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Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Quincy Jones: Stories from the Studio, with Jerry Hey. Ep. 146

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

Release Date: 12/03/2025

Liva Strazdina: Relearning Trumpet While Everyone Else Kept Moving. Ep. 163

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer, composer and recording artist Liva Strazdina, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- Liva Strazdina made the decision to pursue post-secondary studies in jazz music, and had been accepted to the Carl Maria von Weber Dresden University of Music, but there remained one crucial thing that she had to tackle first: Changing her embouchure. She had heard the suggestions before, the recommendations to do something about it before it got...

CJ Camerieri: "Have a Skill Set That's Unique." Ep. 162

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer, ensemble leader and recording artist CJ Camerieri, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- "If you want to have a career in this, you have to know why you're the right person to call, and why you have a skill set that's exactly right for this particular thing. It's hard to make a living at it if they can just hire a different person and pay 'em less." - CJ Camerieri Julliard grad, Grammy winner, collaborator with Bon Iver,...

Nick Smart: We Have a Responsibility to Ensure You're as Employable as Possible. Ep. 161

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet educator, conductor and performer Nick Smart, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- When Nick Smart was a teenager in Toddington, England, a retired professional trumpet player bought a local pub and turned it into a venue for daily jazz performances, from big band to traditional, mainstream and more, 8 shows per week. Nick was hooked, and set off on a career in music. But although that career has involved lots of composing,...

Kris Tiner: Improvise Something Every Day. Ep. 160

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet educator, improviser and composer Kris Tiner, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- How do you turn improvisation into an album, without taking forever to finish? How do you know when it's ready and complete? Kris Tiner has been improvising his whole life, in fact, he would point out that we all are: "We're all improvising right now. You get up and walk to the door, and which room do you go into next? That's an improvisation. What...

Gabriel Johnson: You've Got to be Real with People. Ep. 159

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet composer, performer and producer Gabriel Johnson, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- Gabriel Johnson went to the Monterey Jazz Festival at 9 years old - by himself - and witnessed Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard on stage. He went home, switched instruments to the trumpet, and the rest is history. Gabe learned to play the trumpet by ear, playing along to Miles Davis, learning "the excitement inside the sadness." A glimmer of hope for Gabe...

Brian Shaw: Versatility, Baroque Trumpet and Serendipity. Ep. 158

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring historical, classical and jazz trumpeter Brian Shaw, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- Whether it's big band jazz, classical baroque, or any number of styles in between, Brian Shaw's trumpet career is a reflection of the word, "versatility." Brian is the type of musician who, when having trouble deciding whether to major in classical or jazz, decided to simply do both! Hence a double major in jazz studies and classical performance, which yes,...

Thomas Gansch: Crafting Innovative Performances and Instruments! Ep. 157

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer, composer and designer Thomas Gansch, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" From his groundbreaking Mnozil Brass to his original take on a rotary valve trumpet, the "Gansch Horn," Thomas Gansch has made an indelible impact on professional music. Thomas joins us today to share his musical journey from a young boy, surrounded by instruments in a musician's family, to becoming a prominent trumpet player in Austria and beyond. He opens...

Star Wars Special, with the Star Wars Orchestra Trumpet Section! Ep. 156

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This special episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring the trumpet section of the Star Wars Orchestra: Jon Lewis, Barry Perkins, David Washburn, Daniel Rosenboom, Jim Grinta and Rob Schaer, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- It's Star Wars Day, and wouldn't you know it, we have a a great way to celebrate: our live stream conversation with the members of the Star Wars Orchestra trumpet section! Joining us are Jon Lewis, Barry Perkins, David Washburn, Daniel Rosenboom, Jim Grinta and Rob...

Song For Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler. With Nick Smart & Brian Shaw. Ep. 155

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This special episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring the life of trumpet composer, performer and innovator Kenny Wheeler, a conversation with biographers Nick Smart and Brian Shaw, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" --- Kenny Wheeler has been an inspiration to trumpet players for generations, but in typical Kenny style, we haven't known a lot about his back story, career path and personality. Until now. Nick Smart and Brian Shaw, trumpet trailblazers in their own right, have...

Kellin Hanas: Find People who Align with You and Your Values, and Stick With Them. Ep. 154

The Other Side Of The Bell - A Trumpet Podcast

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpet performer, producer and creator Louis Dowdeswell, is brought to you by . This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "" It all started with a dream, at four years old: an actual dream, that sticks in her memory to this day. Kellin Hanas is known for her social media presence, her combination of comedy and trumpet, and her recognition as a bright young star on the jazz trumpet circuit. She joins us today to share her back story of having that first light...

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This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring legendary trumpeter and horn arranger Jerry Hey, 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:

"Jerry Hey trumpet interview"

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

https://bobreeves.com/blog/jerry-hey-trumpet-interview-the-other-side-of-the-bell-146

About Jerry Hey:

Jerry Hey is one of the defining trumpet voices and horn arrangers in modern popular music. Born in Dixon, Illinois, into a deeply musical family, he honed his craft with Charlie Geyer and later at Indiana University under legendary pedagogue William Adam. After an early run co-founding the jazz-fusion band Seawind in Hawaii, Hey moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s and quickly became a first-call session player and arranger.

From there, his sound is heard on a staggering number of iconic recordings. Hey’s horn writing and trumpet playing helped shape Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall and Thriller albums, and his long association with Quincy Jones produced landmark work for Earth, Wind & Fire, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Patti Austin, Barbra Streisand, Toto, and countless others. A six-time Grammy winner, he has been recognized repeatedly for his instrumental and vocal arrangements, as well as his contributions to major film and television scores, including Flashdance, The Color Purple, the Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, and Dreamgirls.

Most recently, Hey has opened his personal archives in Notes From The Past 50 Years, a 250-page collection of pop excerpts spanning his studio career. The book gathers more than 200 of his favorite licks, along with personal stories and rare photos that trace his path from early days in Los Angeles to his most iconic sessions—including a few lesser-known musical gems.

Equally at home leading a horn section, crafting a string chart, or delivering a lyrical flugelhorn solo, Hey remains a benchmark for precision, style, and imagination in the studio, with an influence that continues to shape how artists, arrangers, and producers think about horn sections today.

Episode Links:

Podcast Credits:

“A Room with a View“ - composed and performed by Howie Shear
Podcast Host - John Snell
Cover Photo Credit - Jerry Hey/Megan Noller
Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

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