December 03, 2025

Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Quincy Jones: Stories from the Studio, with Jerry Hey. Ep. 146

1 hour 7 minutes

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring legendary trumpeter and horn arranger Jerry Hey, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "Jerry Hey trumpet interview"

Find the expanded show notes, transcript and more photos here:

https://bobreeves.com/blog/jerry-hey-trumpet-interview-the-other-side-of-the-bell-146

About Jerry Hey:

Jerry Hey is one of the defining trumpet voices and horn arrangers in modern popular music. Born in Dixon, Illinois, into a deeply musical family, he honed his craft with Charlie Geyer and later at Indiana University under legendary pedagogue William Adam. After an early run co-founding the jazz-fusion band Seawind in Hawaii, Hey moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s and quickly became a first-call session player and arranger.

From there, his sound is heard on a staggering number of iconic recordings. Hey's horn writing and trumpet playing helped shape Michael Jackson's Off the Wall and Thriller albums, and his long association with Quincy Jones produced landmark work for Earth, Wind & Fire, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Patti Austin, Barbra Streisand, Toto, and countless others. A six-time Grammy winner, he has been recognized repeatedly for his instrumental and vocal arrangements, as well as his contributions to major film and television scores, including Flashdance, The Color Purple, the Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, and Dreamgirls.

Most recently, Hey has opened his personal archives in Notes From The Past 50 Years, a 250-page collection of pop excerpts spanning his studio career. The book gathers more than 200 of his favorite licks, along with personal stories and rare photos that trace his path from early days in Los Angeles to his most iconic sessions—including a few lesser-known musical gems.

Equally at home leading a horn section, crafting a string chart, or delivering a lyrical flugelhorn solo, Hey remains a benchmark for precision, style, and imagination in the studio, with an influence that continues to shape how artists, arrangers, and producers think about horn sections today.

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