Many of you come to this site by way of Jazzician.org. I hope that you find
this new site easier to navigate and easier on the eyes.   Here is a
brief listing of some of the changes you will find:

• The most recent journal entries and music are now on the front page. 
  If you get behind a week and want to catch up on my exploits, you will find
  a listing of the 2 most recent additions to each section.  You can
  still older material in the Archives sections.
• I’ve added new pictures of my equipment and included some high resolution
  photos for a more detailed view.  The only thing missing from these
  pics are the staples in the middle!  Gorgeous.
• Changed site colors in an attempt to make the site more readable.

Please take a look around and let me know what you think. I would like to
thank Rick G of http://jazz.supernonstop.com
for his advice and suggestions.  To me he’s the Freddie Hubbard of web
development!  I would also like to thank my very good friend R. J. Bell for
his expertise behind the lens.  It takes hard work to make my ugly mug look
good and I think he managed to pull it off.

Please take a moment to look around and let me know what
you think.

Back Still Hurting, More Improv

Unfortunately I’ve done all this web work because my back is still
hurting.  It is better but not good enough for me to get really good
practice sessions in.  At most I play some long tones and easy slurs for 30
minutes just to keep my chops in shape.  I’m hoping to be back on a regular
playing schedule on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Once I am able to put in a regular practice session I am going to focus on
improvisation more than I have been.  That may mean that I will have less
time to spend on the daily fundamentals but I really feel that this the way to
go for now.  The jazz master class will be here before I know it and I need
to build my confidence.  I will try and post an improv sound file in the
very near future so everyone can see where I am now.  I will be working
primarily from these Aebersold books:

• Jazz: How to Play and Improvise Volume 1
• Major and Minor Volume 24
• Dominant 7th Workout Volume 84

After playing on the B4S Kanstul for a while I found that I didn’t like it as
much as I thought.  The 70C Laskey is back.  Once I put the Laskey to
my lips it was like climbing back into my own bed after staying in a hotel for a
few days.  I may give the 70MC a try.  The cup isn’t quite as deep as
the 70C so that could give me the edge I want without sacrificing big
sound. 

I strained my back yesterday shoveling snow out of my driveway. Because of it I am having a hard time getting a focused practice session in. I have problems standing up AND sitting down! I’m still trying to get some playing in but it has become pretty difficult. Hopefully it will go away with rest so I can get back to business. I should probably go get it checked out but being a typical “guy” – I don’t see any reason to visit a doctor unless I’m bleeding…

As you read in my last journal entry – I have been considering moving down a bit in mouthpiece size. Earlier in the week I got a Kanstul B4S mouthpiece and I’ve begun working with it. So far it sounds and feels great. It adds a bit of edge to my sound and has the things I liked in my Monette B4S — additional comfort in the rim and a slightly easier upper register. The tone is also big and focused. Granted, it has been less than a week behind the horn and the honeymoon with a new mouthpiece does not last very long. I still think moving down a bit in size will give me a few benefits including the edge that I want and more endurance.

I’m still pretty excited about the jazz workshop. Part of me wants it to start tomorrow but the other part of me wants more time to get better with my scales and chords. I’ve been working on it pretty diligently and I hope I’m ready when the time comes. I have this fear of being in a room with musicians who are 10xs better than me and I just stand there holding my horn with a dazed look on my face. How is THAT for nightmare???

First things first — I posted a very short sound file of me playing the new flugelhorn. You can check it out in theSound Room. I played a very short passage of “Child is Born” from Consummation album by Mel Jones and Thad Lewis. I love the way that this horn sounds and hopefully you do too. The only problem with it is the person behind it and I’m working on him DAILY.  I hope to get some longer sound files posted in the very near future.  Stay tuned.

I put some new lightweight springs in the valves of my Lawler and it made a huge difference. As good as the valves were before, they are that much better. Very quick and light to the touch. Special thanks as always to Roy Lawler (and Lou G for bringing them to my attention).

I had my first rehearsal with the Swing Band this past Thursday and I did pretty good. As usual, just about everything that we played was sight reading for me. I think my technique is better which allows me to hang on a bit better but I still need serious work. More than anything I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in what is going to come out of the bell. Because of that I tend to back way off when I first see a piece of music. If we played it a second time I did much better. I find that I rely on my ear a lot more than I should. I’m hoping my reading improves with time. I am also working on intervals now so I can hear the notes or passages before I play them. I’m using a book called “Technical Studies for the Modern Trumpet” by Pat Harbison to help with this.

I’m thinking about making a mouthpiece change AGAIN.  The mouthpiece that I am playing on right now is equivalent to a 1 1/2C and I think my tone is way too dark.  I’m thinking of dropping down to something closer to a 3C.  I have my eye on a Laskey 68MC, Monette B4S, B6 (or Kanstul copy) and maybe a Bob Reeves piece.  I already have some Kanstul Gustav copies that I may give a try.  The last time I took a lesson with my teacher I was playing a Monette B4S and he liked my sound on it.

I thought originally that my dark tone was due to listening to a lot of players with dark sounds like my main man Terence Blanchard.   Over the past two or three months however, I’ve been listening to a lot of Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan.  All of these players have a distinct RING in their sound.  While I know the sound ultimately comes from the player, the Lawler that I play is a dark sounding horn.  Playing on a bird bath is not going to help me sound brighter.

If you’re reading this and have thoughts please let me know.

2004 has already brought the potential for more playing opportunities and a
chance to learn. I am joining the Community Concert Band and Swing Band this
week. I had taken a break near the middle of 2003 due to demands on my time.
Fortunately I have more time on my hands and I can join them and commit to
making weekly/monthly rehearsals. I think I have improved a lot over the last
few months and I am anxious to see the fruits of my labor (or the glaring
shortcomings in my theory & technique).

Another great potential opportunity is the chance to participate in a small
jazz combo workshop. Twice a month I will get together with other beginning
improvisers (sextet format ala Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers) and an
instructor. We will work on tunes, get valuable instructions and possibly have
the chance to play in front of an audience at a club (once we are ready). This
is definitely the chance I've been looking for and I am very excited about it.
It will really push me to improve and give me a kick in the pants to learn my
scales, chords, etc. More than anything it will get me comfortable playing with
other players. Stay tuned for more info on this? I'm pretty stoked right now.
My practice sessions are being attacked with a new found focus and vigor.

There is a great new website being developed that I want to bring to
everyone's attention. It's called "I was doing all right?" and you
can check it out at http://jazz.supernonstop.com.
Here is another cat working to improve his playing and he is generous enough to
share the journey with us. Be sure to check it out when you have a moment.

The holidays were very good to me – or I was very good to myself.  I purchased a Conn Vintage One flugelhorn and it is simply the best thing since sliced bread.  Just as I felt that the Lawler was the end of my trumpet search – the Conn will satisfy my needs for a very, very long time.  If you want to see pictures and read a brief review, check out my equipment page.  To say I am happy with it would be a drastic understatement.

A year ago I made journal entry describing my goals for 2003.  I’m going to take a moment to review each…

Improve in all aspects of my playing – I can definitely say that I have made some serious improvements.  I have a long way to go before I get where I desire but every little bit helps.  If I can make similar progress in 2004 I will be doing very, very well.  This year I made overall playing my focus instead of  improvisation because I felt as if my technical abilities were holding me back.  I still feel that there are other areas that need my attention but I will try to incorporate more improv in my daily study.

Learn all my major and minor scales – I have learned all of my major scales except for 1.  Not where I wanted to be at all.  To say I need to really step up in 2004 is an understatement.  I also realize that I am learning scales by route which is not helpful with regards to jazz.

Play solos at church – I didn’t do this one.  My excuse is I wasn’t playing well enough to do it.  This is another item that will be moved into my list for the new year.  If nothing else I will play at the annual talent show.

Learn basic chords on the piano – While I know my way around the keyboard better than I did in January 2003, I still need to improve.  More than being able to play piano, I want to connect it with my trumpet playing and improvisation.  Right now they are still two different worlds.

As you can see, based on my answers, my goals for 2004 are pretty much the same as 2003.  One item to add to the list is returning to the Concert community band.  My schedule was very hectic near the middle of the year and I was forced to take a leave of absence.  In 2004 I plan on rehearsing and performing with the group regularly.  I think some of my lowest periods were when I forgot that music is the main reason why I picked up the horn to begin with.

Music is and always will be the focus.  More than any item above – this will be my goal for 2004.  Happy New Year everyone!

I've been doing a lot of listening over the past few weeks. In all honesty –
this is not anything unusual. I listen to jazz while driving to the train
station, I listen to my iPod on the train ride and I have music playing softly
at work (loudly when no one is around). The process repeats itself on the way
home and continues till the next day. I listen mostly because I love music but I
also know that I am getting an education in the process that will eventually
(hopefully) come forth in my own playing.

I listen to a lot of different players but there are some who frequently find
their way into my ears… Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford
Brown and Lee Morgan dominate my "old school" listening while cats like Terence
Blanchard, Jeremy Pelt, Ingrid Jensen, Nick Payton, Irvin Mayfield and Wynton
Marsalis represent the modern generation of trumpet players (In reality neither
of these groups are old, new or modern. To me, jazz is timeless and exciting
whether is was exciting whether is was recorded yesterday or fifty years ago).
Of the multitude of cats who inspire and baffle me with their brilliance, I am
torn between two all time favorites… Donald Byrd and Terence Blanchard.
I still however find myself in a dilemma. How unique can I (and should I) truly
be?

Terence Blanchard has one of the most unique sounds in jazz. To me, his sound
transcends the instrument that he plays… it really doesn't matter if it is a
trumpet, a sax or an accordion because it is personal and it tells a story. That
is my goal. This is perfectly acceptable for small combo jazz where you are
allowed to be more of an individual. Right now, however, I don't have the luxury
(or opportunity) to play in this format. All of my music is played with large
groups where one is expected to blend in. My concern is if I focus on blending I
will miss the unique sound that I am sure that I have inside.

Just more stuff to think about while playing long tones I guess. The good
news is all of the cats that I mentioned in the above grouping played big band
jazz and still managed to create their own sound. Hopefully I will be blessed
with that same fortune.

Happy Holidays to all!

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.

I will be completely honest with everyone… if someone had told me that
playing trumpet was as difficult as it has turned out to be I would have never
picked it up. Seriously. I've been silent over the past few weeks because I
didn't want to write this but it is the truth. Granted, I've been practicing
like a dog but the feeling and thought still lingers.

Trumpet is an unforgiving instrument. Brutally unforgiving. I will probably
get emails saying that I?m making it harder than it is but I can?t lie. I feel
as if I have hit a wall over these past few months and it is really, really
frustrating. It is one of those walls where you look at what is before and you
wonder if you will EVER get to the other side ? hell, halfway up! Granted, I can
look back and see where I have come from BUT… Over the weekend while playing
lip slurs my frustration grew to the point where I attempted to put my fist
through the wall that I was serenading. I've been frustrated before but these
past few months have been the worst. In case anyone is curious, I?ve got no
broken bones. Fortunately for me, drywall has some spring in it!

There is a part of me that wants to take a break from it during the holidays.
Maybe some time away will clear my mind and truly remind me of why I picked it
up to begin with. Unfortunately I can't for two reasons (really three but I will
cover that in the final paragraph)… 1) I'm scared I will lose the little bit
of chops that have and 2) I'm just too stubborn (and stupid). I look at all the
folks who can do it and I refuse to give up.

So what do I do? Easy? I keep working at it. I play the long tones… I do
the lip slurs… I play the etudes and follow all the instructions that my
teacher gave me (along with some that were provided from trusted sources). More
than the first two reasons – I just love the trumpet and jazz too much to give
up. I want to be good at this so very badly? maybe too badly.

Something has got to give but it won't be me…

This is probably going to be the shortest journal entry I've written but I didn't want to stay silent long. I don't want anyone to think I'm giving up or putting in less work. It is actually the exact opposite. I've been getting in more consistent practice than usual and it is paying off.

Enough said — I'm still at it! More to come. Keep checking the site!

After two weeks of rock solid practice (minimum of 1.5 hours a day) I feel like I’m finally back on track with where I was before. My tone is back and I seem to warm up faster than I did during my rough period. If nothing else this little experience proved to me that if I am going to play the trumpet — I’ve got to put in the work regularly. No more than one day off a week (if that) and my sessions must be focused and driven with a purpose. Whether that focus is good clean sound, smooth slurs and articulation or learning to improv on the C minor scale – it must be focused. Sound will my guide for all of these things.

I will admit to really being down in the dumps with regards to my playing and I am sure everyone who visits this site could see it. I even questioned my personality and wondered if perhaps I was not aggressive enough to play trumpet! I thought that perhaps the flugelhorn is more my cup of tea! I am to the point where I will not concern myself with what others are capable of doing after 2.5 or 3 years of playing. It is difficult to do but it doesn’t do anything but cause me to question the hard work I’ve already put in. This may mean that I have to spend less time on trumpet bulletin boards and more time in the practice room playing and listening to the masters (something I think we could all benefit from).

I fall back on some advice given to me in January of this year…

don’t let range frustration ruin your day. Think like a painter… you can still express line, form, color and texture… the canvas is just smaller.

This weekend I listened to some early Prestige Miles Davis. As usual, Miles spoke to me. There is plenty of music to be made with the notes that I have under my belt. I haven’t even begun to use the canvas that I have!

I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving.