If you look down at the pit orchestra during a musical at 5th Avenue Theatre or on-stage at Climate Pledge Arena during a classic rock tour, odds are you’ll find Seattle-based trumpeter Brad Allison.
In the Pacific Northwest, Allison is a top trumpeter for local theater pit orchestras. He has also performed in notable local jazz groups, including Tuxedo Junction, the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Oliver Groenewald NewNet and Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO). He even recently performed at Climate Pledge arena with The Who.
Prior to settling in Seattle in 1986, Allison, who is originally from Eugene, Oregon, performed in Las Vegas and toured with pop singer Tom Jones. He also played with the big bands of Count Basie, Woody Herman and Glenn Miller.
Allison also taught music for over 30 years, everything from university level music to fifth grade band, before retiring four years ago. The majority of that time in Edmonds Public Schools.
KNKX Music Editor Alexa Peters sat down with Allison to talk about his time on the road, working with SRJO's new artistic director, and teaching the power of listening.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
KNKX Music Reporter Alexa Peters: What inspired you to get into the trumpet and jazz?
Brad Allison: There’s one thing that sticks out. I was a senior in high school, and there was a radio station at Lane Community College in Eugene called KLCC, and they played jazz music in the evenings, and I really enjoyed listening to that program.
I remember I heard a recording of Freddie Hubbard, and it was called First Light. It was a Creed Taylor CTI recording and I was floored. I am not a Freddie Hubbard player, but it was a huge influence on getting me motivated. And one of the first times I listened, I went out and bought the album, and then I thought, "Oh, that sounds great! I bet I can play that. And I started working on a solo, and I realized just what a virtuoso he was. He had the soul and creativity that spoke to me.
Peters: What was it like touring with the pop singer Tom Jones?
Allison: Well, it was fun. We were performing in front of large crowds and arenas. It was great for learning consistency and how to pace yourself as a brass player. It taught me how to be productive when you're out touring because there's a lot of downtime.
He was really a good guy to work with. We stayed at all the places he stayed at night, so the band was first class all the way. Limousines would pick us up as we'd leave the airplane, take us to our venue or hotel. When we were finished, limos would take us back to the airport, take us right to the plane.
Tom always had his suite open, so after the gig, if you didn't want to hang out in your room or meet people, you could go to his suite, and that was a great place to hang out.
Peters; You also played with the Count Basie, Woody Herman, and Glenn Miller Orchestras. Were you in these orchestras when any of those great bandleaders were alive and in the bands?
Allison: No, I wasn't. All those road things were all short-term.
Peters: So, those were ghost band opportunities. Any of those gigs stick out in particular?
Allison: The Basie band. I got a call from [Seattle saxophonist] Bill Ramsay, and I had just barbecued some salmon and had a little bottle of Chardonnay I was going to open up, and Bill called and said, "What are you doing?”
I said, "Well, I'm just hanging out tonight at the house.” And he said, "Well, why don't you come down to Fifth Avenue [Theatre]? I've got a gig for you.” I said, "What do you mean? He goes, "Well, the Basie band's here, and one of the trumpet players, didn't get on the flight from L.A. up here, so you're going to come down and play with the band.” So, of course I went, “Well, okay, I'll be right there.”
So, I got dressed. They had their own ties to give me. I drove down to the venue at The Fifth Avenue, and I got there and met the guys in the band, and the manager came up, and they just talked to me a little bit. The lead trumpet player was great because he just talked me through everything.
Peters: Speaking of big bands, how long have you been with SRJO?
Allison: I think it's been about four years. [The previous Artistic Director] Michael [Brockman] called me, and I'd subbed a couple of times.
Peters: What’s your favorite part of playing in that band?
Allison: My favorite part is playing with many of the players in the band. They're great players. Some of them I've worked with a lot over the years, and it's just fun getting into a groove and performing with these people. I really think the group has a lot of potential, and when the band as a whole plays up to that potential, it's a very rewarding time.
Peters: How are you feeling with Orrin Evans coming in as the new Artistic Director of SRJO?
Allison: I like Orrin. Orrin shows a lot of respect for the band members and lets people play how they want to play, but he guides you. He's really good at guiding you through that and getting to what he really wants. And he's into a lot of spontaneity, which I really like.
The band will continue to play at a very high level. I think it's just going to be a lot of new pathways to go down, and I'm really excited to see how the band responds to that.
Peters: As a public school teacher, you taught music to a lot of different ages. Did you have a favorite? Allison: I loved elementary school. I loved the excitement. I loved their energy, and you know, you just have to remember, little successes are what count. They do in all of life.
Peters: In teaching jazz, there seem to be two important elements: the oral tradition side, or playing and listening on the bandstand, and the more academic, measurable and gradable techniques that are taught. Keeping that balance seems to be a challenge for many music educators, and I wonder how you approached that as a teacher?
Allison: I remember watching Hal Sherman at Kent Meridian High School because I used to go out there and teach a few students for a few years. One of his most effective teaching strategies was playing high-quality recordings of what they were working on, and you'd hear the band play, and then he'd play the recording, then you hear them play it again, and it was like two different bands. It was just amazing.
I think educators [should] spend much more time having their students listen, because many of them are not going to go out and get big band recordings.
Peters: You’ve been here for decades now. What do you think makes the Seattle jazz scene special or notable, if anything?
Allison: I think over the years the ability and level of the players in town has greatly increased, and the education system has a degree of responsibility for that. Younger people coming out of programs are far more advanced technically than when I was going to school.
