Denis Wick has passed

[Retrobone]

Very sad to hear of his passing. Indirectly an enormous influence for me. I had a few lessons with him way back.

[tbdana]

I was just going to post this. Very sad, but he was 93 and lived a life that made a difference for a lot of people.

[Doug Elliott]

Very sorry to hear that.
It's getting to be the end of an era, between losing Denis, and Marcellus, and with Jay retiring. Some of the most influential people in the trombone world.

[Burgerbob]

He left a great legacy, and had a long life. He even reached out after I made a video a while back, definitely had a good sense of humor.

[Finetales]

I'll always remember reading the stories about how he could play false tones on his 8H as well as anyone else could play those notes with a valve.

[harrisonreed]

He was an amazing player, teacher, and designer. I think it's a safe bet, thinking of the Star Wars movies and other film work, that his playing will be heard for a very very long time. He has been and will be heard more than any other trombonist!

[CalgaryTbone]

Those Star Wars soundtracks were very inspiring to me as a young player just starting music school. I remember buying the sound track for the first movie (chronologically - episode 4 since they added the prequels) right outside the theatre in NYC as my friends and I came out from seeing the show. I may have put the record (yes, vinyl) on my turntable as soon as I got back to my apartment.

I also remember getting a set of Berlioz overtures with the LSO that were influential for how I play that literature to this day. We have Symphonie Fantastique coming up in a couple of weeks - time to dedicate that one to Wick's memory. Tons of "life" in the sound when he played those great trombone parts!

RIP.

Jim Scott

[hyperbolica]

Denis Wick affected generations of tbone players through recordings, lessons and equipment. My introduction to him was as a part of the Philip Jones brass ensemble, which formed my musical sense in many ways.

RIP DW

[Fidbone]

Total legend RIP dear Denis

[Olofson]

It´s allways sad when a loved person goes away. He did give us a lot, a fantastic teacher, a real eye opener.

[Bach5G]

I have his Trombone Technique on a shelf somewhere.

I recall a number of interviews and stories of sneaking the first 88Hs into the UK, relacquering his horn and ruining its sound (subsequently restored), and putting a high D on a student’s horn, and so on.

A legend indeed. A sad day.

[blast]

A life well lived and a talent shared with generosity . Thank you Denis for the skills passed on to me. I was proud to have been his student and he seemed happy with how things turned out. Unique and iconic. What a man !

[Kbiggs]

I remember going to Star Wars for my 14th birthday—it had been released that summer. The story was wonderful for an impressionable teen, but the score!!! I bought the soundtrack—on vinyl—and listened to it a lot. I looked up the players in the liner notes. That was my introduction to Denis Wick, and how an orchestral trombone can sound.

The next year (while in high school) I started lessons at the local university. The prof gave me a list of books to purchase, which included Trombone Technique. I played a Wick 5AL then a 4 1/2 AL for years. RIP.

[Tbarh]

RIP ! ...My teachers teacher... One of maybe four/five trombone players that constitutes my combined sound ideal.. His Mahler 3 solo with LSO and Horenstein ages ago is still my reference for this piece..

[Crazy4Tbone86]

RIP
Denis was my teacher when I was a student in London in summer/fall of 1985. Not only a great teacher, musician and innovator…….he was a wonderful man. Things he stated at my lessons 40 years ago stay with me to this day.

[Savio]

RIP Denis Wick

So lucky to have been with him in a trombone masterclass in early 1980's. It made a deep impression to listen him close. I remember every second of that weekend. He did a glizz from pedal Bb to stratosphere F with full sound. All in first position. I couldn't believe it. And yes, I played the Lebedev bass trombone concerto for him and he showed me how to play some low parts of it. Sounded great! Afterwards my regular teacher whisper in my ear; "Did you see his trombone have no valve" I was in chock! I remember after a long day I had to guide him back to his hotel. My English-speaking was never good and I remember he laugh a lot on the way maybe because I might have answered him in a strange way. But he had humor and was so kind.
I'm going to listen Star wars again!

Leif

[2bobone]

When the London Symphony Orchestra played at The J.F. Kennedy Center I arranged for the low brass players to come to my home for a post concert party. I remember Denis, Colin, Frank and the famous LSO tubist, John Fletcher. At a lull in the pace of the evening, John demonstrated the ability to reignite hilarity in the room by igniting some methane gas of unknown origin ! My house had one large room on the second floor and that is where we all gathered. When departure began, as a gesture of thanks for the party, they decided to freefall down the flight of stairs !! First, one fell face first creating a terrible clatter but was unscathed. Then the next fell down backwards, after chastising the first for taking the easy way out. Lastly, the bass trombonist shot down the stairway using a nearby plank as a sort of sled ! As these shenanigans were going on, Denis sat calmly, dignified and unperturbed as if he'd seen the show a dozen times ---- which he probably had ! He was a classy gentleman ! RIP

[Cmillar]

Never had the opportunity to him perform in a live setting, but as another trombone player who grew up in the 'Star Wars' era, he was 'the god'.

His book 'Trombone Technique' was bedtime reading. Listening to any other recording by the London Symphony was a mission in life. Getting an 88H was a dream. Playing on a Wick 4AL was my first university studies mouthpiece. (...should have stuck to it, because the rim size was perfect but I didn't know that at the time!...damn...a bit much for me at the time.)

It's been a great joy to hear his interviews over the years and to follow his thoughts.

My condolences to all of you who personally knew him.