This Adam Rapa Solo Is A Masterclass!

This is from a gig with my buddies, Los Pitutos. Thought I’d lost this video, but I just found it while rummaging through my hard drives, 2+ years after the gig. ???? 

This song, “Sírveme un ron” has that retro, “Smooth Operator” vibe, although the melody does reach a climax with Matias Piñeira full-on belting, (badass!????) which gave me the full range of intensity (and volume) to play with.  

I would have felt weird coloring outside the lines harmonically in this particular context, so I chose to lean hard into the blues, with vocal-like bending and portamento. 

That type of “fretless” connectivity with glissandos and note-bending, while also locking right into note targets, is a recognizable hallmark of my playing, and it’s rare to see trumpet players utilizing the technique nowadays. Clark Terry’s a great example of someone who used it, and whose vocal quality inspired me greatly as a kid.  

This technique is a byproduct of the massive attention I’ve given to mouthpiece playing. The more time you spend on the mouthpiece playing exercises & melodies cleanly, connecting the note targets with portamentos, the easier it is to treat harmonic “clicks” or “slots” as optional when you’re back on the horn.  

It all about maintaining the sensation, even while you’re playing the horn, that you’re really just playing the MOUTHPIECE, albeit with an amplifier attached.  

If you appreciate the vocal quality in my sound and would like to incorporate it into your own playing, then take this advice seriously!