Carson Cooman's "Where all the Ladders Start" reviewed in the ITG journal

Carson Cooman's work for Trumpet and vibraphone "Where all the Ladders Start" was recently reviewed in the International Trumpet Guild Journal :

from the October 2010 issue of the International Trumpet Guild Journal

Cooman, Carson P. Where All the Ladders Start. Musik Fabrik, 2008.

Boston-based composer Carson Cooman is undoubtedly one of the most prolific composers of the twenty-first century with over 800 works in his catalog. Fifty of these compositions feature the trumpet, including several commissions by Chris Gekker and a brass quintet commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival. Where All the Ladders Start, composed for C trumpet and vibraphone, was written for and is dedicated to Louis Ranger, who rendered the premiere in 2009.

Although an uncommon pairing, Cooman treats the trumpet and vibraphone as solo instruments that occasionally accompany each other. The resulting dialogue unfolds as an intimate interaction between performers while developing a wide variety of evolving emotions. An ominous cloud of thick sonorities shrouds the entire work, occasionally sprinkling glimmers of hope throughout. After a brief moment of tranquility, the intensity returns and drives toward an exhilarating conclusion.

The compositional style of Where All the Ladders Start is clear and direct with explicitly marked dynamics, phrases, and articulations that challenge the performers to demonstrate their artistic mastery. Very few questions of interpretation arise due to the precise detail in almost every measure. Cooman’s successful endeavor to explore the unique timbres of trumpet and vibraphone will entice audiences by offering a fresh palette of aural colors. (Brian Shook, assistant professor of trumpet, Lamar University)

The piece is availabe in our brass music catalog.