I was in need of some encouragement/inspiration and as usual it came in the
form of a live performance. Terence Blanchard came to town and any one who
follows my site knows that he is one of my favorite players. His unique sound
and style make him one of the most original players on the music scene today.
When I caught Terence at Blues Alley earlier in the year it was without
guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Derrick Hodge. It was great to hear the
tunes performed with the full sextet in tact and as usual the group did not
disappoint. They started with two of my favorite tunes – "Over There"
and "Fred Brown." It still amazes me how the group can completely
change directions – collectively. My favorite was a performance of "The
Source" – all of the solos were so melodic. It was jaw dropping stuff and I
am beginning to think that the album Flow is better than Bounce. I left with a
huge smile on my face and a strong desire to practice (at 11PM at night).

Just a few weeks ago, hurricane Katrina hit Terence’s home of New Orleans.
Drummer Kendrick Scott is from Texas – a region dead in the sites of hurricane
Rita. My prayers are with them, their families and everyone effected by these
natural disasters. A lot of folks seem to think that life in New Orleans will never be the same. I disagree. I truly believe that New Orleans will return in tact and
better than ever. When it does – I’m going down for a visit. As a jazz musician
it almost feels as if that is a trip that I MUST make.

On October 2nd I’m playing a selection at my church. I’m excited about it but
admittedly apprehensive. About a year ago I had a not so great experience during
a rehearsal to play for service. I completely chopped out playing a Monette B2
and it scared me to death. Fortunately I have played a lot more gigs since that
bad experience and the thought of playing a single song is not as daunting. I’m
looking forward to it and hope it leads to more of the same in the future. As
I’ve said before – I just want to play.

Everyone has a right to their opinion with regards to playing style and sound
but I have always felt that as musicians – we owe each other a certain level of
respect. There are ways to express one’s opinion without stooping personal
attacks. I cannot for the life of me understand how one trumpet player could be
overly critical of another when they know how challenging the instrument is. We
won’t even talk about how difficult it is to learn jazz improvisation.

I have a lot of respect for anyone (from elementary school to the pro ranks)
who picks up an instrument and bares their soul, fears and strengths to the
world. Maybe I see the world through rose colored contact lenses.