Online Horn Sessions With Jacob Wynne

Jacob Wynne is a multi-faceted performing artist, composer / arranger, teacher and recording engineer. He currently runs and operates his own studio based in Cleveland Ohio and is the leader of the Revolution Brass Band. With a Bachelor of Jazz from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University and a wealth of live experience opening for and playing with the likes of Dave Holland, Trombone Shorty and Antibalas, Jacob is a real asset to any project. We were really pleased to have the opportunity to get to know Jacob a little better and introduce him to the AirGigs community.

You can find his gigs here http://www.airgigs.com/user/ColdCityHorns

Tell us about how you got started in music and some of your early inspirations?
Well, I started playing the trumpet in 5th grade. Our director was a great trumpet player who stressed the importance of proper technique and reading skills. Around that same time, me and some friends started a small jazz group. We were listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman at the time.

Aside from Trumpet, what other instruments do you play?
I also play guitar, bass, drums, and keys.

Take us a bit into your time at Youngstown Music School and on though to your life as an in-demand gigging trumpet player on the Cleveland scene
At the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, I studied music performance with an emphasis in jazz. I had the opportunity to study with some great people there, learning all about playing jazz, arranging and music theory. I did a lot of practicing, rehearsing, and performing there. I was often assigned to transcribe difficult jazz solos, and perform them. This training really helped me develop my ear and attention to detail, and it helped form the style in which I now play and teach. In 2005 I moved back to Cleveland, and I have been performing and recording with a wide variety of bands and artists ever since.

How did you get into engineering and studio work?
I’ve been arranging and recording horns for all sorts of different artists and bands since the late 90’s. I’ve always had a fascination with the whole recording process. I’ve recorded in all the big studios in the area, worked with a lot of great engineers and producers. And the more sessions I did, the more I learned. Over the years I’ve been able to acquire a lot of gear that I now use on my own sessions. For me, recording is all about getting into the right energy, and connecting with the artist and their music. That happens in all different styles and methods, but the goal is always to enhance the song’s overall vibe.

Take us into your personal studio.
My studio is a comfy little spot here in Lakewood, Ohio. I have a Soundcraft 200B board, Presonus Euraka, Motu 828 interface. My favorite trumpet mic is the Cascade Fathead II, although at times I also use a Neumann TLM103, AKG C414, and others depending on the session. I have a roster of great engineers to choose from that come in and run the board for me. This allows me to really focus on the tracks at hand.

Am I correct in understanding that your gig on AirGigs includes from 8-12 harmony parts, with solos? Does this gig include actual performance tracks or is just the arrangements? Either way a great deal.
This is correct. My goal is to give the artist what they need to enhance the track, without overdoing it. Horns can add so much to a track, whether its some basic background layering or a blazin hot solo, or both. I usually do three to four harmonies per section, and usually do two to four sections per song, and a solo or two, all depending on what is needed. I can also send charts for the artist’s local horn section. I just did that for one of my Airgigs clients in Brazil, they will be using my charts at some upcoming gigs. I still don’t understand what they were singing about, but it was an awesome track!

How do you find the experience of working remotely on recording projects?
Its very surreal at times. Being able to connect with people you’ve never met before and work towards a common goal. In some ways, it actually has its advantages. Its a very uninterrupted way of creating between you and the artist, and forces one to really focus in on the music.

Who are your biggest influences?
Oh wow, there’s so many. To name just a few, Louis Armstrong, Woody Shaw, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Ottis Redding, Al Green, Motown Records, Daptone Records.

The desert island question…3 albums that’s all you get – what are they?
Again, very difficult to pinpoint just three, but here it goes.
Freddie Hubbard – Hubtones
D’Angelo – Voodoo
Otiis Redding – Pain In My Heart

Any exciting projects or work brewing that you want to share?
I lead a band here in Cleveland called Revolution Brass Band. Its sort of a mix of funk, New Orleans music and jazz all in one. Its an 8-piece band consisting of six horns, drums and percussion. We’re getting ready to release our first album early next year. For more info, feel free to track us down on facebook or twitter.

For more on Jacob’s band, The Revolution Brass Band, be sure check out their Soundcloud playlist – definitely smoking!!! http://soundcloud.com/revolutionbrassband