I Played with some Jazz Greats − 25 May, 1990
While in High School, I was in Jazz band as well as Concert Band and Marching Band. We were spoiled and most of us didn't even know it. We went to school with two brothers, Casey and Jesse Green. Their dad is Urbie Green. Thought of by many to be the greatest sounding trombone player of all time, and also considered to be one of the most recorded jazz musicians of all time.
Because of the fact that Urbie Green and many other jazz artists like Al Cohn and Phil Woods lived in the area, we had concerts that featured some of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. Imagine that, in our little high school. People used to come from hours away to see these concerts and I literally had an onstage seat.
At one concert, and I'm assuming that this date is close to the night of the concert, I was up at the front of the jazz band and playing a song with Urbie Green, his two sons, and Clark Terry. We'd each improvise and throw it all off each other. It was an awesome feeling and one I'll never forget. At the time, I didn't even realize the scope of my musical accomplishment.
It wasn't until later in life when I met a trombone player in the Army and told him that I played with Urbie Green and actually would hang out at his house and jam, that I realized how lucky I had been. This guy almost shit his pants- he was that excited. "You played with Urbie Green?! You were in his house?!" I didn't even realize, and I was a jazz fan, how fortunate I had been. From that point on, I tried to realize the full scope of my life, as it happens, so that that sort of thing never happens again.
Because of the fact that Urbie Green and many other jazz artists like Al Cohn and Phil Woods lived in the area, we had concerts that featured some of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. Imagine that, in our little high school. People used to come from hours away to see these concerts and I literally had an onstage seat.
At one concert, and I'm assuming that this date is close to the night of the concert, I was up at the front of the jazz band and playing a song with Urbie Green, his two sons, and Clark Terry. We'd each improvise and throw it all off each other. It was an awesome feeling and one I'll never forget. At the time, I didn't even realize the scope of my musical accomplishment.
It wasn't until later in life when I met a trombone player in the Army and told him that I played with Urbie Green and actually would hang out at his house and jam, that I realized how lucky I had been. This guy almost shit his pants- he was that excited. "You played with Urbie Green?! You were in his house?!" I didn't even realize, and I was a jazz fan, how fortunate I had been. From that point on, I tried to realize the full scope of my life, as it happens, so that that sort of thing never happens again.
