Much can be said about evolution. Darwin had his revolutionary views and even though he was wrong, he was still able to voice his opinion. In the same vein, I will present my hypothesis as to the evolution and decline of music as we know it today. It is my hope that my thoughts on the history of music will also, in time, be proven incorrect. All living forms tend to follow the same path, i.e., birth, development, increased knowledge and productivity, maturity, lessening of productivity, decline, and eventual death. So do non-living things follow the same pattern, i.e., creation,…

If Ray Charles ever played trumpet, this is how he would have sounded.

If you happen to be in the Branson area in the next few months, be sure to visit us at “The All Hands On Deck Show” at the Dutton Theater on the strip. Stop by and hear the only “Live Big Band” in Branson with real horns!

Problem Solved. After going through the arsenal of trumpet mouthpieces I have collected through several decades, I finally stumbled upon one which has been shelved for more years than I can remember; my old Purviance 5*K4. Today I played the first half of the show on my usual Bobby Shew Jazz mouthpiece and the second half on my old 5*K4 and my old standby saved the day again. Every note in the middle range which was covered by the lead trumpet playing in his high range finally cut enough to make balancing the two parts perfectly. Tonight I will now…

I pride myself as a very competent second chair trumpet player. Making this confession does not come easily for declaring that you are comfortable being a “second chair player” is against all trumpet player’s egos. But, as I told Mr. Bobby Shew one day, “we are the players that make you guys sound good”. Be sure to read my earlier post entitled “How To Become A Better Second Chair Trumpet Player”. Last season I was playing the lead chair in our show

After posting every day for six years on my two Internet sites, I finally took a week off to have two stents implanted in my heart area. It seems that a couple months ago, while performing a show, I had a mild heart attack and didn’t know it. The reason I am sharing this with you now is to give you an idea as to how a heart attack might change your lives. In my case the order of events went like this- During a show, I began to get sick and attributed it to possible food poisoning. I had…

To some this means very little and as you will see, it doesn’t mean much to me either. Entertainers from the Branson shows are nominated for the “best of 2016” list and in most cases, the recipients are well deserving of this nomination and eventual award. Looking down the categories you will find included the following “best”- Fiddle player Lead Player Bass Player Instrumentalist Tribute Artist Vocal Duo Matinee Show Male Vocalist Entertainer Comedian Drummer Keyboard Steel player Production Show Morning Show Show of the Year Female Vocalists That all seems to be in order, until you run across this…

Here is a must “watch” video for all you Jazz players.