[Dixielandjazz] a PLAYER!

[Bill Biffle]

Spent three hours today in the presence of greatness.  Our little jazz club,
The Rio Grande Jazz Society, was honored to have Adam Rapa - lead player
with Blast - in our midst today.  Adam has been mentioned here a few times
in the past several days.  Apparently he's in Albuquerque for a few weeks -
doing school clinics and  "hanging" with his buddy, John Dante, principal
tpt with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (who's a a monster player, too,
incidentally!)

So, today, I showed up at the RGJS monthly jam to find Adam on the stand
with some Dixieland players.  They were into the last chorus or so of
Saints.  Stratispheric and cerebral - and it SWUNG, too!  After that he
played a set with the swing players and, finally, joined several of us for
the finale to the last set.

What a player and what a nice young man!  Shared some technique with me and
my teacher, the excellent-player-in-his-own-right, Kent Erickson.  Has some
great high, forward tongue things that really increase the air speed without
adding pressure.

Bottom line:  I stood on the stage today with a guy who's as good as - if
not better than - Clifford Brown at the same age (23)!  I hope my grandkids
will care when I tell them about it!  (Where, pray tell, was a camera when I
needed one?!)

If he's in your area, check this young stud out!  (He's going to Salt Lake
City from here to play a concerto with the symphony there.)

Bill Biffle
Albuquerque, NM, USA