We played Symphony Hall in Kawasaki and there were 1,100 or 1,200 people there to see a trombone quartet. It was an amazing experience!
Playing with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is definitely one of the highlights of my life.
Creative music will only really work in the marketplace if you’re a good businessman.
Unless you come to town playing like Ryan Kisor, Greg Gisbert or Nicholas Payton, you need to have a work ethic. Your work ethic has to be on point.
It’s like looking at the Dead Sea Scrolls when you look at the paper with Thad Jones hand.
As much as I love Thad Jones, he did everything right except leaving the band in a healthy way.
When the band was playing, Thad was happy. He made the music. The music came out of him.
You studied music, I studied the history of interesting releases for lead trumpet players.
To this day, I don’t know why Thad took a chance on me. He didn’t know me from Adam!
Someone asked David Baker in an improv class if he thought any of us would make it in New York. David answered . . . make it in New York? Just find a way to stay in New York.
