My jazz improvisation recordings

In 2004, I started sharing my jazz improvisation recordings on this site. My objective was to document and share my progress over the years. Before you listen, keep in mind that I am just an amateur trumpet player. I don't expect that I'll ever become a "great" player, but I am always curious to hear how much better I can get with practice.

In addition to a selection of older recordings, you'll find newer ones that I recorded since I started taking jazz improvisation lessons with Garry Dial, in 2019. One difference that you can't hear in the old recordings is my poor consistency. In the past, I would record myself many times, hoping to play something worth sharing. Often nothing was good enough. Now, however, I'm much more consistent, and most of my recording attempts would qualify as "sharable."

July 16, 2026

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #44, Autumn Leaves. Since "Autumn Leaves" is one of the first tunes that people encounter in their lessons with Garry Dial, I thought I needed a quick recording.

March 3, 2024

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: MrSunnybass, Giant Steps. "Giant Steps" is one of the Charlie Banacos courses that Garry Dial teaches (supplemented by Garry's own material). This recording is the result of about eight months of those "Giant Steps" lessons.

January 25, 2024

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Aebersold #25, Have You Met Miss Jones. There are things that I prefer from the 2008 recording (see below), but as mentioned in the intro paragraph, the biggest difference between 2008 and now, is what you can't hear (i.e. consistency). That 2008 recording probably took dozens of takes, over the span of a few days, before I managed to play that single chorus. In contrast, this 2024 recording was my second attempt, and it was good enough (for me) to share two choruses.

APRIL 16, 2022

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #22, Soon. This is the first recording that I shared since I began taking jazz improvisation lessons with Garry Dial.

JULY 3, 2016

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #44, Autumn Leaves

AUGUST 30, 2015

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #34, There Is No Greater Love

AUGUST 4, 2012

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #108, Recorda-Me

SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

iwasdoingallright - audio clip Backing track: Aebersold #25, Have You Met Miss Jones

JULY 7, 2007

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Backing track: Aebersold #34, Just Friends