On a Saturday morning driving to work, I was listening to songs that had been recommended to me. One particular song had featured an ensemble consisting only of a trumpet and rhythm section. Having listened to many brass bands, I wasn't too surprised at this, but what amazed me was the feeling that these players were masters of their instrument; that these players were unlike any other. I immediately became attached to the song, and after my shift at work I would stick to my phone like glue, trying to find the song that had made an impact on me so effortlessly. However, I would not find the song until a day later, titled Tin Tin Deo. With the song on repeat, I would waste no time finding the album it came from: Spanish Rice. This find was a goldmine, filled with songs that were just as good as Tin Tin Deo - some, even better. Though, through the entire album, there was one thing that stood consistently above all else: the soloist. Each and every phrase in their solos through the entire album had insanely intricate, yet beautiful articulations within them. With a fall here, a bend there, and an endless variety of ideas to be played, I truly felt like I was listening to the best there ever was. Still, I couldn't grasp a feeling of familiarity in the playing; as if I had heard it many times before. Doing some research, I found a man named Clark Terry to be the soloist throughout the entire album, but I also found him to be in many other places, such as within the bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. It was in that finding that I knew why he was so familiar: he was the soloist for Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder, a song which I had listened to many, many times, because it was to be played by my school's jazz band, and I had the great opportunity to be the soloist for the piece.
Such Sweet Thunder - Skyline High School (CMEA 2020)
More importantly, Clark Terry was everywhere, playing in so many bands that his discography takes up 2/3rds of his Wikipedia page. I would later find that Clark Terry has performed in over 900 recordings, making him one of the most recorded artists ever. Nonetheless, having the opportunity to play in so many different places is well deserved. With his unique tone quality, phrasing, and articulation, it's a no-brainer that so many had respected him. As said by fellow trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, he was "... one of the most incredibly versatile musicians to ever live ... a jazz trumpet master that played with the greatest names in the history of the music ..."
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