Rick Braun's Berks Jazz Fest Interview

“Every time I sit down to play my horn, I realize the shortcomings and the amount of information that I do not have. It is a humbling experience,” says Rick Braun. “For me it is important that I continue to keep my horizons open and keep looking forward and try to improve on what I do.” Braun was blessed to discover music at an early age. “When I started playing as an eight year old boy, I loved it right away. I loved the smell of the horn, the sound that it made and everything about it and I continue to love it.” There was a time when Braun was contemplating pursuing medical school but luckily for us music won out. Still a student of the music, of late Braun has been intently listening to Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown and Chet Baker. In fact he is working on a tribute concert featuring Chet Baker’s music. Compositionally Braun says, “My influences are all over the map. But a few of my favorites are Earth, Wind and Fire, The Brecker Brothers, Quincy Jones, The Crusaders and Ramsey Lewis.” Coming of age in Allentown, PA (about an hour outside of Philadelphia), Braun was acutely aware of the volume of jazz musicians who developed in his area. “The Brecker Brothers were a huge influence. My dear friend Jeff Lorber is also from Philadelphia and Keith Jarrett is from Allentown. There is a rumor in my family that Jarrett is actually my third cousin! “ Rick Braun has enjoyed a career longevity that is rare in this business. He has crafted his own distinctive sound and become a staple on contemporary jazz radio. The dynamic trumpeter’s label debut is an adventurous mix of originals as well as exhilarating reinventions of hits by Coldplay, Alicia Keys and Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez He has produced No. 1 hits for David Benoit, Marc Antoine and former Rod Stewart band sidekick Jeff Golub. Braun achieved collaborative success on massive hits with Boney James, as a member of RnR with saxophonist Richard Elliot and with BWB, a powerhouse trio completed by Grammy® winners Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown.

Braun has hosted an annual New Year’s Eve event for almost a decade that benefits autism. His daughter is autistic and Braun has made it a mission to bring awareness to autism. “One of my passions is just trying to help people who are affected by autism. It is really important for me to just reach out and help wherever I can,” shares the inspiring musician. Around The Horn follows Braun’s 2014 CD Can You Feel It and further ensconces the trumpeter as among one of the greatest of his generation. Braun concludes, “For me music is not just about going out touring and making a living. Music has always been a source of joy, almost a therapy. When things are not going right or when I am not feeling right about myself, if I can get into my studio and make some music and dig into that world, it always makes me feel better. It is an absolute pleasure seeing the joy that it brings to others. I love every moment of it!” #Grateful #NoExcusesShow #HostRodneyArbona #NoExcusesTVshow #music #musicvideo #musica #musicvideos #musicartist