Byrd helped guide the WTHS Jazz Band through some of their current pieces, while showing off his improvisation skills
Professional jazz trumpeter and South Jersey native Winston Byrd was the very special guest of the Washington Township High School jazz band on Thursday, Jan. 18. Byrd, who works in Los Angeles, is in the area visiting family. When he’s local, he works with Coles Music Service in Sewell to visit schools for clinics, giving back to his community. Coles contacted WTHS Jazz Band director Frank Appello last week to set up the workshop.
Byrd graduated from Gateway High School in 1991, beginning his performance career at the age of 16. He decided not to attend New York University, where he was to major in clinical psychology, and instead embarked on his professional music career.
Byrd quickly developed the reputation of being able to hit the highest of notes on the trumpet and caught his big break when mentor Jon Faddis took notice of him. Faddis opened the door to Byrd getting to play with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. The list of noted performers Byrd has played with is impressive, including Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Meghan Trainor, Mary J. Blige, the Grateful Dead, the Black-Eyed Peas, Earth, Wind and Fire and more.
On Thursday, he helped guide the WTHS Jazz Band through some of their current pieces, while also showing his stuff and speaking about the jazz art of improvisation.
“Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of fluke,” Byrd said. “If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. Whether it’s in music, or you want to be a lawyer, or anything. If you want it, you can do it.”
