The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring classical trumpeter and soloist Imogen Whitehead, 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: "Imogen Whitehead trumpet interview"

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

https://bobreeves.com/blog/imogen-whitehead-trumpet-interview-the-other-side-of-the-bell-145/

About Imogen Whitehead:

British trumpeter Imogen Whitehead is in demand across the UK and internationally, enjoying an increasingly diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal.

A passionate advocate for new music, Imogen serves on the International Trumpet Guild's 'New Works' committee and has premiered numerous works by composers such as Sally Beamish and Stephen Dodgson. Many of these are featured on her recently released debut solo album, Connection. As a particular champion of the flugelhorn – an instrument often overlooked in the classical sphere – Imogen is dedicated to raising its solo profile through new commissions and arrangements. Her most recent commission, Ennui by Noah Max (for flugelhorn and piano), was supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation and premiered in June 2025.

Recent and upcoming highlights include concerto performances with Britten Sinfonia of Barry Mills' Trumpet Concerto (world premiere, July 2025) and Hummel's Trumpet Concerto (May 2025), the latter also featuring live on BBC Radio 3's In Tune. Imogen launched her solo album at London's iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields (May 2025), with further recitals at Proms at St Jude's (June 2025) and Wimbledon International Music Festival (November 2025).

In addition to her position as Principal Trumpet with Britten Sinfonia, Imogen performs regularly as Guest Principal Trumpet with other leading orchestras internationally. In March 2025, she toured Germany and Belgium with Aurora Orchestra and Abel Selaocoe and next season joins the London Symphony Orchestra for a European tour. In recent years, she has performed in London's West End and played on major film soundtracks including Maestro and Saltburn.

Imogen is currently Artist-in-Residence with St Martin's Voices and a member of the acclaimed wind and brass collective, Neoteric Ensemble. She is deeply committed to music education, community engagement, and equal opportunity, serving as an Associate and Mentor for GALSI (Gender and the Large and Shiny Instruments), an initiative promoting gender equality in brass and percussion. She is also involved in Britten Sinfonia's pioneering outreach work, has worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's 'Resound' education and community programme, and regularly leads masterclasses at conservatoires across the UK. Based in South West London, Imogen also volunteers as a befriender through the Wimbledon Guild.

An alumna of the Royal Academy of Music, Imogen studied with professors including Mark David and Gareth Small and subsequently studied privately with Norwegian soloist Tine Thing Helseth. In April 2025, Imogen was awarded Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

Episode Links:

• imogenwhiteheadtrumpet.com
• Connection: Imogen's debut solo album
• GALSI: Gender and the Large and Shiny Instruments (www.largeandshiny.com)
• Imogen on Instagram (@imogen_trumpet)
• on YouTube (@imogentrumpet)
• on TikTok (@imogentrumpet)
• 'To Stay Open' by Charlotte Harding, outdoor performance on YouTube

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Matthew Johnson Photographer
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpeter, vocalist, composer and percussionist Pete Rodriguez, 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: "Pete Rodriguez trumpet interview"

About Pete Rodriguez:

Trumpeter, vocalist, and percussionist Pete Rodríguez carries the bloodline of Nuyorican salsa as he takes his unique brand of jazz to exciting new places.

Son of salsa singer Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez and godson of Fania Records bandleader Johnny Pacheco, Rodríguez cut his teeth playing with some of the greatest names in Latin music.

By age 19, he was musical director of his father's band. As a vocalist, he sang on Tito Puente's Grammy-award winning Mambo Birdland. As an instrumentalist, he's appeared with legends including Celia Cruz, Chico O'Farrill, Bebo Valdez and Eddie Palmieri, including performing on the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project's Grammy-winning release, Simpatico.

As a bandleader, Rodriguez draws on his diverse upbringing—including living through the birth of Hip Hop in the Bronx and becoming an accomplished classical trumpeter during his adolescence in Puerto Rico—to create his own brand of jazz that defies categorization.

The result is music that has been praised as "not only instrumentally ferocious, but texturally rich and at times profoundly intimate," with compositions "rich in musical depth, tone and beauty, as well as rhythm and melody… giving his music an appeal beyond genres." (Downbeat).

His music demonstrates his aptitude for hard-driving, modern post-bop jazz, as much as melodic Latin variants and R&B-tinged grooves.

Rodriguez has released a series of acclaimed albums as a leader, including Mind Trip, The Alchemist, Caminando con Papi (Destiny Records), El Conde Negro (Destiny Records), Obstacles (Sunnyside Records), and his most recent, I'm Pete Rodríguez, Vol. 1 (Sunnyside Records), named one of the Best of 2024 by the New York City Jazz Record.

His forthcoming I'm Pete Rodríguez, Vol. 2 continues his exploration of identity, resilience, and innovation.

"As a bandleader he's working on a clean, complex and flexible model of modern Latin jazz … his compositions change shape and character, according to the free flow of the arrangements, among art song and swing and clave. Draped over all of it is Mr. Rodriguez's powerful playing, soft-toned but battling." – The New York Times

Episode Links:

• peterodriguezmusic.com
• Pete on Instagram (@prodriguezmusic)
• on YouTube (@peterodriguezmusic)
• on Facebook (@prodriguezmusic)

Upcoming Events:

• Greg Black Mouthpieces, November 7 & 8
• North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, November 9 & 10 Book your alignment here!

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Pete Rodriguez
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer and recording artist Dave Adewumi, 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: "Dave Adewumi trumpet interview"

About Dave Adewumi:

Dave Adewumi is a trumpet player and composer recognized as one of the leading new voices in jazz.

A graduate of the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School, he went on to win 1st place at the 2019 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition, the 2024 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award and Gregory Morris Composing Fellowship, and in 2025 received the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship.

Adewumi has been voted a "Rising Star" in the DownBeat Critics Poll and has performed on some of the world's most celebrated stages, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

His collaborations span a wide spectrum of artists, from Harry Connick Jr., Raye and Busta Rhymes, to Mary Halvorson, Jason Moran, Ingrid Laubrock and Dave Douglas.

Episode Links:

• Dave Adewumi website: daveadewumimusic.com
• Dave on Instagram (@str8outdawumi)
• Altus Band on Instagram (@altus.band)
• Altus Band website: altus.band

Upcoming Events:

• Greg Black Mouthpieces, November 7 & 8
• North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, November 9 & 10 Book your alignment here!

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Dave Adewumi
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer and instructor Chris LaBarbera, 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: "Chris LaBarbera trumpet interview"

About Chris LaBarbera:

Christopher LaBarbera began playing trumpet in middle school in 1974, and by the age of 14 was already sitting in on local jam sessions and gigs. By his early twenties he had become an in-demand freelancer, performing with artists such as Wayne Newton, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra Jr., and many others.

Chris studied with the legendary Donald S. "Doc" Reinhardt, whose "Pivot System" remains one of the most influential and detailed approaches to brass playing ever developed. Building on that legacy, Chris has taught the Reinhardt system for many years, helping countless students unlock their potential by tailoring embouchure, breathing, and playing mechanics to each individual.

Today, Chris is recognized not only for his wide-ranging performance career but also as a dedicated teacher and mentor, carrying forward Reinhardt's principles while making them accessible and practical for modern players.

Episode Links:

• Vinnie Tanno performing with the Lon Norman Sextet in 1957 (mentioned by Chris)
• Fabulous trumpet solo by Chris, in "St. James Infirmary"

Upcoming Events:

• Virtuosity Musical Instruments Boston, October 16 & 18. We will have over 300+ trumpet mouthpieces, consultations, and on site valve alignments. Book your alignment here!
• Greg Black Mouthpieces, November 7 & 8
• North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, November 9 & 10

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Chris LaBarbera
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer, composer and sound designer Tim Larkin, 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: "Tim Larkin trumpet interview"

About Tim Larkin:

Tim Larkin is a composer, trumpet player, and sound designer whose work spans decades across the gaming, jazz, and film industries.

His credits include Portal, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, and HBO's The Rat Pack, with past live performances alongside legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Sheila E., and Huey Lewis.

Tim won an Academy Award creating sound design for Best Animated Short at the 75th Academy Awards for his work on The ChubbChubbs!

Setting Standards is his long-awaited debut jazz album, and was released on August 1, 2025 on all major platforms.

The album is a curated collection of reimagined classics and one original composition that captures the emotional breadth, musical depth, and cinematic storytelling that have defined Larkin's career across jazz, film, and video games.

Setting Standards includes interpretations of songs by Bobby Caldwell, David Foster, Jimmy Webb, and more anchored by his own original composition, "Gumshoes."

"This album isn't about chasing trends," says Larkin. "It's about honoring the songs that stuck with me and reimagining them in a way that feels honest keeping the soul intact but letting them breathe in a new space."

Setting Standards blends cinematic jazz, soulful arrangements, and live instrumentation into a cohesive listening experience that's both nostalgic and forward thinking. With contributions from longtime collaborators including John Paris (Earth, Wind & Fire) and renowned arrangers Maurizio Metalli, Lennie Moore and Joris Hoogsteder, the album is a modern take on the classic jazz experience.

Episode Links:

• Tim Larkin profile on IMDB
• Setting Standards streaming links
• Video of Tim conducting the orchestra at the Dota 2 International Championships in 2023, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle
• The Dota 2 2025 International Grand Championships Opening Ceremony

Upcoming Events:

• Virtuosity Musical Instruments Boston, October 17 & 18
• Greg Black Mouthpieces, November 7 & 8
• North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, November 9 & 10

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Tim Larkin
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer and recording engineer Greg Curtis, 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: "Greg Curtis trumpet interview"

About Greg Curtis:

Greg Curtis is equally at home behind the trumpet and behind the mixing board. A former student of Al Butcher, John Aley, Wayne Cook, Dennis Najoom, and Leonard Candelaria, Greg has performed with ensembles including the Milwaukee Civic Symphony, Racine Symphony, Kenosha Orchestra, Green Bay Opera, and later the Redlands Symphony. He has also played with a wide variety of groups ranging from the Glenn Miller Band to salsa and jazz ensembles such as Orchestra Veneno, Salsumba, and the Los Angeles Latin Jazz All Stars. In Los Angeles, Greg designed, built, and owned The Bridge Recording, a world-class film scoring stage that became a go-to destination for projects like The Simpsons, The Walking Dead, The Handmaid's Tale, Marvel films, and studios including Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal. His work as a recording engineer and producer has led him to collaborate with Clint Eastwood, Rob Reiner, Gus Van Sant, and countless others. Holding Master's degrees in both Trumpet Performance and Musicology from the University of North Texas, Greg continues to bridge the worlds of performance and production. Today, he records and mixes film scores, produces live events, and develops new audio technologies such as MyxStem, while remaining active as a freelance trumpeter and collaborator with groups like Long Beach Opera and The Paul Litteral Band. Episode Links:

• Website: gregcurtis.net
• Greg Curtis on Facebook
• Email: gregtpt at gmail.com
• Find Paul Litteral's album, The Litteral Truth, Outrageous 8 Records. Engineered, mixed and produced by Greg Curtis
• Paul Litteral episode on The Other Side of the Bell, Episode 92
• Gary Grant's Studio Musician Manual
• John Snell appearance on Brian Hayes' The Music Mind podcast

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - Greg Curtis
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring our own podcast host and trumpeter John Snell, 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: "Getting to know John Snell"

Who is the man behind the microphone? You've been asking for a long time, 12.5 years and 138 episodes in fact, and today's the day: it's time to put John Snell himself on the other side of the bell! John is the steadfast presence at Bob Reeves Brass, from the shop to the studio to the numerous conferences and events he attends every year. Many of you have met him in person over the years, and with our increasing number of video episodes, you have a better sense for what he's like. Yet his story has only emerged in bits and pieces over all that time and all those episodes, and warrants the spotlight just as much as any of the wonderful guests who have stopped by the podcast since 2013. And who better to interview John than the gregariously awesome Vinnie Ciesielski, who was himself a guest on The Other Side of the Bell, Episode #93 back in September of 2021. Vinnie and John chat about how John grew up to follow in the footsteps of his professional trumpet-playing father, Keith Snell, yet forged his own path through his education, musical styles and interests, before a sudden complete career U-turn that proved to give him another solid professional foundation, alongside his continued passion for music. And behind it all, for the past 20+ years, there's been Bob Reeves Brass. John talks about first meeting Bob and being taken under his wing, before returning with a law degree in hand to rescue the business, provide stability for Bob and his wife into retirement, and maintaining Bob's principled approach to business and customer service. Thank you to Vinnie for encouraging the idea and bringing this episode to life, and thank you to all of our wonderful listeners and viewers for your continued support. Don't forget to share this and other episodes with your friends in the trumpet world and beyond, and send us your thoughts and feedback! Email John at [email protected] Episode Links:

• Bob Reeves Brass website (bobreeves.com)
• Bob Reeves Brass store (trumpetmouthpiece.com)
• Bob Reeves Brass on Instagram
• LA Lawyers Philharmonic (lalawyersphil.org)
• Vinnie Ciesielski website (trumpetvinnie.com)
• Vinnie on Facebook

About John Snell: John Snell is co-owner of Bob Reeves Brass, where he has been a vital team member since 2001. After an extensive apprenticeship, he became the company's lead valve alignment technician, personally working on thousands of instruments. Since 2010, John has also managed the business, guiding its growth while maintaining its reputation for uncompromising craftsmanship. An accomplished trumpet player, John has performed with ensembles including The California Brass Ensemble, The California Brass Quintet, The Northridge Brass Quintet, the San Bernardino Symphony, and as lead trumpet in the Big Band of Barristers - a busy big band made up of lawyers, judges, and law students. He hosts three popular podcasts - The Other Side of the Bell, The Trombone Corner, and The Horn Signal - interviewing top brass musicians worldwide. John regularly presents clinics on trumpet, equipment, and mindset across the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia. About Vinnie Ciesielski: Attending Towson University in Maryland, Vinnie Ciesielski majored in music performance on trumpet. Vinnie has years of experience playing and touring all over the world and has a wealth of studio knowledge and creativity! Since coming to Nashville in 1992, Vinnie has played on thousands of recordings with artists such as Taylor Swift, Josh Groban, Demi Lovato, Grace Potter, Jimmy Buffet, Kirk Franklin, Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Toby Keith, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Jon Pardi, Alison Krauss, Steven Tyler, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Keb Mo, Zach Brown Band, Lyle Lovett, Travis Tritt, Tracy Byrd, Smokey Norful, Shirley Ceasar, Rance Allen, Donald Lawrence, The Clark Sisters, Tanya Tucker, Glenn Frey, T.D. Jakes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Gregg Allman, Delbert McClinton, Nuno Betencort, Marcus Scott (Tower of Power) Johnny Taylor, Bobby Blue Bland, Via Con Dios, Martina McBride, Don Was and many more. He has performed live with artists such as Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Jason Scheff, Gladys Knight, Randy Newman, Kid Rock, Keith Richards, Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, Sting, Tony Bennett, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Kenny Rogers, Shelby Lynne, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The O'Jays, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Shawn Colvin, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. and the MGs, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Bob Hope, Frankie Valli, Sheryl Crow, Adrian Belew, Bruce Hornsby, Michael McDonald, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles and The Beach Boys. He has also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The CBS New Years Eve Bash, The Road, SoundStage, Disney and Universal TV specials, Nashville Now, Music City Tonight, Austin City Limits, Grand Old Opry, Rosie O'Donnell, Ellen's Really Big Show, Crossroads, The Huckabee Show, The Dove Awards and The Stellar Awards. Vinnie has performed on numerous Radio, Internet, TV and Movie soundtracks and Trailers, and has also performed with the Nashville Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony, Orchestra Kentucky, Nashville and Knoxville Jazz Orchestras. Well known in the performance and recording community, Vinnie's resume includes work on right at 7000 recording sessions and counting. Vinnie has also appeared on and contributed to 50 plus Grammy-nominated and 25 plus Grammy-winning recordings in every decade since the 1990's, and dozens of Stellar and Dove Award nominated and winning recordings.

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet composer educator and entrepreneur Dave Douglas, 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: "Dave Douglas trumpet interview"

About Dave Douglas:

Dave Douglas is a prolific trumpeter, composer, educator and entrepreneur from New York City, known for the stylistic breadth of his work and for keeping a diverse set of ensembles and projects active simultaneously. His most recent project is a rotating ensemble under the name Gifts, and the resulting album included guitarist Rafiq Bhatia, drummer Ian Chang and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis. The group toured and added cellist Tomeka Reid. In January 2025, Gifts Trio featuring drummer Kate Gentile and guitarist Camila Meza, played live shows in London and throughout Europe. Douglas' unique contributions to improvised music have garnered distinguished recognition, including a Doris Duke Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Aaron Copland award, and two Grammy Award nominations. Douglas' career spans more than 75 unique original recordings as a leader and more than 500 published works. In August 2024, Sound Prints, the band Douglas co-leads with saxophonist Joe Lovano, performed for a week at New York's storied Village Vanguard, unveiling an entire new set of works from both composers. The band will appear again at the Vanguard in November 2025. Other ensembles include OVERCOME, with vocalists Fay Victor and Camila Meza plus musicians Ryan Keberle, Jorge Roeder, and Rudy Royston; and If There Are Mountains, a sextet with pianist & co-leader Elan Mehler, featuring haiku and poetry from vocalist Dominique Eade. Douglas is often engaged in special projects which include big bands, tributes, and multi-trumpet ensembles, such as Dizzy Atmosphere: Dizzy Gillespie at Zero Gravity. As a composer, Douglas has received commissions from a variety of organizations including the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Essen Philharmonie, The Library of Congress, Stanford University, and Monash Art Ensemble. Douglas has held several posts as an educator and programmer. From 2002 to 2012, he served as artistic director of the Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre in Canada. He is a co-founder and president of FONT aka Festival of New Trumpet Music, which will celebrate its 22nd year in 2025. In 2024, Douglas presented a new group in honor of cofounder Roy Campbell, Jr. The sextet, called Alloy, recorded in January 2025 and will release new music in September 2025. He is currently on the faculty at Mannes School of Music and The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. He was Artistic Director of the Bergamo Jazz Festival for four years, ending in 2019. In 2025, Douglas will begin a two year residency with the Malmo Academy of Music in Sweden, where he will help in developing a new Masters of Music Composer-Performer. In 2005, Douglas founded Greenleaf Music, an umbrella company for his recordings, sheet music, podcast, as well as the music of other artists in the modern jazz idiom. Greenleaf Music has now produced countless albums and this year will celebrate its twentieth anniversary. His podcast, A Noise From The Deep, features engaging interviews with more than 100 creative artists. The show recently diversified with the launch of spin-off Puzzle Corner, which pairs Douglas with NPR's Art Chung, for a fun round of jazz trivia. Greenleaf Music is a pioneering independent music platform with a strong subscription model featuring hours of exclusive content.

Episode Links:

• Website: davedouglas.com
• Greenleaf Music: greenleafmusic.com
• Greenleaf Music on Bandcamp: glmstore.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @davedouglas
• Facebook: @davedouglasmusic
• Alloy album page: https://greenleafmusic.com/artists/davedouglas/alloy/
• Alloy pre-order: https://davedouglas.bandcamp.com/album/alloy OR Apple Music/Spotify: https://lnk.to/alloy
• Alloy album trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmt_bdSrRao

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Photo Credit - John Abbott
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring rising trumpet star Will Leathers, 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: "Will Leathers trumpet interview"

About Will Leathers:

Will Leathers earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The Juilliard School in 2022 and 2023 and was the first undergraduate classical trumpeter to receive the prestigious Kovner Fellowship.

In 2022, while still completing his studies, Will secured the highly sought-after position of Principal Trumpet for both the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera, an extraordinary accomplishment for a musician at his stage of career.

He continued to break barriers, being recognized by CBC Music as one of Canada's "30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30," solidifying his place as one of his generation's most promising classical musicians.

He has performed with world-renowned ensembles, including New York Philharmonic Brass, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Guest Principal Trumpet), Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Guest Principal Trumpet), and Philadelphia Orchestra (Guest Associate Principal Trumpet).

He also performs as a concerto soloist, both on piano and trumpet.

Will's artistry has also led him to collaborations with elite chamber ensembles, including The National Brass Ensemble, where he was invited to perform and record with some of the finest brass musicians from major American orchestras, American Brass Quintet, Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Orchestra. He has been a part of a number of recordings such as "Deified", an album by the National Brass Ensemble, and Soundtrack for the film Rustin Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground.

Will released his debut album, "Blue Sky Purple Clouds," in 2025, a collaboration with Michael Gaspari. It is now available on all major streaming services.

Episode Links:

• Website: willleathers.com
• Instagram: @leathersboy
• Bandcamp: willleathers.bandcamp.com
• Buy the album: Blue Sky, Purple Clouds

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Selected Artist Photographs - Sophia Szokolay
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring rising trumpet star Alexandra Ridout, 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: "Alexandra Ridout trumpet interview"

About Alex Ridout:

UK born multi award winner Alexandra Ridout is a trumpeter, bandleader, composer and educator based in Harlem NYC. At only 26 years old, Alexandra is already one of the most talented young trumpet players on the international scene. Since winning the UK's prestigious BBC Young Jazz Musician in 2016, she has been catapulted into a busy high-profile career, captivating audiences ever since. Her awards include the British Jazz Awards "Rising Star" 2018, Keep an Eye International Jazz Awards "Best Soloist" 2023, 2nd place at the esteemed Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet competition 2023, and most recently the Next Jazz Legacy 2025 Award through New Music USA. Alexandra is a busy performer with her own outstanding bands of various sizes in leading venues in New York, London and beyond. She has performed at many jazz festivals worldwide including Montreux, North Sea, Unity at the Lincoln Centre, London, Love Supreme and was recently an artist in residence at the Guimarães Jazz Festival. She was a showcased performer/composer in the International Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT) with her trio in New York in 2022. The Festival is curated by world famous jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas, who she performed with in the FONT in 2024 and recorded an album with his new project 'Alloy' in 2025. Alex's distinctive trumpet voice is sought out by numerous prominent musicians and she has toured and performed/recorded in the bands of Jochen Rueckert (Jochen Rueckert Quartet), Artemis (Renee Rosnes), Orlando Le Fleming (Romantic Funk band), Kit Downes, Dave Douglas (Alloy), Melissa Aldana, Dayna Stephens (Custom Deluxe band), Christine Jensen, Caroline Davis (Portals Band), Savannah Harris (Savannah Harris Trio), Pablo Held ('Pablo Held Meets' series and touring as a guest with his trio), Alex Hitchcock (Alex Hitchcock Quintet), Yazz Ahmed (Yazz Ahmed Polyhymnia) and Zoe Rahman. "Pretty much from the first note you know that you're dealing with an original voice" – Matt Penman Episode Links:

• Website: alexandraridoutmusic.squarespace.com
• Instagram: @alexandra.ridout
• YouTube: @alexandraridout6998
• Facebook: @AlexandraRidoutMusic

Podcast Credits:

• "A Room with a View" - composed and performed by Howie Shear
• Podcast Host - John Snell
• Cover Art Photography - Alice Leggett
• Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg