I was looking at my Blue Note Jazz Photography Book and I noticed a picture of Donald Byrd playing what appeared to be a pocket trumpet. The picture was taken during the Fuego recording session. I then remembered reading the liner notes for this album and Leonard Feather mentioned that Donald was playing a Bb piccolo trumpet. Same thing? Different?

If you never had a chance to check out that book mentioned above ? I highly recommend it. If you love jazz you will truly enjoy viewing the candid pictures that Francis Wolff took during recording sessions. Several shots gave me goose bumps? a young Lee Morgan laughing with Curtis Fuller? Horace Silver watching Thelonious Monk play… Miles playing the piano with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. These cats defined cool. It also has some interesting information. Did you know that Rudy Van Gelder recorded several jazz masterpieces from the living room of his parent?s home? When you think about it ? most of the cats that he recorded would sound good on a cassette recorder. Still, Rudy sure did work some magic.

As a trumpet player I love some of detailed shots of different player?s embouchures. Clifford Brown and Donald Byrd played with less of a roll and Fats Navarro played with no red showing. To me it proves that perhaps we spend too much time worrying about unimportant things. Take what you have and work with it.

This week was a total switch from last week. Please pardon my belly aching from last week. Tone was good, range was good and my attitude was positive. I?ve been spending a lot time with long times and lip slurs. Some of the slurs that I struggled with last week are starting to pop out much easier so I?m going to assume I?m doing something right.

Patience is so very hard for me but diligence for something that I love is second nature. Fortunately one cancels out the other.