seeking high-level jazz trumpet instruction (Houston TX)

glove_of_power

I'm interested in having some one on one lessons with a trumpet instructor. I live in Houston Texas and of course it would be ideal to find someone here who could teach in person but Skype would work too. I'm 35 and a well-developed player at this point, been playing all my life. What I want to improve upon is my improvisation mainly. Running changes, creativity, thinking about chords, substitutions, all that kind of stuff. I might be best served seeking out someone who chiefly plays piano really, but it's been ages since I've had a proper lesson with a trumpet instructor who "speaks my lauguage" and who could call me out specifically on where I could work on my fundamentals with regard to our instrument since I probably have gotten lax with any number of things I should be paying attention to. Anyone on here from Houston or know a guy? Thanks in advance.
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2003 Kanstul Wayne Bergeron (1600)
Bach Strad 37 ML
1960s King Master Series Cornet
1911 Holton Collegiate Cornet
1950s Couesnon Flugel

Rickperon · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 9:42 am Post subject:

Maybe seek out Eddie Lewis, very fine all-around trumpet player, wonderful creative improvisationist. Super nice cat.

http://eltigredo.com/blog/2014/07/06/trumpet-live-video-is-now-published/

homecookin · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 868

You should contact the AFM office in Houston and ask
them to have DENNIS DOTSON get in touch with you.
Dennis is far and away, hands down, the best guy
for what you are looking for.
No offense to any other trumpet player in Houston
but Dennis is way above anyone else in that town.
He teaches jazz trumpet at the University of Texas
in Austin but he lives in Houston.
And he is a very nice guy, very modest about
his amazing talent and very sincere in his teaching.
Trust me, Dennis is the guy you need.

MrClean · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 12:47 pm Post subject:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This
_________________
Jim Wilt
LA Philharmonic
Colburn School

llangston1 · Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2016 11:31 am Post subject:

I would second Eddie. He got me started on my comeback with several lessons a few months ago. He is a very nice guy and has a band that plays occasionally at a downtown Jazz Club.

homecookin · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 868

llangston1 · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 6:57 pm Post subject:

No Eddie has his own small jazz group that plays at Cezanne down on Montrose. I think there are some youtube videos of him playing there. He does a lot of religious/church type playing as well. I chose Eddie because he lived down near the Clear Lake area where I live. Depending where you live you might want or find someone closer to your area given the Houston traffic.

llangston1 · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 7:00 pm Post subject:

No Eddie has his own small jazz group that plays at Cezanne down on Montrose. I think there are some youtube videos of him playing there. He does a lot of religious/church type playing as well.

bike&ed · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Posts: 1837

I would recommend both Dennis and Eddie, really you would be well served to take some lessons from both of them. I can give you their contact information in a PM of you don't have it already. Who are you by the way? I know most of the regulars here in the Houston area despite no longer being in music full time; however, it's always great to meet someone new...

glove_of_power · Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:23 pm Post subject:

Thank you to everyone for the input! Homecookin I managed to find Dennis' contact info and sent him an email asking if he'd be available to give me some instruction. Showing up with the handle "MrClean" sealed the deal, hahah, I'm a big fan of Freddie Hubbard and that tune in particular gets played and/or quoted in pieces among my groups often.

Who are you, that's sort of a humorous question, haha! Bike&Ed (or anyone) feel free to PM me if you want to chat me up. My name's John and I moved to Houston six years back from Chicago. I have made admittedly zero effort to explore the scene here, mostly because I'm a worthless lazybones loungeabout, but also because I gigged like crazy in Chicago and really just got burnt out on cons of gigging. I do go out and listen but I've never tried to network or participate. I'm an engineer by trade. These days I devote all my time to home recording and I really get off on that. Everyone comes to my living room, I set the time and pick the players and the songs, we can be as experimental as we want with no audience to please. I'm gotten tremendously comfortable with this routine and the results just keep getting better. I also have a strange penchant for electronics/effects pedals so if I play in my living room that means I don't have to schlep anything (see lazyness above). I'm an okay player but I know I could get a lot better if I worked at it and had some guidance. You can look me up on youtube by searching for "Microcosmologist", that's my channel. There is a nice extended version of Mr Clean up there

Llangston1 I should go check out Eddie's group at Cezanne sometime. What name do they go by?
_________________
2003 Kanstul Wayne Bergeron (1600)
Bach Strad 37 ML
1960s King Master Series Cornet
1911 Holton Collegiate Cornet
1950s Couesnon Flugel

Mike Sailors · Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:48 pm Post subject:

Dennis Dotson.
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www.mikesailors.com

George Chase · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:31 pm Post subject:

I live in Houston and highly recommend both Dennis and Eddie. You would be in good hands with either one. Why not have a few lessons with both, see how things go?

llangston1 · Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 5:04 pm Post subject:

I am not sure what Eddie's band is called. I just got postcards from him letting me know he was going to play there. There are some youtube videos of some of his gigs at that club.