Here is a new sound file of me playing a Bb Blues. I  used GarageBand to record this (yes – on a Mac) and I was REALLY impressed with  the quality. I may need to update my sound equipment info soon.

I have been spending a lot of time working on the blues and will continue to  do so until I feel that I have better command of it. I still tend to use the  blues scale a lot and that is what I am working on expanding. At my last master  class I was given some great suggestions for addressing the 2nd and 8th bars. My  teacher showed me some new ways to approach the 4th bar and using turn arounds  near the end. Beyond the theory, it is important to be able to HEAR this  different ways of playing the blues. Right now I hear the blues scale all over  the place and it comes naturally to me. I need to get to the same level of  comfort using other methods.

Late last week I had a bunch of projects at work that kept me from practicing  for three straight evenings. I was way too tired mentally to pick up the horn  and I figured it would be better to wait until I was better prepared. When I  finally had time to practive, I spent at least 15 minutes just blowing down the  leadpipe to get my chops prepared. I took a quick break and when I started  playing everything clicked. My tone was good, slurs were easy and my  articulation was clean (for me). I was really concerned about taking a long lay  off like that but I was pleasantly surprised.

I still haven’t heard anything about the Schilke custom piece and if I don’t  — I won’t be upset. The more I play the GRs the more I like them. The switch  from trumpet to flugel is really easy now and I love my sound on both. By the  time it arrives there is a very good chance that it will end up in my old  mouthpiece box unopened. Enough equipment headaches… the GR works… gotta  build chops.