RAY VEGA: Trumpet Talk Plus

Current Projects - August 10, 2010

The Ray Vega Latin Jazz Quintet-
This is my main project where simply stated, we present Fiery Latin Jazz from a Nuyorican perspective.
This group features:
Zaccai Curtis/Piano
Andy Eulau/Bass
Diego Lopez/Drums
Chembo Corniel/Tumbadoras

The Ray Vega Quintet-
This group was created to showcase my original compositions and classic Jazz standards.
We aim to Swing!
Featuring-Tom Cleary/Piano
Brian McCarthy/Saxes
John Rivers/Bass
Eric Reeves/Drums

East-West Trumpet Summit
Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott on Trumpets
Great rhthym sections all over the world!!

Ray Vega Quintet West-
This is my band based in the San Francisco Bay area. This group includes:
Murray Low/Piano
Dave Belove/Bass
Paul VanWagnenegen/Drums and
Michael Spiro/Tumbadoras

Orquesta La Pasion-
This ensemble was created to perform Osvaldo Golijov's critically acclaimed work, "La Pasion Segun San Marcos". It is currently in the process of getting booked as a solo act. This group performs a variety of music including contemporary classical, folkloric, jazz, latin dance, world and electronica.
We had the honor to record "La Pasion Segun San Marcos" in January 2007 in Caracas, Venezuela. Orquesta La Pasion was joined by members of La Orquesta Sinfonica De Simon Bolivar. It was released in the spring 2010 on Deutsche Grammophon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvTiWPV2da0

Ray Vega new CD with Thomas Marriott hits #1 - August 3, 2010

On the week of June 21st 2010 the new CD by Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott entitled "East-West Trumpet Summit" hit number 1 on Jazzweeks national jazz radio charts.

http://www.origin-records.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82561

Ray Vega on Videos On Line - August 3, 2010

Oh, I don't do that--- - August 2, 2010

With so many conservatory's graduating so many wonderful players year after year, it's evident that the job market for these great players is quite limited.

Jazz players feel that it's enough for them to know some Freddie Hubbard licks......this alone is not going to be enough to survive today. I'm finding that many respected institutions are graduating a myriad of jazzers that cannot read music. So much focus is put on soloing but not on the basics of musicianship. These schools are also putting out many lead players that cannot solo. Schools need to have a balance between small groups and big bands. This would force jazzers to do their thing in the combos and then be challenged in the larger ensembles. By the same token, lead players need to open themselves to situations where they are challenged to get their soloing together. If you're a jazz player, I suggest that you find a way to play in classical brass ensembles, or classical chamber ensembles etc.etc.. Your ability to perfom a variety of styles will pay off greatly.

So many wonderful trumpet players are graduating from conservatories feeling that they'll be getting a gig with the L.A. Phil. or the Chicago Symphony only to realize that they have to play wedding gigs. I recently had a brief conversation with master trumpeter and educator Jim Thompson. We were discussing the demands of the modern day symphonic trumpeter. He felt that in this day and age the symphony section should consist of A) The principal player B) The second player/ who knows how to make the 1st player sound amazing C) The 3rd player who specializes in pic and Eb/D trumpet along with his/her regular duties D) The 4th player who can play commercial lead trumpet and know how to improvise along with his/her regular duties. Many orchestras survive because of their subscription series that will more then likely have a very prominant "Pops" component. The modern day classical player needs to be ready to perform Marvin Hamlisch with the same level of proficiancy as they would if they were performing Mahler. Again, your ability to perform a variety of styles will pay off greatly.

Keep your ears and your heart open to the wonderful world of MUSIC!!

Section Playing- - August 1, 2010

In this modern age of music I find that the most successful players are the ones that can cover several different tasks. If you're a jazz player it's not enough to just have your solo chops up. You must be able to sight read well. You should have the tools to be able to play in a trumpet section and play 4th or 1st. If you don't have lead chops together then at least make sure that you know how to play in that section and make the lead player sound awesome. Your abilty to grasp the vibe of the section (Rapidly!) is vital to your success. The lead player has a really difficult job to do and it only makes it harder when his/her section mates are not holding up their end of the deal. Lead players that lay out so that they can get the juicy high note at the end of the piece are not doing their job. Lead playing is about laying down the groove so that the section (and the rest of the band) knows where to go. It's about laying down a style.....not honking out some high notes. Jazz players that lay out (or low) so that they can save their chops for the big solo, are not holding up their end of the deal either. Again, your job is to make the music that's being played sound good. I'm finding these days that more and more improvised trumpet parts are now being put in the lead part. Too many lead players have not taken the time to learn some basic concepts of improvisation. Even the very basic of soloing can help a great lead player become an even better player. Jazz players can learn something from lead players and lead players can learn something from jazz players.

A topic that never gets touched is the fact that a trumpet section (whether classical or jazz or comercial) has to play in tune and that their sounds should match timbre wise. This means color wise. Orchestral players are very serious about this. I find that this concept gets overlooked outside of the orchestral world. Older jazz and commercial players do have this together. Younger players can learn a lot by just sitting in a section and keeping their mouths shut and their ears wide open. More on this later!

Ray Vega receives 2007 Bobby Capo Lifetime Achievement award. - September 13, 2007

On September 6th 2007, I was honored with The Battery Park City Authority's 2007 Bobby Capo Lifetime Acheivement Award. The other recipients were composer Mike Amadeo, percussionist Eddie Montalvo, trombonist Eddie Montalvo and vocalist Frankie Morales. These awards were given to us as part of BPCA's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

April is Jazz Month.... - April 21, 2007

Hey folks,

I just wanted to remind you that April is Jazz Appreciation Month.
This is the month that has been set aside to focus on the musical
gift that America has given the world: JAZZ. This gift has touched my
life profoundly with all of the joy involved in learning, performing,
and now teaching it. Please make it your goal to support this music.
Buy a CD, go to a concert or Jazz club, support young people who are
studying it.....this music will disappear if we're not proactive in
supporting it.

Now to the real reason for this email.

I wanted to inform you that April is also Autism Awareness Month. For
those of you who don't know it, my seven year old son Thomas was
diagnosed with autism shortly after his second birthday. This highly
complex neurobiological disorder has impacted every aspect of my
life. My relationships with family, friends and business associates
have all changed in one way or another. My wife and I now know all
too well what sleep deprivation is. The divorce rate among parents of
autistic children is a staggering 70% and rising. This is due to the
enormous amount of stress involved in the daily happenings of a home
affected by autism. Fortunately, my family has learned how to laugh
when things are going completely haywire. It's not easy under any
circumstance. I've lost many friends who didn't know how to deal with
our situation. As a working musician who travels in order to make a
living, I've had to shorten the amount of time that I can stay on the
road. The direction of my career has been detoured. This creates many
financial challenges.

Unlike with my older children, I've never had even a simple
conversation with my son. This is without a doubt the toughest aspect
for me to deal with. He's a happy, beautiful little boy who loves to
sing and dance and laugh......yet the doors of developed
communication remain completely shut.

This email was not composed so that you can feel sorry for me. I'm
only one of literally thousands of people who are affected by Autism.
I draw my inner strength from my faith.....therefore I realize the
importance making people aware. It's vital that we become informed
and try to get involved. Believe me, at the rate of what's going on
with autism, it will only be a matter of time before everyone's life
is impacted in one way or another.

Thanks you for your time.
Peace-RV
www.rayvegamusic.com
The following is some information that I got from the
autismspeaks.org website.

Did you know...
· 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism.

· 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum.

· 67 children are diagnosed per day.

· A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes.

· More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with
AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.

· Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in
the U.S.

· Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure
expected to double in the next decade.

· Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less
prevalent childhood diseases.

· Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.

· There is no medical detection or cure for autism.

Incidence vs. Private Funding
· Leukemia: Affects 1 in 25,000 / Funding: $310 million

· Muscular Dystrophy: Affects 1 in 20,000 / Funding: $175 million

· Pediatric AIDS: Affects 1 in 8,000 / Funding: $394 million

· Juvenile Diabetes: Affects 1 in 500 / Funding: $130 million

· Autism: Affects 1 in 150 / Funding: $15 million

National Institutes of Health Funds Allocation

· Total 2005 NIH budget: $29 billion

· Of this, only $100 million goes towards autism research. This
represents 0.3% of total NIH funding.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/