Michael Philip Mossman
Jazz Master, Arranger, Composer, Soloist, Educator
Michael Mossman, a Yamaha Artist, is currently the Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City, and he also serves on the faculty at the prestigious Juilliard School.
As a celebrated recording artist, soloist, arranger, composer, and educator, Michael has been active on the international jazz scene since the age of 17. He has recorded with his own ensembles and collaborated with a veritable “who’s who” of the music industry. His impressive career includes roles as lead trumpet with the Machito Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Michael later became the musical director of Blue Note Records’ “young lion” group, Out of the Blue, before joining the Horace Silver Quintet. He has toured and recorded with jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, as well as the Charles Mingus Orchestra, Benny Carter, the Gil Evans Orchestra, and the Count Basie Orchestra.
Michael has received two GRAMMY nominations: one for Best Latin Jazz Performance (41st Annual Grammy) for his album Contact, and another for Best Instrumental Arrangement (55th Annual Grammy) for his Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite for Ellington. He has also composed and arranged music for films such as Bossa Nova and Chico and Rita, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012. His ballet Beneath the Mask was performed by Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra in collaboration with the Deeply Rooted Dance Company, and his ballet La Cova do Rey Cintolo premiered in 2010 in Mondoñedo, Spain.
A key performer in Latin Jazz since his early days with Machito, Michael has collaborated with icons like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Chico O’Farrill, Ray Barretto, and Paquito D’Rivera. He appeared in the acclaimed documentary Calle 54, directed by Fernando Trueba, where he served as both performer and commentator. Michael was also the arranger and trumpet soloist for the legendary Latin Jazz innovator Mario Bauza and his Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, contributing to their Grammy-winning album Song for Chico, as well as Un Noche Inolvidable and 40 Acres and a Burro.
His solo releases include Springdance, Mama Soho, The Orisha Suite, Missa Afro-Cubana, Soul con Timba Live at Bohemian Cavern, and Mambo Nights, featuring Arturo Sandoval.
Michael’s music is published by the Hal Leonard Corporation.
For his books and arrangements:
– https://www.halleonard.com
EDUCATION
Watch Corazon Rebelde
Mambísimo Bigband
On Becoming An Acclaimed Arranger, Composer & Educator
Can you share a bit about your journey as a jazz trumpet player? What initially drew you to the trumpet, and how did you find your way into the world of jazz?
I got started at the age of 8, when most kids in public school in Pennsylvania were encouraged to try a band instrument. It was a random choice, really and I think my parents saw it a one of the less expensive choices. Interestingly though, my nickname as an infant, was Satchmo.
I did not take to lessons initially and learned to play by listening to the radio and searching for music with a trumpet. I found Herb Alpert, Chicago, and also Temple University’s jazz station, WRTI. So there was Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, etc. I did not get a good fundamental approach to the instrument but I could play better than my school band fellows because I had an advanced concept of how music was supposed to sound.
In High School I went to a jazz camp in Wilmington Delaware and met Marvin Stamm, Don Sebesky, Sir Roland Hanna and others. I was encouraged to start lessons, learn how to read music and get serious.
I toured Europe at age 17 with the American Youth Jazz band as a lead trumpeter and soloist. And that experience was pretty defining. I enrolled at Oberlin College as a pre-law student. I had no concept of classical music, really. But eventually I was accepted into the Conservatory there and became principal trumpet of the Oberlin Orchestra. I received excellent training but still with some unaddressed fundamental issues. After college I moved to Chicago and studied with Vincent Cichowicz and Tim Kent from the CSO. I also learned how to become a professional trumpet player there, playing in big bands, combos, chamber music groups, Broadway shows and stage shows.
From there I moved to New York for Grad School and to work my way into the NY scene. I started playing in big bands, with Machito, Lionel Hampton and many NY local bands. I worked on Broadway in many shows and subbed for Lew Soloff on recording dates and with Michel Camilo’s ferociously difficult group. There I really learned how to develop the technique that defined much of my playing. At 25 I was signed by Blue Note and recorded 4 albums with the group, Out of the Blue (OTB). I also subbed with Art Blakey and the jazz Messengers. Later I joined Horace Silver’s quintet.
Jazz is a genre known for its improvisational nature. How do you approach improvisation on the trumpet, and how do you keep your improvisations fresh and creative?
I am at heart a hard bop trumpet player. I am also an arranger/composer and I tend to play like one. That means keeping the style of the music I am playing at the center of what I am playing when I improvise. So I do not play the same way on all music. Dealing with the music in the moment keeps things fresh and not formulaic and predictable. So I do not play the same way on all music. Dealing with the music in the moment (in terms of harmony, rhythm, style and form) keeps things fresh and not formulaic and predictable. But this requires and expanded musical vocabulary and musical presence of mind.
Could you discuss some of the key influences on your playing style and musical development? Are there any particular trumpet players or musicians who have had a significant impact on your approach to music?
Freddie Hubbard had the sound that made me a trumpet player. But Maynard Ferguson’s sound and fire is also deep in my musical DNA. Bud Herseth and Fats Navarro both had an uninhibited timbre to their sounds that I try to model. Jon Faddis has long been a friend. We played together in Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra and in Jon’s Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. I learned and continue to learn so much from his dedicated and very studious approach to the instrument. Wynton Marsalis’ playing made me ever more conscious of the multitude of style choices to add to improvised lines; Things that are in addition to harmony and line construction. And, of course, I am indebted to Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw and Kenny Dorham for the vocabulary we all take for granted now.
Apart from trumpet players, my musical development is conditioned by the music I love: Mingus, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Thad Jones, Horace Silver, Machito and Mario Bauza, Clare Fischer and so many others…
Jazz is deeply rooted in collaboration and interaction among musicians. How do you navigate the balance between individual expression and collective improvisation when performing with a group?
I take Duke Ellington, Thad Jones and Charles Mingus as examples of bandleaders whose music brought out the pure, unrestrained musicality of their musicians. Players in each of their bands played remarkably unique solos but added a collective unity to the sound of their bands. This meant staying in the center of the music, in the moment. Horace Silver also stressed that we stay stylistically in sync with the songs we were playing.
As a professional jazz musician, what do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of your craft, and how do you work to overcome these challenges?
One of the unaddressed issues I find in schools is how to establish an identity in a very well populated field. Also, a serious challenge is to make enough of a living so as to support a career and a family at the same time. It takes time to build the deep musical skills that define an artist. That means staying in the arts long enough to accomplish some lasting musical contribution. I try to give my students both the solid technique, a view of past innovators and some business sense to help them carve out a unique and sustainable career, with all options open.
The jazz repertoire is vast and diverse. How do you go about selecting material for your performances, and what criteria do you use to determine whether a particular piece is suitable for interpretation?
Most often, because much my work is as an invited or commissioned composer/arranger, I work with other featured artists with established groups. So to some extent, the repertoire is chosen together. My choices of what to do with the music is a big part of the reason I am invited to write and perform in the first place. Other artists and arts organizations trust me to bring something fun and challenging. So I do my homework, researching the guest artist, the band, the venue, the audience and think about what will constitute a successful project. And the answer is different each time. That keeps my mind fresh, especially when the music I’m working with is new to me!
Could you share some insights into your practice routine and how you maintain your technical proficiency and musicality on the trumpet?
Fundamentals first. Every day. Sound, freedom of tone production. Then basic technique. Then some music! Vocalises or jazz ballads. Then jazz-specific technique. Then improvising a chord over a progression in 12 keys, changing that material each day. Then practicing any music I need to prepare, even developing exercises unique to that music.
Dealing with the inevitable physical challenges of age and overuse can affect training, just as any athlete will tell you. Managing set backs both large and small is important. Longevity is a commitment and requires a flexible approach. You have to listen to what your body is telling you or pay a steep price. My lack of formal training at the beginning cost me dearly and required relearning how to play from scratch. No one escapes the learning curve on brass instruments and an unsustainable technique that works in youth can wear out as one’s body changes. Efficiency is extremely important.
Jazz has a rich history and has evolved significantly over time. How do you see the role of the trumpet in contemporary jazz compared to its role in earlier eras, and what trends or developments do you find most interesting in the current jazz scene?
We all owe Louis Armstrong a continuing debt for all the vocabulary he created and that we take for granted. It is trendy to pay homage to Pops but in truth, try to play some solos of his from the Hot Five and Hot seven and things like swing That Music. Then you’ll know. As for now, I find the rediscovery of all the contributions of players like Charlie Shavers and Rex Stewart, adding real stylistic warmth to what became a fixation on technique is an advance. I still love Woody Shaw! And many young players adding new elements of style and technique are inspiring. But I go back to what connects us to music. And foremost are sound, rhythm and ideas presented with style. Much of linear innovation is tied to the music players are playing. Just showing of on Giant Step is not enough. Most innovative performers, like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Wayne a Shorter, etc… created their own music to suit the way they wanted to play. So composition and performance are tied together.
Collaboration with other musicians is often essential in jazz. Can you discuss a memorable collaboration or performance experience that had a significant impact on you as a musician?
My work with Slide Hampton was essential to my musical identity. Mario Bauza brought me into the world of Afro-Cuban Jazz as an arranger /composer and set my life on the path its on. Jimmy Heath humanized all of my musical ideas and reminded me of how important it is to stay connected to people with your music. Michel Camilo brought out in me the raw technical performing ability necessary to play his music. Jon Faddis gave me essential opportunities to write for the Carnegie Hall Band along with the other incredible composers that wrote for the band. The WDR Band and HR Bands in Cologne, and Frankfurt, Germany continue to allow me access to their amazing bands to write and perform with them and their invited guest soloists. And of course, teaching at Queens College/CUNY and at the Juilliard School in New York gives me the opportunity to stay connected with young people and their new ideas and sincere enthusiasm.
Jazz music often communicates deep emotions and experiences. How do you approach conveying emotion and storytelling through your trumpet playing, and are there any specific techniques or strategies you employ to connect with your audience on an emotional level?
I have had some limited experience writing for film, notably with the Spanish film director, Fernando Trueba (Chico and Rita, El Baile de Victoria, Haunted Heart, Two Much…) I have also written several ballet commissions. Working in collaboration with artists outside of music and trying to match musical ideas to movement and story telling adds a very satisfying level of insight and vocabulary to one’s music. Starting with an emotional or plot-based initiative, rather than purely musical technique ideas opens up a world of inquiry as well explore yet more contributions of composers and performers. Other than that… just try reading the room (including your band…) when you play!
Listen to Mambo Ala Jo
Original composition by Michael Mossman
Michael Mossman Arrangement of Sofrito
Sofrito is a Latin jazz classic made famous by legendary percussionist Mongo Santamaria.
Notable Albums
