The trumpet mouthpiece the master used

The late Esotto Pellegrini played a critical role in shaping many of the great trumpet players to come out of the Mahoning Valley.

Pellegrini — who died in 2006 at age 80 — was first trumpet of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra for 47 years, a professor of trumpet at the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, and a founding member of the W.D. Packard Band.

He was also a virtuoso on the instrument who inspired and mentored those who took lessons from him.

David Perrico is one of those students. These days, Perrico is a composer, conductor and trumpeter whose current ensemble — the 20-piece David Perrico and Pop Evolution — is one of the most in-demand acts in Las Vegas.

Now the student is honoring the master.

Perrico has created the Pellegrini Philharmonic, a trumpet mouthpiece based on the one that Pellegrini created and used. It is available from Legends Brass (legendsbrass.com), a Tennessee company that makes trumpet mouthpieces and other parts.

Legends also makes the Las Vegas Showroom mouthpiece, which is Perrico’s personal model. In fact, he designed it — and that’s what inspired him to produce the Pellegrini model. Perrico calls it an homage to a great one.

“I got to thinking about the custom mouthpiece that Pellegrini created,” said Perrico. “I spoke with his son Norman to get the personal piece that he used and I copied it as a tribute to him. This is what the master played.”

Perrico, who is a graduate of the Dana School of Music, said he began taking lessons from Pellegrini when he was 12.

“[Pellegrini] was probably one of the greatest trumpet virtuosos, but unsung,” said Perrico. “He walked quietly in the world but his influence shows in Youngstown and in his students who are out playing professionally in the world.”

The Pellegrini mouthpiece, he said, can make a good trumpet player better.

“It is enhanced, it’s tweaked,” said Perrico. “A stock piece will work but this one is easier to play. It’s very open, it’s free-er blowing, and you can get more sound out of it. Pellegrini’s tweaks helped him cover a huge range without having to grab different mouthpieces. So it eliminates the need for other mouthpieces. Trumpet players need to know about this.”