Although I have been a professional musician for many years, I am still amazed at how many things there are to learn in this business of music, especially regarding people. As a Jazz musician whose first recordings were those of symphony orchestras – still the main focus of my listening today – I find myself fascinated by orchestra musicians. And since I have been performing with a number of orchestras over the past four years, I find my fascination extending to include the attitudes of conductors and the musicians and how each entity works. Because of this, I have decided to write about some of my experiences and some of the things I have observed in this genre.

If you have friends who are members of an orchestra, they will have a plethora of stories to tell about conductors and their orchestra colleagues; they will invariably inform you about what is wrong with the orchestra and its management. There is nothing really unusual here. An orchestra is, in a sense, a typical work place where there is a boss, the management, and the workers, some of whom are on a more exalted plane than others – i.e., the conductor, administrative staff, and musicians who are designated concertmaster or concertmistress, principals, co-principals, associate principals, assistant principals and, on the lowest level, the section players. My remarks are not meant to be disrespectful, but rather as a simplistic illustration of the how an orchestra is organized.

In reality, when the conductor is a fine musician who has the respect of the players and the management, an orchestra works as the perfect example of how a well-functioning society should work. There is a leader (conductor) directing everything from the top; there are the workers (musicians) carrying out the wishes of the leader; the management (administrative staff) provides the setting, the tools and the parameters whereby the organization must work. Within this structure, there are various levels of talent and ego, and there will be times when certain egos might need to become dominant for the good of the whole, while others are subjugated. At other times, the dominant and subjugated egos are reversed. As in any well-functioning society, this fluctuation of roles changes according to the demands of the task at hand. If a business is finely run with good leadership and management, and if motivated workers are respected and appreciated, the product can be almost as beautiful as music.

On the whole, I have had wonderful performance experiences with orchestras. I feel great respect for the musicians in these orchestras and have always been given the impression that they feel likewise about me. In the case of the trumpet players, it is a mutual admiration society wherein the orchestral players admire my ability to improvise, and I admire their amazing talent to play music that calls, on the one hand, for great delicacy, and, on the other, great power and technique. Then again, performing in the Jazz genre requires similar demands, but with a different approach. In any case, there is great respect among us.

This attitude of mutual respect also exhibits itself when I am able to include the members of my quartet – Bill Mays, Rufus Reid and Ed Soph – and I am always interested to observe the interaction. When we enter the stage for rehearsal, most of the musicians are not sure what to expect, although some of the bassists may recognize Bill and Rufus from the International Bass Convention. (This is an annual event at which Bill is the main accompanist for the Jazz bassists, and, of course, most bassists in the world know of Rufus even if they have not encountered him personally at some prior time.) After a few moments, the orchestra players see how open and friendly the quartet is, and they start to listen more closely to what is happening musically.

First, I notice the violinists straining to see what Bill is doing, initially caught by his technique. Then they become captured by the great variety of his touch and his pedal skills, and, finally, they hear his music. At this point they are hooked! When Rufus begins to play, everyone listens and marvels at his sound; then they begin to sense the feel of his time – his beat. (Of course, the bassists are the first to recognize Rufus’ skills.) As they begin to “get into his music,” they hear his beautiful intonation, which is the fundament of the harmonic structure upon which we play. As we work our way into the music, they might be expecting Ed to pound away as many drummers do. But what they experience from the first note we play is his sensitivity to the level the orchestra is playing and the coloration that he instinctively adds to the various sections as they play. They recognize that Ed isn’t forcing them to play with him but, instead, they are being guided into the direction, the feel, the time that the music demands. The quartet, in a musical way, lets the orchestra know that they are not accompanying us, but rather playing with us – that our music is inclusive, not exclusive. This is when we know we have won them over, when the quartet and the orchestra become one great “whole”! From this point, the orchestra members begin to move with the music, smile when the inspiration of the moment hits them, and open themselves up to the entire experience. To this day, I have never left a performance without having most of the orchestra musicians – string, brass and woodwind players equally – come to us to say how much they enjoyed playing with us and how we made them feel included in what we do.

That said, I have also had experiences when I was surprised at an unexpected attitude of either the conductor or members of a section of the orchestra. Though this has happened rarely, it always engenders an unpleasant feeling. There was once a conductor whom I had the pleasure to see conducting one of the most exciting concerts I have ever attended; it was absolutely thrilling to observe. This same person invited me to play with the orchestra.

From the beginning of the rehearsal, I felt this conductor was not being as careful with my music as with the orchestral pieces – definitely not the same care taken with the very exciting concert I had recently experienced. There were many sloppy passages that were allowed to “slide,” and as we started into the second piece, I could take it no longer. I asked the conductor if I could speak to the orchestra for a moment and was told that I could. I turned to them and said, “I want you to know that I take my music as seriously as Yo-Yo Ma takes his. It is obvious that certain among you feel that a concert such as this is beneath you, but the music I am asking you to perform is beautifully written and well orchestrated. I would appreciate your according my music the same respect you do the music you normally perform.” From that moment on they played from their hearts, and the concert, dedicated to the people who perished on 9/11, was a great musical success – for us and for the orchestra.

I have had to turn to an orchestra and speak in this manner only twice, and it was not comfortable either time. No one likes to be placed in the position of having to do this, but musicians, like others, sometimes forget what is most important – in this case, making music. An artist can never let others demean his or her performance because of bad attitudes. As most of my readers know, I feel no reluctance to say what I feel, so I always speak my mind. But I try to do this in a firm but constructive way – a way that can build a bridge by means of my sincerity about the music and a seriousness about its being something that only works when we do it together. As for the conductor, my speaking and appealing to the musicians’ pride bypassed that person’s inadequacy, whether it was because of lack of seriousness or lack of understanding.

A different conductor and I were discussing recently why situations like this occur, and I was told that – in the case of some conductors – it is usually their inexperience with the music that causes them to adopt an attitude such as that mentioned above. In this case, I guess “unfamiliarity” breeds contempt! Brass or woodwind players don’t seem to be as disposed to this kind of thinking because, generally, members of these groups have had some experience playing commercial music. On the other hand, my conductor friend said that many string players are taught from an early age, especially in the university years, that only a solo or chamber music career is an acceptable path. He stated that many string teachers convey an attitude to their students that playing in an orchestra is a “second class” career! I was astounded! I could only imagine the response to this statement of all my musician friends who were brought up listening to the great orchestra repertoire and who revere orchestral music. Most of us still consider many of those wonderful recordings by various orchestras to be very influential upon us – even those of us who became Jazz musicians! And what about all the people who support their orchestras by attending concerts throughout their lives? That anyone could think of an orchestra career as second class is just astonishing to me.

But now I must admit to being a skeptic and having been proved wrong.  Credit is due, and credit shall be given. My last concert of the year – December 7 – was a performance with the Richmond (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Guy Victor Bordo. Guy and I had worked together two years earlier with his other orchestra, the Sheboygan (Wisconsin) Symphony, and it was a first-class experience. When he invited me to perform in Richmond, I knew I would be unable to bring my regular quartet, but since many of the orchestra musicians were from Cincinnati, forty-five minutes away, I requested three musicians from that city. The trio, one that I have worked with on various occasions, included Steve Schmidt, piano; Michael Scharf, bass; John Von Ohlen, drums. All are very accomplished Jazz musicians with experience working in a variety of aggregations, including symphony orchestras.

Though we had picked the program about ten months earlier, I didn’t learn until later that our only rehearsal would be held in the late morning of the same day as our four o’clock concert. My portion of the program required about fifty minutes of performing – a lot of “blowing” time for a concert such as this – but Guy assured me that I could take it easy during rehearsal and that I shouldn’t worry. But, of course, I did!

Meeting with him for a workshop I was to perform at Miami University of Ohio the day before the concert, we spoke of the rehearsal. He informed me then that we would rehearse my four pieces, almost an hour of music, between 11:00 A.M. and 12:20 P.M. I must have turned white because I couldn’t believe that this orchestra – no matter how well he assured me they played – could rehearse all that music in one hour and twenty minutes! Now I was really starting to sweat! (Oh, ye of little faith!)

The next morning, I arrived for the rehearsal and Guy introduced me to the orchestra. I thanked them for the work I knew they were going to be putting into this concert and told them how much I appreciated their efforts. We then started to rehearse, and everything he had said was accurate. Guy had told me that these players were serious, and there was no “dead wood” in this group. He also had told me that he did not tolerate anyone who displayed a bad attitude. The orchestra worked thoroughly and quickly through my music, willingly going back over the few “rough spots,” but basically getting it right the first time – right in “the pocket”! All the musicians gave Guy (and me) their complete attention, performing as only pros can do. They “locked up” immediately with the guys in the rhythm section and made the rehearsal an easy event – finishing my portion ten minutes early!

Let me also state that Guy “had his stuff together” too, and he left no room for doubt that he knew the music and was in charge. But at no time was anything forced; everything was about the music, and it just flowed – as it always should. This was professionalism at its best! Before leaving the rehearsal I told the orchestra that I owed the maestro an apology. I told them that though he had assured me they were a “take care of business” orchestra and I should have no worries regarding either rehearsal or performance, I nevertheless had my doubts based on prior experiences with orchestras. But they had proved him to be correct in every way, so I asked them to indulge me while I apologize publicly to Guy for doubting him. That got a laugh from the whole group, and was the perfect way to end the rehearsal. The concert that followed was excellent on everyone’s part and was the perfect way for ending my touring for year 2003.

One might question why a professional such as me, having enjoyed a career of more than 40 years, might want to take a lesson with his teacher of his long gone college days? My answer is that I possess a very strong desire to continue my musical growth and always have in mind to try to attain and maintain the highest standard of performance possible. Having always been a “practicer,” I have been thinking for a long while about asking John if I might take a lesson whenever the opportunity presented itself for my coming back to Denton, Texas.

This opportunity came when, in November 2002, I was invited to perform Homecoming Weekend at the annual get-together of the Floyd Graham Society. After the engagement had been confirmed, I called John to tell him I was coming to town and to ask if I might make a date with him for lunch. When he said he was available, I then broached the subject of my taking a lesson with him. Although he has been retired for a while, he agreed. Knowing that another former Haynie student, Bob Morgan, would also be attending the Homecoming affair I thought he might enjoy observing, so I invited him to join us. It had been 42 years since my last lesson, and much has transpired in all our lives and careers since then, so I thought it would be fun for the three of us to be together – and even more enlightening for me. I think I speak for all three of us when I say it was!

Anyone familiar with his work knows how astute a player John was, both technically and musically, but forty years experience as a top teacher has also imbued him with marvelous powers of analysis and insight. I wanted John to observe me generally as I played through some basic studies, making suggestions regarding technique and physicality where he felt they were applicable. I also wanted him to listen to me play various etudes and then to critique and offer musical suggestions. While John was one of the finest technical players I have ever heard, his musicality is what always impressed me most. No matter the style – from baroque to French modern – John always seemed to have the correct and most musical interpretation. And his sound! Amazing!

But back to me. I’m glad I had sprung for lunch because John was going to have to work for it this day! In my mind, I thought I would first play through some of the things with which I usually begin my practice and then proceed through some technical studies, specifically triple tonguing, which I had been working to resuscitate. I thought I might at least get past the warm-up, but – BOY! – was I surprised! John saw and heard various details that he felt needed to be called to my attention, things that I neither felt nor heard. His suggestions made common sense, having immediate impact. Certain issues that I had been working to master for quite a while seemed to be much more within reach. The whole lesson went that way, and except for his suggestions for my re-acquiring my skills at triple tonguing, we stayed with “the basics.” As we continued working, time seemed to slip away, and before long more than two hours had passed! This was a marvelous lesson, and it gave me much to think about and work on. This – for me – is what makes music so exciting; there is always more to learn, and it is a never-ending process. It never becomes boring or static but, rather, always retains the excitement of discovery.

John said something at the end of the lesson that I found quite revealing. He reminded me that I was a student during his first decade of teaching – in a sense a learning period for him. He said that accumulating years of additional experience made it possible to offer so much more in his later decades of teaching. For that reason he wished that I had been his student during this later period. That may be so, but at the time I was his student he probably gave me more than I could ever absorb. Then again, if I can continue to see him for a lesson whenever I get to Denton, I now feel much more prepared to assimilate what he has to give than when I was first his student.

After a busy eight months beginning in February, it was a welcome respite to have some time to recoup after the NYC Birdland engagement in mid-September. It was a period that allowed time for me to get back into some heavy practicing as well as to attend to details of past dates and booking future ones. Many people believe that when most musicians are not “on the road” they just lay back, enjoying the good life. While to some small degree that may be true, it is also a time we have to work to get ourselves back “on the road again”!

October brought involvement in a new ensemble. I live fifty miles north of NYC in Westchester County, and though there are many Jazz musicians living in Westchester, there are not many opportunities to play. The few places that do present Jazz seldom require the crowd to adopt a listening demeanor. People are allowed to talk – sometimes rather loudly – and the music many times becomes a background for conversation.

With the intent of forming an ensemble showcasing Jazz and presenting the music in both concert and educational formats, Executive Director Emily Tabin, guitarist Peter Hand and saxophonist Joey Berkley formed the Westchester Jazz Orchestra (WJO). Emily was a successful lawyer by profession, but is also an amateur musician who continues to study piano and saxophone; Peter and Joey are professional musicians. The three of them made the very wise move of setting up the WJO as a non-profit organization. This designation allows the orchestra to raise funds for its performance and educational endeavors through tax-deductible contributions as well as through ticket sales for the concerts.

The musicians in the group are superb and mostly perform in the NYC area. They have worked individually in groups such as the Vanguard Band, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Bob Mintzer Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and many, many other venues, including Broadway shows and a myriad of small groups.

The members of the WJO are:
Saxes: Jay Branford, David Brandom, altos; Joey Berkley, Ralph Lalama, tenors; Ed Xiques, baritone.
Trombones: Keith O’Quinn, Larry Farrell.
Trumpets: Ray Vega, Jim Rotundi, Marvin Stamm.
Rhythm: Ted Rosenthal, piano; Peter Hand, guitar; Harvey S, bass; Tony Jefferson, drums.

All the members of the band are marvelous soloists as well as accomplished ensemble players. They also tour worldwide in addition to their working in NYC.

Because I have pursued a solo career these last ten years, I have stopped working in the trumpet section of big bands – the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band being the exception. I nevertheless made the decision to become a member of the WJO for several significant reasons. Most important is that there is not enough Jazz performed in my home area, and this is a way to bring the music to Jazz devotees here and to expose young people to Jazz through the WJO’s educational programs. It is also an opportunity to add to the cultural landscape of the area by contributing to its musical environment. And, of course, it is also an avenue to play with exceptional musicians I respect and with whom I enjoy performing. The WJO fits the bill in all those categories, and I believe will make a definite and positive impact on music in my community.

The WJO initiated its concert season on October 18, performing in the Irvington Town Hall Theater, Irvington, New York, about a half hour outside of NYC. The concert was well attended, filling the 400-seat theater. The music was varied, including standards and Jazz classics, among which were several blues tunes and originals. The first season consists of four concerts – the second held on December 6, 2003, and two subsequent ones scheduled for January 31 and April 17, 2004. Our first season also includes a three-day residency at Fox Lane High School in Bedford, NewYork. In the words of Executive Director Tabin, “As we teach students about ensemble playing and Jazz improvisation, we also seek to present Jazz as an alive, currently evolving art form.”  You can learn a great deal more about the WJO by going to the orchestra’s web site: www.westjazzorch.org.

In late October, I flew to Newport Beach, California, to participate in Ken Poston’s Balboa Rendezvous celebrating the Kenton Legacy. This get-together was presented by Ken’s organization, the LA Jazz Institute, and I believe was the fifth or sixth presentation of Kenton celebrations. This year was the first time I participated, and I found myself in the company of many great players, among whom were trumpeters Carl Saunders, Buddy Childers, Steve Huffsteter, Mike Vax, Ron Stout, Bob Summers, Mikle McGuffy, Jeff Bunnell; saxophonists Gabe Baltazar, Kim Richmond, Pete Christlieb, Lanny Morgan, Don Shelton, Bill Trujillo; trombonists Scott Whitfield, Bob McChesney, Andy Martin, Morris Repass, Roy Wiegand, Mike Suter; rhythm: Mike Melvoin, Christian Jacob, Dave Stone, Gary Hobbs, Santo Savino and many others. Among the leaders of the various bands were Bill Holman, Lennie Niehaus, Pete Rugolo, Carl Saunders, Mike Vax and Joel Kaye, It was a fun time among a lot of outstanding musicians playing great music. Among my favorite moments was performing the arrangement of “What’s New” that Bill Holman wrote for me when I was a member of Stan’s band. It was made especially so by Bill’s conducting it!

After the weekend at Newport Beach, I drove up to Van Nuys to play a gig with Carl Saunders at Charlie O’s, a local Jazz nitery. We worked with Carl’s rhythm section consisting of Christian Jacob, piano; Dave Stone, bass; Santo Savino, drums. These guys are beautiful! And if you are not familiar with Carl’s playing – Shame On You!! Carl is one of the most sought after trumpet soloists on the west coast, and he is a monster. He is fluent and imaginative; his ideas just flow and, seemingly, there is nothing beyond his reach. He is a joy to listen to and play with.

The following day I flew to Texas and spent a wonderful evening with my friends Bill and Connie Habern. These two exceptional people are special and dear friends who are very actively involved on the Texas legal and political landscape. They also are concerned about music and education, sponsoring the annual visits Bill Mays and I make to Houston’s High School for Performing and Visual Arts to perform and present workshops. Habern has this big ol’ Texas grill upon which he cooked up some Texas-size steaks to go along with several of the fine Oregon Pinot Noirs he prizes. He also invited a dear friend, Charlotte Tull, wife of the late composer Fisher Tull. We were all in school together at North Texas in the '50s and have found our way back to each other over the years. It was a beautiful evening!

The next day I traveled to Beaumont, Texas, to present a concert and a lecture/recital at Lamar University. The Jazz ensemble under the direction of Wayne Dyess was ready for me, and we enjoyed a wonderful concert together. I also enjoyed the lecture/recital where the president of the university, Jimmy Simmons, played piano for me. Jimmy and I have known each other since he was a student at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis). Jimmy’s main instrument is tenor sax and, in the past two years, we have performed together with two symphony orchestras. He is an excellent musician besides being a very successful university president. His wife Susan is also a terrific person and a real advocate for the Arts.

While I was in Beaumont, Jimmy took me to a small restaurant owned by another fine tenor player, Ed Dix. Ed, a native of Kansas City, grew up with Bob Brookmeyer. They have maintained a very close friendship over the years and recently recorded a CD together. The CD is entitled Full Circle and also features the great KC rhythm section of Paul Smith, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums. I believe it is available through Ed. You can inquire about the CD at: edix@gt.rr.com. It is really terrific!

Flying home on Halloween, I had four days before driving to Storrs, Connecticut, for a three-day residency at the University of Connecticut. The residency was to include several workshops and two concerts – one with the UConn Jazz Ensemble and one with the faculty trio under the direction of Earl MacDonald. I enjoyed working with the students both in the workshops and performing in concert. The concert with the band was well received, and the band played admirably. It’s always fun to perform with enthusiastic young players! The second performance – a quartet concert – took place in a more intimate setting and was also great fun. We played a mixture of classic standards and Jazz standards, and, from the reaction of the audience, they enjoyed it enormously. Earl MacDonald’s trio – Earl MacDonald, piano; Dave Santoro, bass; Tom Melito, drums – is an inspiring group, all great players.

This residency was special for two reasons. First, my friends Christine and Philip Lodewick – for whom my group performs at the annual Jazz at Maple Hill concert in early September – sponsored the residency. Philip is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, and he and Christine – two of the most generous and sharing people I know – have undertaken to do many things for the benefit of the school. They recently built a new Information Center on the campus, which everyone visiting UConn should see.

Second, I was able to spend time with two other special friends – Gene Young and John Bova. Gene was formerly professor of trumpet for many years at Oberlin Conservatory. He became an accomplished conductor – his specialty is twentieth century music – and, though now living in Storrs, he conducts and teaches at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. John Bova and I worked together in the studios of NYC for many years and did a lot of work for television. John is a well-schooled, very fine trumpet player and quite an accomplished photographer. He is now retired and also living in Storrs.

The two weeks following the UConn residency allowed time to practice for the upcoming performance toward the end of November with the Reading Symphony Orchestra (RSO) under Maestro Sidney Rothstein in Reading, Pennsylvania. The composition to be performed was Harold Farberman’s Concerto for Two Trumpets, written to feature both a Jazz artist and a classical artist. Mr. Farberman, a former member of the Boston Symphony, wrote this piece for the late Armando Ghitalla.

My partner for performing this composition was Neil Balm. I have known Neil for many years – since he was a student at Juilliard – and he has always exhibited a great talent. He is adept at playing many styles of music and has worked with everyone from Peter Frampton and Joni Mitchell to Broadway shows and most everything between. Neil presently holds positions in the NYC Ballet Orchestra, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, the New York Pops Orchestra, and as principal trumpet for “Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway.

In the Friday afternoon rehearsal with the orchestra, the piece came together quickly, allowing Neil and me to have the evening to share a fantastic meal and catch up on things. A fast “touch up” rehearsal on Saturday afternoon brought us to concert time. The RSO’s Sovereign Hall is a beautiful place to play, and the audience was very supportive and enthusiastic. This occasion marked my second performance with the RSO under Sidney Rothstein’s direction, and it is a superior ensemble. Making music with them, as always, is a pleasure. The concert was fun and went very well, so we all felt it would be a nice gesture to present a CD of our concert performance of the Concerto to Mr. Farberman.

The first weekend in December brought a close to the year’s busy activities. Pat Harbison, on the faculty at Indiana University in Bloomington, arranged for me to do a Friday afternoon workshop for the school’s Jazz students. Pat is an extremely creative trumpet player and is in the forefront of teaching this music. The room was filled, and I immensely enjoyed listening to these students play. I also had the opportunity of playing for them, accompanied by a trio that included piano professor Luke Gillespie. Luke is an exceptional musician who displays a real passion and sensitivity in his playing. There is a vast pool of talent at Indiana University, and I feel it is one of the finest schools in the country. The evening before, Pat and his wife Kris, Luke Gillespie, drummer Steve Houghton and I spent time discussing many aspects of Jazz education.

Saturday took me to Miami University of Ohio in Oxford. Trumpeter Jim Olcott, a first-rate player and teacher, directs the program there. I worked with his two ensembles and spent time giving the students suggestions to carry forward in their careers. Most of the students are considering a teaching career, but I feel few of them understand the vast knowledge and intense effort required to inspire young people today beyond the music they hear on the radio or MTV – something I feel is true at all of our educational institutions. I know many of the teachers reading this newsletter could supply a more accurate picture of this troublesome situation. Watching a fine teacher work always has a profound impact upon me. I wonder if most people truly realize that teaching is such a serious business

My concert with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra was performed the next day, and since I have described it in detail above, I won’t repeat myself except to say it was a wonderful experience. So this brings me to the close of my 2003 touring schedule. I look forward to many more great musical endeavors in 2004, playing and working with so many of my friends. To all of you, I wish a very Happy Holiday Season with good health and much happiness in the New Year!