’s autumn term at Juilliard and dropped out: he wanted to perform full-time. Miles had often skipped classes, and much of his time was spent in clubs seeking his idol, Charlie Parker.
Years later he was critical of Juilliard for concentrating too much on a classical European collection. But he praised the school for teaching him music theory and improving his trumpet technique.
By the mid 20th century, as Christies, the auction house which handled the sale of Miles’ midnight blue T3640 trumpet at auction in late 2019 [the bidding went to USD$275,000] acknowledges on its website, the demand
for Martin Committee trumpets “was pretty much insatiable”; and – as the website relates – Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis [who tied for first place in
the Downbeat Critics poll around 1955] were huge Martin Committee fans.
When the Martin company was sold and the production of Committee trumpets officially stopped, they continued to be custom made on special order for Miles.
The production of this iteration of the Committee – the T3460 – was by Larry Ramirez, a jazz trumpeter himself: Miles had requested a set of three of these trumpets – one red, one blue, and one black, each decorated with a gilt moon and stars – and Ramirez hand delivered the first two personally to
Davis in the summer of 1981 in Denver. [the Christies website relates the nerves Ramirez felt when Miles handed back one of the horns with the invitation “You play don’t you?” …]
Martin T3460 trumpet available
Now in raw brass, the serial number number 9915XX indicates the “modern” production run which ceased in late 2000s.
The name “Damon” is included on the custom engraving which extends right up the bell beyond the valve block.
The most recent owner – an Australian professional trumpet player said:
.... plays really unique and well. It's actually a great all rounder. I love using this instrument not only for improvisational music but also for more classical stuff. I used it for Aida .... and it was wonderful due to the centred and complex sound it can make. Of course its a great jazz/ commercial /latin horn as well. The valves are very fast and smooth and the trumpet has excellent response.
He decided to strip it of its Miles Davis “kind of blue” lacquer – leaving it mostly in raw brass. The expressed rationale for taking off the lacquer was to try to darken the tone, and he said he was completely satisfied at the result, which “fixed” the brightness that had been there beforehand. This approach to getting just the sound you want as a player could have come from Miles own father – as mentioned in that New York Times article –
Mr. Davis's father - an outspoken dentist, landowner, gentleman farmer and sheriff - advised him when he dropped out of the Juilliard School to play jazz, ''You want to be your own man, have your own sound.'' Mr. Davis's sound is the unmistakable constant in his music, the true measure of his disposition, the ultimate payoff of an extremely personal approach to the trumpet.
Except for a little of the original blue in the deep throat of the bell, all “kind of blue” evidence is gone, and this trumpet is now entirely raw brass. The contrast between blue and the gold plate of the slides has now become the contrast of gold slides, nickel trim, and brass.
