Terell Stafford Reveals What Almost ENDED His Music CAREER!

Jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford sits down with host René Myatt for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation about a life in jazz. From being told as a young man that he would never play past the age of 25, to Wynton Marsalis personally bringing him back to the horn, to playing with Ron Carter and Elvin Jones, to Clark Terry teaching him to swing in five minutes, to saving the jazz program at Temple University, this is the full story in his own words. Along the way he talks about his mother and music's hold on memory, discovering his dyslexia, fatherhood, faith, and what he hopes to leave behind. Recorded before his gig at the Village Vanguard. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:41 Why He Quit Trumpet (Told He'd Never Play Past 25) 4:20 Meeting Wynton Marsalis 8:38 Banned From Music - The Broken Glasses 13:24 Finally Allowed to Play Trumpet 16:27 His Lifetime Practice Routine 20:36 Music and His Mother's Dementia 23:50 Playing for His Daughter and the Mental Game 28:22 Professor Fielder's Tough Love 32:32 No Manager and the Jazz Cruise 36:15 The Cosby Show and Shirley Scott 40:30 Becoming a Teacher 44:50 Saving the Jazz Program at Temple 48:50 Teaching Philosophy and Dyslexia 52:41 Fatherhood and the Sock Ritual 1:00:26 Playing With Ron Carter 1:05:45 Being a Griot 1:10:27 Blood Count, Lush Life, and Emotion 1:13:24 Bringing Yourself to the Music (and AI) 1:17:43 No Shortcuts 1:21:58 The Singer and Carnegie Hall 1:26:01 Meeting Bud Herseth 1:28:02 Clark Terry Teaches Him to Swing 1:31:02 How Bobby Watson Tricked the Dean 1:35:19 Writing Songs for His Family 1:37:35 How He Wants to Be Remembered Attorney Advertising: myattlegal.com #renemyatt #terellstafford #jazzmusic