A Conversation with Jake Boldman, Lead Trumpet
Written by Allison Young
We recently sat down with our lead trumpet player, Jake Boldman, to talk CJRO, trumpet, and much more!
How long have you played with the CJRO?
It will be 8 years in September! The band has changed and evolved a lot since I’ve joined. The musicality has grown, adding Drew as Artistic Director has been amazing. We’re making big strides as a band and the music we’re performing has been diversified a lot, which is really cool to see.
What’s your favorite concert you’ve played with the CJRO?
I can give a Top 2: our 2018 Sinatra at the Sands tribute at Arvada Center with vocalist Steve Lippia, and then our funk/soul concert with Tatiana Mayfield last July at the Arvada Center amphitheatre, that was so funky and awesome.
What’s your favorite chart to play with the band?
This is tough, but I think The Kid from Red Bank by Count Basie. It has lots of shakes and fun lead trumpet things.
Who are your biggest musical influences - trumpet specific and otherwise?
For lead players, it’s players like Snooky Young, Conrad Gozzo, Al Porcino. I’m also a big Clifford Brown fan. Some of my favorite trumpet players of today are Bijon Watson, Terrell Stafford, Sean Jones, Andy Haederer, Wim Both, Wayne Bergeron (obviously), and many more.
Outside of trumpet players, I’ve been really influenced by Count Basie and his orchestra, horn groups like the Horn Heads, Stan Kenton’s band, lots of big band and funk stuff. I also like a lot of Latin jazz groups like the Pacific Mambo Orchestra and Irakere.
What are you most looking forward to about the upcoming concert (Swing, Swing, Swing, May 18)?
As a lead player, I always look forward to getting into the nitty gritty of the stylistic characteristics of this music. Taking on that detail-oriented challenge is fun for me, and presenting that music well and accurately is important.
What do you like most about playing with the CJRO?
I like the variety of different music we get to play and the high quality of said music, especially now that we have some amazing composers and arrangers writing for the group. We get to wear a lot of different hats and explore lots of genres.
What music are you listening to right now?
Honestly, lots of early 2000s pop punk! Dilla, The Deer Hunter, The Cat Empire, RX Bandits, etc. I’ve also been revisiting some Pacific Mambo Orchestra and some death metal groups. All over the map!
You did your undergraduate degree at UNT in Denton, Texas with both Drew Zaremba and Marion Powers, and now you all play together here in Colorado. What’s it like having that history and collaboration with them now?
You know, there’s something about the people you went to school with – you all came up with the same sort of upbringing and grew up together during school. I think it’s impacted our careers in a positive way for sure. Coming from UNT, you just understand each other. Every time I play with Drew and he’s on lead alto, I know exactly what he’s going to do because we did it for so long in the One O’Clock. It’s like that with anyone that went to UNT. With Marion, we’re supporting her rather than playing off of each other but the connection is still there. I know our levels of preparation are going to be the same and we can trust that in each other. Marion is an incredibly prepared and talented singer, and I hope she also trusts what she’s going to get from me and Drew as lead players and expect consistency from our side. We were all good friends in school together, especially Drew since we played in lots of bands together. I think we’re all better friends now that we’re out here together, and I love that I have the opportunity to play with them years later out of school.
If you could switch places with one member of the band, who would it be?
Definitely drums; I think lead trumpet and drums have to talk to each other and lock in a lot and it would be cool to experience the other half of that relationship. I also used to play drums in high school and I always wanted to pick it back up, but I wouldn’t want to have to load in and load out (lol). Drums are like lead trumpet in that you’re making a lot of noise. But, if I could play piano as well as Eric Gunnison, it would 100% be piano.
If you could do any concert theme with the band, what would it be?
I’d love to do a salsa concert with a full big band like the Pacific Mambo Orchestra. It would be amazing to have a huge percussion section full of players that know that style really authentically.
Do you have any upcoming gigs/releases/projects you're particularly excited for?
I’m currently playing in the band for MJ the Musical at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and I’ll be playing for Wicked there this summer. I’m also looking forward to all the fun CJRO stuff this summer, especially the July 13 concert with Tatiana!
Catch Jake with the CJRO at our upcoming concert Saturday, May 18 at the Arvada Center: Swing, Swing, Swing featuring the music of Benny Goodman and more!