Trumpets

Leo Adelman spent much of his life playing the jazz trumpet. In retirement, he spends a great deal of time playing and promoting jazz throughout San Diego County. When the NAMM Oral History Program was established in 2000, Leo was among the first to help arrange interviews with many of his friends, who happened to be top jazz performers. These musicians provided helpful insight into the history of their instruments as well as the art of playing jazz, including: bassists Chubby Jackson and Artie Shapiro, pianist Donn Trenner, drummer Don Loeffler, and the world-renowned arranger an

Jim Anastasi served as the trumpet tester for the King Band Instrument factory in Cleveland, Ohio for nearly 40 years. While testing some 200 instruments a day, Jim worked with some noted musicians including Harry James and Dizzy Gillespie.  In addition to his factory work, Jim was a lifelong musician himself who played at clubs and dances for decades. He also taught trumpet and had dozens of students each week, many who met him at Stebal's Music for their lessons. His professional playing career began when he was a teenager and continued into his 90s.

Ray Anthony has only endorsed two products during his long and successful career-- only two because he doesn't give use of his name lightly. As a teenager he played trumpet for the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra during the swing era. A decade later he formed his own band and recorded a number of his own tunes including “The Bunny Hop.” He played a Selmer trumpet in his early career, but switched some 40 years ago to a Yamaha trumpet. Ray also formed his own music publishing company along the way and produced and released several well-selling albums.

Byron Autrey loved to tell you everything you needed to know about how a trumpet works, and I mean everything! Byron studied the craft of trumpet design for decades, having been a player all of his life.  

Bob Baca teaches trumpet and is the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, where he approaches his teaching from not only the standpoint of a musician but from the prospective of a student himself wanting to learn. Bob has much to offer his students that he learned from several innovative band directors (including William Adam) and has decades of personal experience performing.

Tim Bales is a hard-swinging brass player and long-time member of the band the Ides of March. His playing career began in the first grade when he was just six years old playing the cornet. Developing into a trumpet player by high school, Tim soon after went on tour with groups such as Time Machine beginning in 1973. Coming off the road he landed at Riverside City College in 1982, feeling his music career was over. He worked in the medical field for some 18 years before realizing what was missing in his life was music. In 2002 he went back into music and attend DePaul University to

Rod Baltimore has been a music retailer in New York for over 40 years. Much of that time was spent on the famed 48th street music central. Working with brass and woodwinds, Rod has maintained one of the most sought after repair shops in the state and often does work for customers outside the state and country. His career is highlighted by stories of Manny’s Music across the street and Sam Ash as well as the many friends and celebrities he has worked with over the years. Today, Rod is owner of New York Woodwind and Brass Music Company and, yes, you guessed it, it is located on 48th

Donovan Bankhead has a true passion for the music! His early memories regarding musical instruments involved seeing his older sister’s guitar and flute and taking notice of them before he even played an instrument himself.  That came when he was in school and asked to join the band, which he did without hesitating.  At first he thought he might want to play the drums but saw others wanting to pick up the drums so he decided on the trumpet, which he plays today, well, when he is not running Springfield Music!

Dave Bartholomew was a noted bandleader, trumpeter, and songwriter who captured a pioneering sound known as the “big beat” of rock and roll. His uncanny ability to provide the perfect musical expression to the words of his bandmate Fats Domino resulted in a long list of classic recordings. Together the team wrote “I’m Walkin’,” ”Ain’t that a Shame,” “I’m in Love Again,” “Blue Monday,” and “Valley of Tears.” Equally impressive were his talents as arranger and bandleader. Over the years he cultivated the talents of legendary musicians including his drummer and life long friend Earl

Angelo Battellini proudly managed the Martin Band Instrument factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he worked for 51 years.  He was born the son of a brick layer in Italy, a trade he learned at a young age.  When Angelo was 17 he traveled with an uncle to America.  While laying bricks, a cousin in Wisconsin arranged for a job at the Leblanc factory, the year was 1956.  When Leblanc president, Vito Pascucci, purchased the Martin Band Instrument Company from Elkhart and moved it to Kenosha, he asked Angelo to manage the plant.  He stayed with the company until its last trumpet was shi

Irwin Berg has a million great stories, like the one when Glenn Miller ensured that his father not serve in the infantry during World War II, but instead, design and manufacture all the mutes for the Army Air Force band and those of the Navy bands as well. Irwin has since expanded the business to cover the globe, but, of course, they still offer those same mutes! His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 24, 2005. 

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Johnny Best started off learning the piano but switched to trumpet when he was 13. During his impressive career as a sideman in the big bands, Johnny played with several top orchestras such as Glenn Miller, Charlie Barnes, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown. He worked often with Bob Crosby and with such jazz greats as Ella Fitzgerald. In fact, that's Johnny's trumpet you hear on Ella's hit album "Get Happy."

Lyle Bird grew up in a musical family with his mother playing the piano daily. As a teenager he played trumpet in several swing bands during the big band era including with such leaders as Henry Busse. He played in a band during his navy service during World War II and again played in several small bands after the war before being hired by the Sherman Clay Company. Lyle sold saxophones for a short time, long enough he would say in order to realize he wanted to sell pianos.

Terence Blanchard remembers with pride the special way Lionel Hampton coached and encouraged him.  It was his first professional gig and Hamp took the time to share with young Terence, an act of kindness that continues to give to this day.  While having a successful jazz career, Terence never forgot his roots and has worked extremely hard in providing musical opportunities and education for young players, especially in his home town of New Orleans.  And the tradition continues!

Cassie Brueckner is the president of Pete’s Music store and the daughter of the founder.  She grew up in the Anaheim, California store, where she learned to repair musical instruments and developed her skills as the store manager to take charge when Pete had a professional gig.  As a brass player, Cassie is also a music teacher in the store, teaching trumpet and trombone.

Clora Bryant was billed as the female Louie Armstrong in the era of the Ed Sullivan variety show. Her raspy-voiced imitations were a big favorite among viewers but the gimmick often over- shadowed her incredible talents as a trumpeter. Most music lovers don’t like to think about how Clora had to struggle. Being a black female jazz musician was not easy and in some places it was impossible. In Los Angeles it was possible to play and not only did she play, she became a chief architect of the LA jazz sound beginning in the 1940s.

Skip Buss played trumpet for several big bands on the road and in local hotel ballrooms during the great Swing Era of the 1940s.  He decided to leave the road when his son was born at which time he gigged at local clubs and ballrooms at night and worked for a small music retailer by day.  He joined Central Music Academy in Memphis in 1955.  He developed a great working knowledge of violins and soon became the store's expert.  Skip was given the chance to buy the store, which he did, and he continued to run it until 1996 when the store was closed.  At the time, he sold much of his

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Billy Butterfield's smooth and melodic trumpet can be heard on Margret Whiting’s recording of "Moonlight In Vermont." His performance was often singled out as a defining moment for young musicians who heard the solo and sought lessons to follow in Billy's footsteps. That influential recording was just one moment of his long and successful career in the big band and jazz world that included gigs with Artie Shaw, Les Brown, Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, and Ben

Ben Cauley can be heard on hundreds of Stax Record hits including those with Otis Redding.  Ben was a member of Otis's backup band called the Bar-Kays, which originated as the horn section at the Stax studio in Memphis beginning in the 1960s. Ben was the only survivor of the plane crash that took the lives of three members of the Bar-Kays-- Otis Redding  and  3 others.  Music served as a major factor in his recovery from that horrible day and over time Ben was able to return to the stage, often noting that his appearances were dedicated to the friends he lost.

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Doc Cheatham was a blues and jazz trumpeter who played from the early years of recordings all the way into the 1990s. Doc was just a teenager when he recorded with the blues legend Ma Rainey (1927) and played with a who's who of musicians and singers until his last performance two days before his passing at the age of 91. Among those Doc performed with over his career were Chick Webb, Claude Hopkins, Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson, and Cab

Nat Clark worked for the York Band Instrument Company for over 40 years!  He was hired in New York in 1957 because his older brother was working for Carl Fischer, which owned York at the time.  Nat later moved to the factory in Michigan where he started on the bench buffing instruments.  He soon became a builder and before the end of the decade he was in management.  Nat knew everything there is to know about the plant and its products. Even in retirement he works on instruments in a small shop in his home.  More than anything else, what you need to know about Nat is, he loved is

 Richard Collins had a colorful career as a jazz trumpeter in the evening while he studied for his masters degree by day.  Two topics always fascinated Dick, music and research, so he sought to study both.  He earned his masters in Library Science and spent most of his career in southern California lib

Sal Cracchiolo learned how to play the trumpet on his mother’s horn. As his love of the instrument grew she saw to it that Sal received classical trumpet lessons with some of the top teachers in their neighborhood of Long Beach, California. At 15 Sal began performing and recording with Jr. & the Preludes. As R&B horn bands grew in popularity in the mid 1960s, Sal found himself in great demand. As his career was developing, Sal met Poncho Sanchez just as his Latin jazz band was forming.

Murray Davison was a trumpet player who had a few gigs during the Big Band Era, but had to get a day job after the war. While he became a successful businessman, music was never far away. In the 1960s, he established the "Jazz at Noon" concert series in New York City and, a decade later, began writing jazz articles for publications. Murray was among the first to support the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, Calif., performing at the museum's opening day events in 2000 and providing countless lectures and special tours over the next five years before his passing

Steve Dawe grew up surrounded by music! His mother was a piano teacher and he studied the trumpet in college, but ultimately gravitated to the Hammond B3 as his primary instrument on stage. A 25-year career in electronics followed, though his love of music never left him. Motivated to return to music, he took a yearlong intensive tuning and rebuilding class taught by Frank Hansen under the auspices of New England Conservatory of Music. Afterwards he was asked to be a piano tech for 11 weeks for the famous Tanglewood music program, where he honed his skills. The experience cemented

Bryan Dempsen started played piano and guitar as a kid and trumpet in college. His career developed after school and he played less and less over the years until the pandemic gave him the opportunity to play again. His love of jazz and his musical hero Freddie Hubbard fueled his passion to play. Bryan is a proud member of the New Horizons Band located at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music. This program was created for people who never had the opportunity to play an instrument or for those that played back in school and want to pick it up again.

Tom Dorn studied jazz trumpet at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin.  The experience cemented his passion for music and soon Tom found himself working for the Wurlitzer retail stores in the Chicago area.  It was 1976 and the Mighty Wurlitzer was a powerhouse with over fifty stores, including one at the Wood Field Mall, where Tom managed.  After working with Hal Leonard, Tom returned to the piano business where he has worked with Baldwin, Samick, North American Music, and others.

Ronnie Drumm had a full and fulfilling life in music! As a child he picked up the trumpet, which he played during his time as a big band leader, musical director and educator. Ronnie worked with a who’s who of entertainers such as Steve Allen, Bob Hope and Jack Benny as well as a long stint as musical director for the Ringling Brothers Circus. He opened his own music retail store, which his son, Rick Drumm, worked in as a kid before himself becoming a leader within the music products industry. Ronnie is most proud of the teaching he did in both the school programs as well as priva

David Ellis was greatly influenced by his father, Richard Ellis, the band director and music store founder. Growing up in the business, David developed a strong passion for music both as a retailer and as a player. In fact, the only two years David did not work for Ellis Music was when he was on the road as a professional trumpeter making music. David works alongside his two sisters in the store, which is located in Bethel, Vermont. 

Maynard Ferguson’s first big time gig was with the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra. He later played his unique trumpet style, with plenty of high notes, with Charlie Barnet, Jimmy Dorsey, Stan Kenton and others. He also enjoyed success as an innovative soloist with his many own small groups and countless recording dates including those with his Birdland Dream Band, which was formed in 1956.

Lloyd Fillio grew up in the band instrument capital, Elkhart, Indiana. His father worked in the industry as did his uncle and cousin (Ernie Kenaga who was also interviewed). It seemed natural for Lloyd to work in the industry. He worked for CG Conn for a short time before moving over to Selmer in 1960 where he took part in the relocation of the Vincent Bach trumpet division, which was purchased by Selmer in 1963. Lloyd enjoyed his role as product developer and felt rewarded as the company began to focus on brass instruments from that point on. 

Chuck Findley can be heard on the beautiful Flugel Horn solo on the Carpenter’s 1970 hit “(They Long to Be) Close To You.” However, that one recording should not define the range and enormous body of work Chuck has given us over this long career.  As a studio musician Chuck’s talents on a wide range of brass instruments, most notably the trombone, can be heard on seminal recordings such as the albums Aja and Gaucho by Steely Dan, This Time, Breakin’ Away and High Crime by Al Jarreau, Isolation and The Seventh One by Toto, as well as landmark recordings by BB King (BB King in Londo