John Castleman
Trumpet Solo on
Joy Spring

About

John Castleman's trumpet solo is the second of two solos on this brisk swing rendition of Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring" from Alexis Cole's 2021 album Sky Blossom. Following Cole's vocal improvisation, Castleman takes a full chorus over the 32-bar ABCA form in C at 196 BPM, navigating Brown's harmonically adventurous composition with agility and assurance. The uptempo setting demands strong command of the horn's upper register and rhythmic precision, and Castleman's solo sustains the energy established by Cole's preceding scat passage. Brown originally wrote the piece in 1954, naming it as a term of endearment for his wife, Larue.