Bio

Hometown:	East Oakland CA
School:	Grambling State University
Employer:	President/ C E O DRW Technology , INC. Consultant Firm & www.praiac a f e b r a z i l . c o

I picked up a "Cornet" at the age of 12. I hated it... I wanted to play football instead. We were so poor my mom could not afford to buy the $12 mouth piece for the "Cornet"- so I stole one from on of the rich kids in 1973 the 7th grade band...I would set in practice without a mouth piece using my fingers as if I had a horn to blow. I was so embarrassed. I was already behind one month of practicing-After getting the mouth piece to practice- I practice out of angry for 4 or 5 hours everyday... from Jr. High to High School. I tried to play everything I heard on the radio and on albums. I wanted to be the best and show those rich kids that I was better than them. I had the best tone and I could play anything that I could hear- even without reading music that well. By 1979 I was considered one of the best Trumpet players in the state- Oh, I forgot- we moved from Oakland to Monroe LA where I played for the Mayor and special events- I started a band called The Super Naturals- R&B group. I later wrote a piece for my retiring Band Director called- D.I. Andrews-and a piece called "Master Blaster"- for my music theory class and received a "B". In the audience there were two band directors from the famous "World Famed Grambling State University Marching Band" I played the Flugelhorn while my partner played piano- we were the entertainment- that night I realize how good I really was- I received a standing ovation. I was offered a scholarship to attend Grambling State that night. I played 1st Trumpet 4th chair. We had a section of 50 trumpets players from all over the US.- the rest is history... I have loved jazz all my life- I have no idea where it started from-- Jazz,it is different- even complicated- learning to improvise- I think the Trumpet is the most difficult instrument to play... there are a lot of good trumpet players out there... there are only a few great ones. Miles, Freddie, Dizzy, Roy, Maynard, Louis, the new cats- Rick, Chris, etc... Jazz must never die...Right n