How has your career as a working musician looked over the years?

 

I first started playing trumpet when I was 7 because I saw Harry James on television. I said, “that’s what I want to do,” and I geared my whole life to play with Harry James, which I did as his first trumpet player. And after his death, I was asked by Columbia Artists to take over the band in the role of Harry James. I’ve done that ever since 1989. It’s very funny because my sister just said the other day, “I remember when you’re about 10 years old, and we’re sitting in the front room and you walked out and said, ‘I have decided what I’m going to do in my life.’ And my parents said ‘what is that? And  I said, ‘I’m going to be the first trumpet player with Harry James.’” I turned around and walked off. Well, you know, it’s kind of funny when you think about it. Before they introduce me to go on stage, I’m thinking how many people are as fortunate as I am: to be able to visualize something in your career, and then to actually do it? I feel that I’m very lucky. I’m lucky to be married 57 years to my wife, who is a great performer, Gina Funes. I have a great family, a great place to live, and great friends. I do what I want. I play the music I want. I’m just very fortunate.

 

Who was Harry James?

 

First of all, Harry James started his career as a trumpet player with one of the most famous bands in the 1930s with the King of Swing, Benny Goodman. He was a household name. Harry went out and started his own band, and during World War II, had more hit records than any other band. He really heightened his popularity when he married the most famous moviestar of the period, Betty Grable. Together they were true, Hollywood royalty. They were the highest-paid actors in show business. Harry was very responsible for bringing name entertainment to a little place in the desert called Las Vegas. He was, besides being a movie star, besides being one of the greatest trumpet players in the history of trumpet playing, he had top notch players in the band. And if you played with those bands, especially Harry James, you opened doors. It opened my doors to being an educator. We carry on the legacy of Harry James.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

 

You follow your dream. If you want something bad enough, you visualize what you want, and I think that you will achieve what you want. Today, as a jazz musician, is much more difficult than it was when I was growing up, because there’s a limitation of what we do as a profession. But like I said earlier, if you really want that, then you pursue that, and I think that you can achieve your dreams. Let’s say that you’re an outstanding trumpet player here. Now today, the difficult part is you go to a great high school with a great music program and then a great college music program. You get out there are no bands anymore. There’s three of us in existence. Harry James, Count Basie and the Glenn Miller Band. That’s it.There is no Las Vegas music business as we knew it. There’s no studios in LA like we knew it, because those TV shows don’t happen anymore. So what do you do? My advice would be to go audition if you’re that good with one of the top military bands. You’re in the president’s own band for 20-25 years now, and you’re 48 years old. You retire, you have a pension, and, being with one of those famous organizations, you’re asked to go be a professor at a top conservatory and then you build another career. I think that’s advice for young, outstanding musicians.

 

What are you doing during your visit to Hillsdale?

 

I’m an artist in residence with the music department, so I’m working with jazz students, different master classes, and lesson ensembles. Also I’m leader of the Harry James Orchestra, and we are appearing Saturday night for a special function. And then Friday night, we started a few years ago the battle of the bands between your jazz ensemble Big Band and the Harry James Band. That’s become quite a function and drawing card for the jazz department.