June 27 - Jazz Trumpeter - Winston Byrd

After nearly 3 years, Winston Byrd returns for, what I am sure will be, another fabulous interview.  Winston was initially bitten by the 'jazz bug' as a seventh grader when he heard Maynard Ferguson's playing of 'Give It One.' Soon after, he witnessed Dizzy Gillespie and Jon Faddis trading solos on 'Groovin High' on a 1986 Grammy Awards telecast.  And the rest is history.

Winston has performed, recorded, and/or toured with a myriad of big name jazz and pop artists and orchestras including The Chi-Lites, Patti Austin, The Dells, The Grateful Dead, Lionel Hampton, Michael Bolton, Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Pieces Of A Dream, Claudio Roditi, David Murray, Oliver Lake Big Band, Larry Coryell, Aretha Franklin, Charles Tolliver Big Band, The Stylistics, Natalie Cole, Arturo Sandoval, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Mary Wilson (of the Supremes), Chucho Valdes, Louie Bellson, T.S. Monk, David 'Fathead' Newman, Chaka Khan, Clark Terry (who suprise-guested with Winston on his All-Star 31st birthday concert!), James Moody, The Dramatics, Shirley Horn, Paquito d' Rivera, Lucky Peterson, Bernard Purdie, Diane Schuur, Don Rickles, Usher, Abbey Lincoln and the Charles Mingus Big Band among others!
 

I cannot wait to chat about what he's been up to, and what is coming up next for him.