Susan Slaughter Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #131 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Susan Slaughter. Listen to or download the episode below:
Ashley Hall-Tighe Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #130 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Ashley Hall-Tighe. Listen to or download the episode below:
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Kenny Rampton Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #129 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Kenny Rampton. Listen to or download the episode below:
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Lee Loughnane Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #128 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter & founder of the band Chicago, Lee Loughnane. Listen to or download the episode below:
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Clay Jenkins Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #127 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Clay Jenkins. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Clay Jenkins
Clay Jenkins is a renowned jazz trumpeter and educator whose dynamic career spans decades of performance and teaching. He launched his performing journey with the Stan Kenton Orchestra before moving to Los Angeles, where he toured and recorded with the big bands of Buddy Rich and the Count Basie Orchestra.
A charter member of the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Clay has amassed over 100 recording credits, released seven solo albums, and recorded as a co-leader with many other notable names. Since joining the Eastman School of Music faculty, in Rochester, NY, in 2000, Clay has continued to perform worldwide, while mentoring the next generation of jazz musicians.
Inspired by his close friendship with the late trumpet legend Eugene “Snooky” Young, he established the Snooky Young Endowed Scholarship at Eastman, and is currently writing a biography of Young’s life.
Clay is wonderfully warm, down-to-earth and humble. If you listened to our last episode featuring Emile Martinez, you’ll know that Clay was instrumental in guiding Emile on his artistic journey, and so how appropriate it is that we can follow up on that interview with this one today.
And he’s a lifelong practicer. Clay is always trying to improve, and it’s inspiring to hear someone at his level still talking about what they go through every day, trying to better themselves.
Clay Jenkins Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Ted Cragg
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Emile Martinez Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #126 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features 2-time Grammy nominated trumpeter Emile Martinez. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Emile Martinez
Emile Martinez, a Los Angeles native and two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, and educator, embodies a multifaceted musical journey that transcends genre boundaries. Graduating with a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts and recognized as a presidential scholar at Berklee College of Music, Martinez’s passion for the trumpet ignited at the tender age of ten.
Under the tutelage of esteemed mentors such as Oscar Brashear, Clay Jenkins, Ed Carroll, Josef Leimberg, Van Hunt, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Rasheed Ali, Sal Cracchiolo, PhD. James Ford, PhD. Derrick Finch, Lee Secard, and Wadada Leo Smith, Martinez’s artistic evolution was profoundly shaped, fueling not only his musical prowess but also his commitment to mentorship and education, fostering creative pathways for future generations.
While often associated with jazz, Martinez’s artistic palette is expansive, drawing inspiration from an eclectic array of genres including Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo Soul, Classical, and Soul Electronica. His collaborations with luminaries such as Anderson Paak, S.I.R., Iman Omari, Shafiq Husayn, Big Sean, Rasheed Ali and Ed Sheeran underscore his versatility and musical adaptability.
Having graced prestigious stages from the Lincoln Center to the Playboy Jazz Festival during his early years as a trumpeter, Martinez’s performances captivate audiences with their dynamic fusion of styles and infectious energy. His recent venture into production showcases a deep reverence for cultural icons such as, J-Dilla, Quincy Jones, Shafiq Husayn, Josef Leimberg, Rasheed Ali, 9th Wonder, and Madlib.
As he prepares to unveil his debut album, “Lamad,” Martinez showcases his work not only as a trumpeter and improviser but as a composer, producer, and arranger. Martinez embarks on a new chapter with his ensemble, “The Education,” comprising a collective of exceptionally talented young artists from across Los Angeles. Through “Lamad,” Martinez invites listeners on a sonic odyssey, where each track intricately weaves a narrative that transcends musical boundaries, reflecting his unwavering commitment to artistic exploration and innovation.
Emile Martinez Links
Other Links Mentioned in the Show
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Aaron Smith Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #125 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Aaron Smith. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith is an active freelance trumpet player in Los Angeles, CA. He also writes, arranges, and publishes music through his small business, TrumpetSmith Publishing (ASCAP). In addition, he serves on the Hearing Board for the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 47 and on the Board of Directors for the Recording Musicians Association Los Angeles (RMALA).
Raised in an Army household with musician parents who played jazz and r&b, and later to receive classical conservatory training, Smith thrives on versatility, consistency, and accurate delivery of musical intent. As a trusted freelance musician in Los Angeles, he performs regularly for live orchestral events, musical theatre, films, independent recording projects, streaming, television, and video games.
He has recorded on film/tv projects for celebrated composers including Alan Menken, Bear McCreary, Branford Marsalis, Germaine Franco, Heitor Pereira, Kris Bowers, Rob Simonsen, and Terence Blanchard; on sound recordings for Adrian Younge, Austin Wintory, Charles Gaines, Dr. Dre, Joachim Horsley, John Daversa, and X Ambassadors. He has performed as a sideman in bands on the Academy Awards, Dancing with the Stars, Disney’s Encore!, Ellen, the LATE LATE Show, and The Voice. He’s also appeared as a sideman onscreen for films including Babylon and Joker: Folie à Deux; and tv commercials for Capital One and Microsoft. He’s backed major artists including Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Common, Danny Elfman, Jennifer Holliday, Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson, Labrinth, Lady Gaga, Sigur Rós, Steve Lacy, and more. He has also performed for contemporary/new music ensembles and series including Alarm Will Sound, the Industry’s Hopscotch Opera, Jacaranda, Southwest Chamber Music, wasteLAnd, WildUp, Green Umbrella, Monday Evening concert series, and Noon to Midnight Festival. In the L.A. theater world, Smith performs regularly at the Hollywood Pantages, Dolby, La Mirada Theaters and Pasadena Playhouse. Some notable shows from these theaters with Smith on solo trumpet include Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, Color Purple, Jelly’s Last Jam, Les Misérables, Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and the Wiz.
As a composer, Smith strives to curate a top-tier experience for brass players especially. The primary focus is exploring boundaries while expressing a story; both through adapted arrangements structurally sound to the composer’s intent and through his own original compositions. His work has been performed internationally. He has also created original chamber music commissioned by Marissa Benedict for University of Minnesota, Jim Self for University of Southern California, also by the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Stomvi-USA. 
Smith’s training as a music performance major includes a Master of Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts where he studied with Edward Carroll and John Fumo; and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music with professor James Thompson. He is also a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy with Stanley Friedman.
Aaron Smith
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Scott Belck Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #124 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Scott Belck. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Scott Belck
Dr. Scott Belck currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he directs the CCM Jazz Orchestra and teaches applied Jazz Trumpet.
He is a founding member of critically acclaimed Tromba Mundi contemporary trumpet ensemble and has toured as a member of Grammy Award winning funk legend Bootsy Collins’ Funk Unity Band as lead trumpet. He has served as trumpet and cornet soloist with the Air Force Band of Flight in Dayton, Ohio where he also held the post of musical director for the Air Force Night Flight Jazz Ensemble. He is the Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.
His playing credits include recordings lead trumpet/guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops featuring the Manhattan Transfer and John Pizzarelli, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Van Dells, and jazz soloist with the University of North Texas One O’clock Lab Band with whom he recorded four CDs as jazz soloist and section trumpet.
He has performed as principal/lead trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and as section trumpet with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Duluth Festival Opera.
He has performed as lead trumpet for shows/concerts of Christian McBride, Jimmy Heath, Aretha Franklin, Gerald Wilson, the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, John Lithgow, Donna Summer, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein, Lalo Rodriguez, Sandy Patti, Tito Puente Jr., Tommy Tune, Manhattan Transfer, Lou Rawls, Patti Austen, The Coasters, Yes, Ben Vereen, Doc Severinsen, the Temptations, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Sedaka, the Blue Wisp Big Band, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Ink Spots, the Four Freshmen, The Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Riddell, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Valli, The Maritime Jazz Orchestra of Canada as well as touring Broadway shows and regional and national recording sessions.
He has performed as a leader, musical director, or sideman with many top jazz players on the scene today including: Fred Hersch, Rich Perry, Adam Nussbaum, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Claudio Roditi, John Riley, Rick Margitza, Bob Belden, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Watson, Tom Harrell, Tim Hagans, Regina Carter, Wes Anderson, John Hollenbeck, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Gordon Brisker, Hank Marr, Marvin Stamm, Gerry Mulligan, Kenny Garrett, John Fedchock, Phil Woods, Ed Soph, John LaBarbera and Diane Schuur.
He has also served as the Artistic Director of the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Central Big Band, and the Miami Valley Jazz Camp in Ohio. He is the author of the text “Modern Flexibilities for Brass”, published by Meredith Music and distributed by Hal Leonard. In his spare time, he is the CEO and founder of Lip Slur World Headquarters.
Belck’s new book “Progressive Lip Flexibilities for Brass” is quickly becoming one of the most popular sarcastic lip slur books in the lower South-Central Ohio River valley region. Scott Belck is a Powell Signature Trumpet Artist.
Scott Belck Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Sal Cracchiolo Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #122 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Sal Cracchiolo. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Sal Cracchiolo
Salvator William Cracchiolo II was born in Long Beach, California as the son of two talented music teachers. His father, Sal Cracchiolo I, owned a music studio where he taught piano and played professional accordion. His mother, Edith, was his first trumpet teacher and started Sal on trumpet at the age of 12. He played in concert, marching and jazz band in high school. By his Junior and Senior year of High School, he was attending Cerritos College playing in their jazz and concert bands.
He started working as a professional musician at 15 in nightclubs with various R & B and Latin bands. In 1975 he started a long musical friendship with Poncho Sanchez, which ultimately let to 18 albums. Between working with Poncho, in the 1980s, he was a member of the Pasadena City College Big Band under the direction of saxophonist, Gary Foster. While in this band, Sal played with such jazz greats as Warren Marsh, Lee Konitz, and Peter Erskine.
In the late-80s, Poncho traveled internationally. Since then, with Poncho and other acts, Sal has traveled to 45 countries globally. With Poncho, he has played and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Chick Corea, Stanley Turentine, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Clare Fischer, Gary Foster, Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Harris, Joey DeFrancesco, Dianne Reeves, Justo Almario, Andy Martin, Celia Cruz and Pete Escovedo. He performed for and with these artists at the Monterey, Playboy, Concord, and Nice Jazz Festivals plus many others throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America, Thailand and Japan.
He has also done worldwide tours with such artists as Tom Jones, Vicki Carr, Harry Connick and Brian Setzer.
He was with the Clayton/ Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and has played with them since 2003. The CHJO has been rated as the #1 Big Band in the USA by Downbeat Magazine from 2007 to 2010. He also performing with his own sextet featuring his wife, Melanie Jackson, on vocals In 2001 “Fly” was nominated for a Latin Grammy. He has performed on the latest albums of Michael Buble, Gladys Knight, Joss Stone, Jamiroquoi, and Dr. Dre and on various sountracks for HBO.
In 2001, their CD, “Fly”, was nominated for a Latin Grammy. In 2002 they performed at the Du Maurier Vancouver International Jazz Festival. In 2003 they will be performing for the warm-up for the Playboy Jazz Festival. In 2004 through 2006 Sal and Melanie’s sextet was sponsored by the California Arts Council.
Sal Cracchiolo Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Imani Duhe’ Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #121 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Imani Duhe’. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Imani Duhe’
Imani Duhe’ is a versatile young musician from Atlanta, Georgia, known for her rich, soulful trumpet playing. Starting music at a young age, she’s been surrounded by different styles of music her entire life. Imani has performed regularly with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and in small solo settings as a trumpeter for over 12 years. Through her love for the trumpet and music she also discovered a talent for composing songs, which she performs with her ensembles. Imani has performed on podcasts, in multiple large music venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and The Walt Disney Concert Hall. She has had the opportunity to play for live televised events and popular music festivals and continues to make her name known as a sought-after musician. She has worked with artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ani Difranco, Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin, T-Pain, and more. Imani also teaches for the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles as a trumpet instructor and brass specialist and gives master classes around the greater Los Angeles area. Ms. Duhe received her Bachelors from Manhattan School of Music and her Masters at the University of Southern California.
Imani Duhe’ Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Ravi Best Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #120 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features jazz and commercial trumpeter Ravi Best. Listen to or download the episode below:
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About Ravi Best
Ravi Best is a New York City based jazz and commercial trumpet player who has performed domestically and internationally for two decades. Most recently, he has been performing, recording, and touring with Kool & The Gang, Blood, Sweat and Tears, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, where he had the chance to perform with Sir Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen. He has performed with several Jazz, Rock, and R&B artists such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Queen Latifah, Annie Lennox, Robert Cray, ani difranco, Michael Buble, Clark Terry, Tony Bennett, and Herbie Hancock.He has played in several Broadway shows such as The Heart of Rock and Roll, Merrily We Roll Along, Hell’s Kitchen, Diana, The Color Purple, Chicago, 42nd St., Sweet Charity, Annie, and several others.
He has made several TV appearances playing in the house band on SNL, Jesus Christ Superstar Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live( Kool and The Gang), Good Morning America(Boyz II Men), The Today Show(Little Big Town), The Late Show(Rufus Wainwright), and The Sherri Show. Ravi was also featured in the Chris Colombus film The Christmas Chronicles. 
He can also be heard on many recordings such as, Kenny Garrett’s Pushing The World Away, Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul’s Soulfire Live, and Summer of Sorcery, David Byrne & St. Vincent’s Love This Giant, David Murray Octet’s Octet Plays Trane, Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy’s The Odyssey of Funk & Popular Music, Sam River’s Rivbea Orchestra’s Culmination, Ani DiFranco’s Evlolve, So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter, and Mya’s Moodring, The Broadway cast recordings of Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert, Heart of Rock and Roll, Diana, Ain’t Too Proud, 42nd Street, and Baby It’s You.
Ravi Best Links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Phil Jordan
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Marc Caparone Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #115 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features jazz trumpeter/cornetist, Marc Caparone. Listen to or download the episode below:
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