Today is the 3 year anniversary for me and my new Trumpet life. I’ve been playing non-stop, every day since.
It’s been a blast! I’ve been lucky to have had many great musical experiences, including all the crazy gigs with the awesome funk band Futaba, subbing with another great band: The Lindsey Obrien Band for Bandswap, my latest adventure: The Steve Johnson Group and sitting in and gigging with some amazing, talented rhythm section players: Mark Raynes, Mark and Myles Sloniker, Roger Barnhart, Steve Thurston, Alwyn Robinson, Mark Diamond, Andy Weyl, Kalin Capra, Chris Kroger, Peter Knudsen and many more. My school yard has been the jam sessions at the Brad Goode Jam Session in Boulder, Tavollas and the Jaeger, in Greeley, The Pourhouse in Loveland and the Sunday jam at the Boulder Outlook. The Longtones, of course, threw down everything from Bitches Brew inspired grooves to ballads at many Avo’s gig’s.
What started 3 years ago as a renewed ambition to “be good” is now as normal a part of my life as breathing. In fact, a good percentage of my breaths exhale through my horn.
I still take lessons a couple times a year. Hugh Ragin, Brad Goode, Gabe Mervine and Peter Sommer have all sparked ideas in my head for creating the integral pieces of the puzzle for learning to play this crazy thing we call Jazz. Form, Harmony, Articulation, Air Speed, Time, Space, Sound, Rhythm, Performing vs Practicing, Listening, Transcribing, Creating and Collaborating.