Bruce Adams Hang

Another one for you instrumentalists/jazz musos...

I went to Luton last year or the year before to hang with Bruce Adams, get some tips on playing etc etc... Well it was a great day, Bruce is a total gent, a really fabulous trumpeter and great cook! Over the course of the day I got fed, watered and musiced (new verb...). We chatted and played, ate chilli and had a couple of beers - it was a great day. I learned soo much from listening to Bruce play - I recorded 3 tunes on my wee H2 recorder, I wanted something to record his playing so that by listening over and over I could appreciate his phrasing etc etc...

I have put the track online and you should have a listen. Some of it is me talking with him (nothing much more than small talk), but what speaks loudly is the music. Such natural rhythm and time feel and a real sense of swing. There are a few audio anomalies - where I have had to boost the gain to pick up the talking etc etc...

The tracks: Softly, As In A Morning's Sunrise, I Remember you, Groovin' High.

Bruce has a number of great recordings out, my favourite is "Sure As You're Born" - worth checking out. He does a bunch of recording with Alan Barnes and is featured on the Cat Anderson chair on the "Echoes of Ellington" disk - this is another cracker. With respect to the other guys on that album, who do play well, Bruces' solos blow them out of the water - such command, confidence and coherence within. I am also fairly sure there is a Double F# or G on that album... chops of steel!

Bruce was over doing a solo spot with the UYJO (Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra) - I was playing for them at the gig, and it is the first time I met him. He pretty much scared the whole band... Good times! This was probably 2007.

Some clips of Bruce from his Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/bruceadamstrumpetflugel

Take her easy!

Mike