Gary Guthman – Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #76 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Gary Guthman.
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About Gary Guthman
Originally from Portland Oregon, Gary Guthman started his career at the age of nine. As a young teen, Gary was a member of the nationally acclaimed “Seldom Six” Dixieland Band, comprised of 12 to 14 years old who traveled the United States performing stage shows and conventions, playing, singing and tap-dancing all the way. Throughout Gary’s high school and college years, he performed with jazz and rock and roll bands and at 17 years old, auditioned for the acclaimed Portland (Oregon) Youth Orchestra; the oldest of its kind in the United States.
Gary played principal trumpet and in his last year with the PYO, performed as soloist with the orchestra, the only trumpet player in its history (to date) to achieve that acclaim. Mr. Guthman was fortunate to study trumpet for the first 15 of his playing years. His teachers were Jack Dalby, Joyce Johnson, James Smith and the recently retired (after 38 years!) Principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony – Fred Sautter. After attending Portland State University, Gary was pleased to do short stints with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (lead by Lee Castle), Stan Kenton Orchestra, Don Ellis Orchestra and the Louis Bellson Orchestra. In the early 1980’s, Gary Guthman moved to Canada. Within the next few years, he became known as one of Canada’s premier lead and commercial trumpeters, playing on over 100, televised “ITV IN Concert” performances as well as numerous radio shows, jingles, movie sound tracks and in concert. Gary performed on television with Tom Jones, Paul Anka, directed the jazz program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and formed his renowned “Tribute Orchestra”. 1995 saw the inception of Gary Guthman’s hit show “A Tribute to Harry James”, followed by the creation of his” Trumpet Greats” in 1998, “Swingmatism!” in 2004 and in 2007 for Internationally renowned harpist Małgorzata Zalewska, his critically acclaimed “Master and Margarita”. From 1998-2001, Gary was the Musical Director and starred in the North American Musical Theatre Revue “Forever Swing and won a distinguished Canadian “Jesse” Award.
In 2004, Gary debuted by personal invitation at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, conducted by Skitch Henderson.
Since moving to Central Europe, Gary has given hundreds of concerts with his “Gary Guthman Quartet” and “The New Swing Orchestra”, as well as Symphonic Pops concerts. In 2011, Gary released his next CD entitled “Solar Eclipse” on the Polski Radio Jazz Label, featuring his quartet of world-class Polish jazz artists Filip Wojciechowski/piano, Paweł Pańta/Bass, Cezary Konrad/Drums. Gary Guthman is the only non-Polish jazz artist to release his own CD in the 95-year history of Polish Radio. In 2014, along with his co-writer Doman Nowakowski, Gary composed the Libretto, Music and Lyrics for a new musical entitled “Letter from Warsaw”.
In 2015, Gary began an association as Producer and Composer for vocal star Sasha Strunin. Their first Cd project “Woman in Black” was completed in 2016 to critical acclaim in Poland. Her new Album – “Self-Portraits” features the compositions of Gary Guthman and the poetry of renowned Polish poet, Miron Białoszewski, was released in Warsaw on June 21, 2019.
Gary Guthman Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard at SC Sound Labs
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Tom Clary is a freelance trumpet-player/composer/
Tom eventually finished his music degree in 2002 and went on to complete a law degree at the University of Memphis in 2005. He practiced law full-time for approximately 13 years. He still maintains a very-small law practice, but has returned to play and write music full-time, while making and selling trumpet mutes out of wood in his garage.
If you ever have the opportunity to see Nathan Samuelson perform, prepare to be taken on a musical odyssey. His music is imbued with wanderlust —inspired by years at sea and a careful balancing act between new horizons and the love of home. Audiences are sonically teleported to the tropical shores of Brazil, the cosmopolitan streets of New York, and the old world sophistication of Europe. Despite the many nautical miles he’s logged, his music maintains the wholesome honesty of his prairie boyhood. That sweet earnestness and approachability is what turns audiences of strangers into loyal fans. 
He has graced stages in exotic locales such as Brazil, Croatia, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, England, Spain and more. To add, he shared these stages with world class artists like late soul icon Clem Curtis [The Foundations] of “Build Me Up, Buttercup” fame. He has also performed with Leanne Mitchell, winner of the first series of The Voice UK, and international soul singer, Lloyd Wade. In his home community of Edmonton, Alberta he is often found volunteering his talent for children and youth, as well as people living with disability. When not volunteering, he can be found performing as a guest artist on cruise ships, and performing with his own quintet at various jazz festivals and corporate events. 
Ralph Pyl commenced trumpet at age 12 on the northern beaches of Sydney Australia beginning his career studying and learning with US trumpet players and mentors John Hoffman and Dick Montz. In 1982 Ralph received a scholarship to study under the direction of Don Burrows at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music and at the age of 18 began a professional career with 3 years of touring with Australia’s renowned Daly Wilson Big Band.
As part of his engagement with contemporary compositions, Reinhold Friedrich premiered a large number of significant works. This includes pieces by Wolfgang Rihm, Carola Bauckholt, Luciano Berio, Edison Denissov, Peter Eötvös, Hans Werner Henze, Adriana Hölszky, Nicolaus A. Huber, Luca Lombardi, Benedict Mason, Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, Hilda Parèdes, Matthias Pintscher, Jan Rääts, Rebecca Saunders, Nina Šenk, EnjottSchneider, Daniel Schnyder, Gerhard Stäbler, Eino Tamberg, Caspar Johannes Walter, Christian Wolff, and Benjamin Yusopov. Solo concerts such as “Eirene” by Herbert Willi (Wergo) and “Nobody knows de trouble I see” by Bernd Alois Zimmermann, whose CD recording won an ECHO Klassik in 1994, form an important part of his broad repertoire.
Reinhold Friedrich was awarded another ECHO Klassik for the recording of the “Russian Trumpet Concerts” (MDG) with Göttinger Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph-Mathias Mueller. Numerous other CD recordings document his multifaceted work, including the first recording of the trumpet concerto “Pieta” by Christian Jost (Coviello) and the recording of the second Brandenburg Concerto (Sony) with the Berlin Baroque Soloists under Reinhard Goebel, which won the OPUS Classical price of 2018. A recording of Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat (with Isabelle Faust) at the Wigmore Hall London is in the planning stage.
The sound of Grammy and Emmy nominated trumpeter, arranger Greg Adams is one of the world’s best-known musical signatures. As a founding member of Tower of Power, legendary for his arrangements that made the TOP horn section a sought out entity all its own. With countless collaborations in the studio and live on stage, Adams has made his mark on a broad stretch of today’s musical landscape that includes jazz, pop, rock, R&B, soul, and funk.
East Bay Soul celebrating their 10th Anniversay this year is the next creative step forward in a career filled with magic moments spanning over four decades, including an International Broadcasting Award from The Hollywood Radio and Television Society. An enduring recording artist and performer, the charismatic trumpeter has earned the respect of his peers and fans alike worldwide.
Underneath the Mistletoe marks Greg Adams and East Bay Soul’s 5th studio album and their first Christmas CD as they celebrate their 10thAnniversary. Here, East Bay Soul performs classic Christmas Songs with a mix of Funk Jazz, R&B and Soul. Greg Adams, Grammy and Emmy nominated trumpeter’s gorgeous arrangements herald in the season and the soulful R&B vocal by Darryl Walker caress the timeless lyrics of your favorite holiday music.
Dontae Winslow is one of the most versatile in-demand trumpeter/arranger/composers on the Hollywood music scene. His trumpet/arranging/songwriting can be heard on classics such as Kanye West’s grammy winning “We Major” from the multi-platinum Late Registration, Jayz’s “I Made it”, Dr. Dre’s Compton Movie Soundtrack (where Dontae composed the iconic fanfare intro and played solos throughout the album). The Final track “Talking to My Diary” uses a 2minute jazz trumpet solo after Dre’s verse over a hiphop song which was Dontae’s 1st take. He also plays on Kendrick Lamar’s “County Building Blues”, Snoop Dog’s Ego Trippin, Aloe Blacc’s smash song “I’m the Man”, and Beyonce’s Huge Ego among countless other hits. He has toured in the band of Justin Timberlake since 2013 where he performs in the Netflix Movie “JT & The Tennessee Kids. Dontae has performed in front of millions in the 2020 Experience World tour, Legends of Summer World Tour, and Man of The Woods World Tour. He has alo been on the bands of Lady Antebellum (You Look Good), D’angelo (Vodoo), Kamasi Washington, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, and most recently has been the arranger, orchestrator, and Music director for Queen Latifah.
After touring with JT Dontae released a summer party anthem sure to get you moving entitled “Shit Yeah” with him producing the TNkids live band along with analog synths and sing rapping the verse/choruses.
His first private lessons were with Jari Villanueva, then continued trumpet and learned to read music from Carolyn Foulkes in high school. At The New School Dontae studied with Roy Hargrove who would become a life musical mentor until his passing. In college at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University Dontae studied with Wayne Cameron for undergrad, and Langston Fitzgerald III for graduate in classical trumpet performance. He has always had great jazz lessons from Maryland based jazz giant trumpeter Tom Williams and has been mentored by Jon Faddis and Wallace Roney. As a recipient of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Fellowship at USC Dontae studied jazz trumpet, composition, and film scoring with jazz legend trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard. Also at USC he studied with jazz legend Bobby Shew, string arranger Jeremy Lubbock, Studio trumpet legend Gary Grant, and Gospel Composer Margaret Douroux.
Dontae has produced songs for platinum artists Snoop, Dr. Dre, Avant, Mary Mary, and Keyshia Cole. As an arranger he has orchestrated/arranged and played trumpet in the show for Queen Latifah’s debut concert with the Boston Pops, and recently their 2019 Fourth of July Summer Holiday Concert series. Dontae is influenced by all styles of music especially European classical composers Shostakovich, Mahler, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Chopin. In his playing you can hear his love for the soul and swag of Lee Morgan, the harmony of Woody Shaw, the pathos of Roy Hargrove, and the elegance of Miles Davis.
Internationally acclaimed cross-genre trumpeter Niall O’Sullivan has performed all over the world, from orchestral playing to his solo theatre show. Niall has performed in some of the world’s most stunning venues throughout Ireland, Europe, Asia and the USA.
When the trumpet world got word of his growing profile as a performer and recording artist, Niall became a performing artist for Schilke Trumpets, Chicago exclusively. This relationship has seen Niall represent Schilke across the globe, from Dublin to Los Angeles.
John Hutchinson is a trumpeter, arranger, composer, teacher and blogger. Graduating from the Royal College of Music, London in 1999, he began his freelance career working with many of the UK’s major orchestras as well as recording and performing with major international pop acts such as Joss Stone and Bjork.
These days, John concentrates mainly on his media composition and production, brass and jazz arranging, and his trumpet teaching at some of the UK’s top schools. Having worked alongside numerous trumpet manufacturers over the years he also now engages with over 50,000 trumpeters around the world each month through his specialist trumpet website, MouthpieceOnline.com.
Hub van Laar founded his company in 1990 in Margraten, near Maastricht, on the border triangle to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Beginning as a workshop for brass wind instruments, the company expanded rapidly under the direction of Hub van Laar and Heidrun Jöchner to become an enterprise of world repute.
A new trumpet or flugelhorn is certainly not something one buys every day, and musicians develop a special relationship with their instrument. This is why Hub van Laar attaches great importance to individual and intensive contact with his customers. Over the years Van Laar has built up a wide range of trumpets and flugelhorns with all the technical requirements needed for all kinds of musicians and for every kind of music. These instruments were created in close cooperation with a number of musicians and have been continually improved, ensuring that the majority of customers will find “their” perfect trumpet or flugelhorn among them.
A native of New Orleans, Robert Karon received his Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Music from UCLA and Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York City. He was the recipient of the Longy Award for achievement in Solfege. His teachers include Robert DiVall, Irving Bush, William Vacchiano, and Arnold Jacobs. Proficient in three languages, Karon toured South America, the Far East, and Europe during his two years with the Mexico City Philharmonic and played first trumpet with the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela.
Bob Karon’s latest endeavor is his educational website 