I have been very fortunate to have played with so many of my heroes during my career.

I had the pleasure and honor of working with these legends on many occasions. Urbie Green & Paul Faulise ~ Two of my heroes! This photo is from the 2014 tribute to Urbie that Paul and I helped organize at the NYC musicians union. These two gentleman established the standard by which subsequent generations of trombonists are judged. 

I often refer to my dear friend  Jack Gale as my one brush with genius! He is a truly great trombonist, composer, arranger, union activist...and the possessor of a brilliant mind. His work with Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, his years in the NY studios & Broadway pits, and his contributions to the brass chamber music repertoire are legendary. Sitting in a trombone section with Jack is one of the greatest joys of my career.

Sonny Russo was a great trombonist and an even greater friend and colleague. I was very fortunate to have worked with him on Broadway, in the studios, jazz gigs and club dates. Sonny always had that beautiful smile and made everyone feel better, on and off the bandstand. 

Charlie Small  had a sound that has been described as "Yards and Yards of Velvet". His legato was as perfect and seamless as I've ever heard. Playing duets with him was one of the great pleasures of my career, and his Wednesday between shows trombone octet was a force to be reckoned with. Where else would I have had the opportunity to play the bassoon solo which opens Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring"? He was a consummate musician, dear friend and mentor. 

One of the most influential contractors in New York City, Red Press has had a huge impact on my career and those of hundreds of others. He hired me for Dreamgirls, Anything Goes, Company, Chicago, the City Center Encores series  and years of recordings, movie dates, jingles and many other gigs. His credits include playing lead alto with Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Ralph Flanagan and many other Big Band Era greats, hundreds of Broadway shows, recordings, movie scores, jingles and virtually every aspect of the NYC music scene. In addition to his brilliance as a musician and contractor, Red is a compassionate and wise man who has straddled the difficult line between musicians and management in a fair and ethical way, earning admiration from both sides. He is simply THE BEST ! !

For the past 23 years I have had the pleasure of sitting next to a truly great musician. Dave Bargeron’s work with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Gil Evans, Paul Simon, Michel Camillo, George Gruntz and countless other musical luminaries is legendary. He and I have happily shared the stage at the "Chicago, the Musical"  on Broadway since 1996. Dave is not only one of my heroes but also a great friend. Can't wait to get back to the Ambassador Theater with him!

My first steady gig after Juilliard was playing lead at the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria for acts like Peggy Lee, Petula Clark, The Manhattan Transfer and others. Most memorable about that time is that I had my opportunity to play with Alan Raph. As a young, inexperienced player you couldn't ask for more. Playing with Alan was a nightly lesson in musicianship and professionalism. Subsequently, Alan and I worked together many times on recording sessions (most notably J.J. Johnson's "Brass Orchestra" recording), Broadway shows and concerts with John Pizzarelli, Jr., Ben Vereen and many others). When I started to double on bass trombone, I called Alan for some lessons. He has the great ability to analyze the technical aspects of playing the horn and relating them to the music. One of the greats!!

It's great to be in the middle of the New York music scene.! Playing in a section with Mark Paterson, Keith O'Quinn & Jack Schatz is always a thrill. This is from a performance with the Roger Rhodes/Glen Daum Big Band, featuring Bob Millikan, Ronnie Zito, Jay Berliner, Glenn Drewes, John Beal, Tomoko Ono, Dan Block and other great musicians. 

A nice hang between shows. Clockwise from left to right: Me, Dave Gale, Julie Gale, Jack Gale, Charlie Small (visiting from Arizona), Dale Kirkland & Jack Schatz. The only thing better than spending time with these folks is playing music with them. 

Erwin Price had one of the most beautiful trombone sounds imaginable. His resume included the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, the original production of "Fiddler On The Roof", recordings with Igor Stravinsky (pictured above) and so many other stellar accomplishments. I first met Erwin when I joined the Queen Symphony, and later studied with him when I pursued a Doctoral Degree at the CUNY Grad Center. He and his first wife Helen became close personal friends. My kids still refer to him as Uncle Erwin.