"TBone Master" Ozzie Melendez Interview
OzzieMelendez.com
Interview by Roger Zee (06/09/21)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to play trombone?
Ozzie Melendez: First of all, I’d like to thank my brother, Lee Finkelstein, for recommending me to you, Roger Zee. And I’d like to thank you, Roger Zee, for this interview.
In third grade, I wasn’t really inspired to play as much as I was a copy cat. My best friend at the time was a year older and he used to walk to the bus stop with his trombone. A year later, when it was my turn to choose an instrument, Bower elementary school held an auditorium assembly for us where a Jazz band played. The trombone player, Julie Rubin, who later became my private teacher, shined and so I chose trombone.
Later on, in grade school, my inspirations were and still are James Pankow of Chicago, Willie Colon, the Jerry Hey horn section, and Bill Watrous. To this day, in every session and every live performance, I strive to emulate a piece of their styles. Each have something that I love and so I try and meld those influences into my approach to playing.
RZ: Do you sing or play any other instruments?
OM: I'm a frustrated drummer. I love grooves and rhythms. I enjoy singing as well and used to do lots of it for weddings, commercials, and Top Forty bands. Happy to get back at it with this new A Tempo band project we started during the Pandemic. I also play piano for arranging purposes. In college, I used to practice lots of guitar because one of my good friends at Berklee College used to teach me. I love all instruments but would never consider myself a multi instrumentalist. I dabble.
RZ: Tell me about some of the musicians and groups you've gigged and recorded with.
OM: Well, lucky for me, I was born and raised in NY, Lindenhurst, Long Island to be exact, and decided to become a professional musician. Lots of opportunities came my way because NY was the place to be for a musician. I never took that for granted. Everyone comes to NY to make it and so I always need to stay ready by practicing constantly for any situation. When you win the trust of your peers, your name comes up when someone needs a horn arrangement or your instrument. I’ve always made it a point to stay well rounded musically.
Because of all of the above, I’ve been fortunate to get called to record for and/or perform with some of the most talented and well known artists in different genres of the music industry. See my
discography. That includes Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Lionel Richie, Four Tops, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, C&C Music Factory, Marc Anthony, Willie Colon, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and the list goes on.
For the past 6 years I’ve enjoyed performing with Blood, Sweat, & Tears. The musicians in that band play at such a high level, that if you don’t bring your A game every night, you’ll stick out the wrong way. As I said, living in NY gives you lots of opportunities.
I've played Broadway shows as well as in the Saturday Night Live Band. I'm proud to say that I’ve toured and recorded for the last twenty years with Marc Anthony, for thirty years with Willie Colon, and for thirty-five with a band I co-founded, The Funk Filharmonik. The hardest part about working with lots of artists is the juggling of dates without pissing anyone off. It happens.
Willie Colon & Ruben Blades: One concert I’ll always remember is the reunion tour of these two giants. To the dismay of their fans, just like Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, they broke up their very successful collaboration. And many years later I would be involved with their reunion tour.
One of the shows took place on the tarmac of the Venezuelan airport. As far as the eye could see were people. In fact they had to construct another sound and visual system a quarter mile away for those people too far to see the stage. Not only did I play trombone and sing for that show, I played drums on the intro of the very famous song "Plástico." To this day, I kid my drummer colleagues that I’ve played drums in front of more peeps than them, LOL!
Billy Joel’s "The Last Play at Shea:" This was an amazing production from start to finish. As a New Yorker and a Mets fan, so super proud to be part of this. Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Steven Tyler, Garth Brooks, Roger Daltrey, John Mayer, and Paul McCartney all took part in this historic concert. Yes, playing this concert was memorable. But what comes to mind for me was what happened at the soundcheck/rehearsal the day before.
While on a break from rehearsal I decided to mosey in to the Mets dugout. At this point they had started building the new stadium for the ball club but still had a month or 2 left to play ball at Shea. I was horrified by the condition of the dugout and the bathroom just down the hall from the dugout. On the way home from rehearsal, I called in to WFAN, a sports radio talk show that I was/am addicted to. I had never called in before but was compelled to do so after witnessing what I felt was “the Mets dugout horror”. I didn’t give my name but just that I was part of the band.
When I told the story to the screener, he said he’d get me right on with the host immediately. Oh boy! What have I done? I didn’t wanna get anyone in trouble. I just wanted someone to clean the bathroom and put a new coat of paint on the dugout bench. I couldn’t go through with it, so I hung up.
Bruce Springsteen: What’s better than playing Madison Square Garden with Springsteen? Well, that gig was special not only musically but because I'm also as a big fan of Steven Van Zandt and the "Sopranos." I couldn’t help but say to him during the rehearsal before the show, "Hey Silvio!" He laughed and we continued to rehearse.
What struck me as amazing was a gig I did with Billy Joel & band with Bruce Springsteen for an Obama fundraiser. Billy would sing Bruce's songs and vice versa. During a break from rehearsing in NYC, we all went outside on the sidewalk of NYC. No body guards, no security. Just regular guys acknowledging their fans as they walked by. Two of the biggest in the biz and they are just regular guys for sure!
Marc Anthony: Aside from touring with him for 20 years, I recorded for him many times. One memory I have is him calling me at midnight on the snowiest night in many years. He asked me to come over because they were recording the next CD. I said that it was late and too much snow for me to drive into Manhattan. I didn’t know he had bought a house 20 minutes from me on Long Island so I agreed and got there after 1 am. I had to shovel my driveway first!
His fans know that his CD entitled “Libre” was very well received as was one of his hits from it called "Celos." The intro is three trombones, all me, playing three different parts. That wasn’t written! I got there and started warming up on my trombone with some exercises. Marc was inspired by what he heard and thus the intro to Celos was born.
Diana Ross: She got a bad rap back in the day and I’m guessing well deserved. When I got into the band, she was the sweetest, and very respectful. I have lots of fun memories with her. Aside from playing her great music and having the honor of doing the horn arranging for her entire show with John Scarpulla, being onstage with another living legend never gets old for me. Coming out front every night and playing a solo next to her is surreal.
But check this memory out... She has a bowling alley at her house. If you’ve bowled before, you know that every now and then the pin machine malfunctions. Bowling centers have mechanics that run back there to fix them. Well, we were bowling at her house and the machine malfunctioned. Diana Ross, without hesitation, ran back there and fixed it. Picture that!
Celia Cruz & Tito Puente: Many years ago, I toured with these legends. We mostly played festivals where there were many bands and then we’d close the night at around one or two in the morning. We’d get back to our hotel at around 3am and have to be back down in the lobby by sometimes 5 or 6am. Celia & Tito were always in the lobby before us youngsters. They'd be dressed to the nines and already telling jokes while we were barely alive. They were true performers with all the God given talent in the universe. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore!!
RZ: What trombones do you currently play and how do you mic/amplify them?
OM: Live, I've always played a King 3b. I believe it’s a well rounded horn for me. I can play hard for Willie Colon’s & Marc Anthony’s music but then play controlled and sweet for Broadway or play with bite in a funk section. It covers all the bases for me.
As far as go to mics, I’m really not a gear geek. I use a Neumann for vocals and bone in my studio and whatever anyone puts in front of me in their studios.
RZ: Talk about what and how you practice.
OM: I now mainly practice endurance exercises. Other than studio work and TV dates, mostly I play live horn driven music. I'm working 90 minute shows where my instrument sits on my face for most of that time. I can’t think of anything worse for me than when my chops are out of shape, and I have to deliver horn lines and solos. Miserable feeling. Playing a brass instrument's super physical so you have to maintain your chops or be toast halfway into a concert.
While at Berklee, I devised some exercises that not only increase my flexibility but also help with my endurance (see below). During this Covid lockdown, I took the opportunity to put all these exercises into a book. It’s called Dynamic Flexibility for Trombone. I actually do practice from my own book!
RZ: Do you teach music privately?
OM: As a freelance touring musician, it’s hard for me to give traditional, "I’ll be at your house or you at mine," type lessons because I get called out of town often. I never liked having to phone a student to cancel. In the past, while on tour in South America and Europe, I’ve given trombone master classes. They were very successful and fun.
I love teaching the importance of not only being proficient on your instrument but being prepared and on time. My pet peeve is when a musician gives other musicians a bad name by showing up late or unprepared. I teach the importance of treating this profession as you would treat any other job!
RZ: How has the Pandemic affected you? What's on the horizon?
OM: We’ve lost many relatives, friends, and colleagues this past year and I will be very emotional about that forever. At the beginning of the lockdown, I said that I would do things that I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have enough time for. Well, I learned Bill Watrous’s “4th Floor Walkup” cadenza. A ridiculously hard test of doodle tonguing and flexibility! It’s because of that solo that while in college, I devised a method of exercises that helped in the flexibility part of that solo.
Then, as the Pandemic continued, I decided to write a book with those exercises and then recorded myself playing audio versions of all the exercises in my book starting @90bpm and ending @210. It’s called “Dynamic Flexibility for trombone & trumpet. I even have versions in Spanish.
As the lockdown continued, three other Marc Anthony band mates and I decided to start a band. We call ourselves "A Tempo". We finished eight songs and two videos all by sending files back and forth to each other’s home studios. The songs are on steady rotation on stations in Colombia, Mexico, Spain and many other places. We will tour this band soon!
I made the decision early on that I would come out of this Pandemic better than when I went in. I see that lots of my dedicated musician friends have done the same. Practicing, writing, home studio recording, etc. I’m happy for them!
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
OM: I try and treat every gig as special. Even soundchecks. When on tour with Marc Anthony, we soundcheck before every gig. No one sleeps through them. We play the soundcheck as if we were playing in front of the audience with lots of respect for the music always.
Presidential Inaugurations: I’ve been fortunate enough to play at some of the past presidents' Inauguration Balls. I performed at President Obama‘s inauguration with Marc Anthony. But before that, I played at Bill Clinton's. What was special and unusual about that is that I actually played a double on inauguration night.
The president usually has four or five parties that he and the first lady eventually attend throughout the evening. Well, months before Bill Clinton was elected president, I was asked to play on his campaign trail with a 50’s band, The Dovels, who had a hit song "You Can’t Sit Down" back in the day. Clinton was using that song and phrase on his campaign. We would play a few songs, then Clinton would come up and play his sax along with us.
So the night of the inauguration, he did the same. Somewhere I have a video of Tony White, also a sax player, and me talking to the president for about five minutes while they set up some equipment. He recognized us from the campaign trail and was very focused on us as we answered his questions. It was unusual to me that on the most important night of his life, he was now president, he never once while speaking to us looked around or seemed uninterested in our answers.
He asked Tony about what sax he played and mentioned that he had many saxes given to him. A whole room of them in fact. After that gig, I had to take a cab quickly to beat the president's motorcade over to the Armory for another Inaugural Ball and play a set with Willie Colon. Made it!
More Doubles: Special and unusual gigs have been where I took chances by taking two shows with two different artists in the same day in different locations and pulling it off without a hitch. One that comes to mind is playing a session in the morning for Billy Joel‘s "River of Dreams" CD and hopping on a plane to Mexico and doing a show with Emmanuel in front of 40,000 people in an arena and getting there, well, a little late. They had started the first song, check that, I missed the intro but got there for mid first song. That was in the 90s and I wasn’t about to say no to a session for Billy Joel and I wouldn’t now either.
Another time I played the Latin Grammys live television in Las Vegas with Marc Anthony and then shot over to another hotel to play the night show with Diana Ross. Sounds easy but both had sound checks and I had to go back and forth to each location a few times and not miss anything. That only worked because the Latin Grammys were on the West Coast and it shows on the East Coast at 8 o’clock so we shot that at five or 6 o’clock and the show with Diana Ross wasn’t until 8:30. Uff. Luckily it worked out!
RZ: How do you see the future of the music business?
OM: I’m always super thankful for my brother, amazing trumpet player, and all around musician Barry Danielian for convincing me more than fifteen years ago to build my own home studio. It's been such a blessing. Being able to record for people from home and/or producing music for TV and other artists has been super rewarding. Barry recognized back then that the studios we made part of our livings from were slowly closing.
I think more and more people will follow the home studio trend. During Covid, I can think of three great musician friends that I passed along Barry’s great advice to. They built and learned how to use them, then recorded from home all during the lockdown because they followed my nagging and built their respective studios. I know they're happy they did and I’m happy for them.
RZ: What advice do you give up-and-coming musicians?
OM: Listen to older music, all genres, especially as a horn player! Have it all in you. The more you know, the more you’re worth. The odds work better for you if you can play more styles well. Of course there are those who want to master one style. That’s great too. Just be prepared to only get those calls. I have and still work on being the guy who is thought of when needed for any style.
Now speaking to other trombone players, make sure you make the guys next to you happy. Especially the trumpet player. In a traditional section, you are the glue between him and the sax. If the trumpet player doesn’t have to work as hard because you give him a great foundation with your phrasing, power, and playing up the octave with him strong and in tune, then, if and when he gets called for another gig, he will hopefully suggest you along with him.
And that’s the key to a successful freelance career. Making sure you make the other musicians in every situation want you back. 95% of the gigs I’ve gotten were due to other musicians co-signing my work to others and them wanting me back. Then, once you’ve gained lots of trust, don’t rest on your laurels. All it takes is one or two mess ups, and the news will travel fast. Takes a while to build your reputation but could take only one or two gigs to ruin it.
RZ: Anything else you want to say?
OM: I purposely didn’t mention by name any of my hard-working musician brothers and sisters. So many of them labor hard to keep our profession in great standing. Musicians that stood by my side and me by theirs in so many aspects of this biz. I would inevitably leave someone out and be horrified. A huge shout out to them!
We’ve made each other proud by taking being a well rounded musician very seriously. In many cases, we work harder than most professions. Always working to be better by practicing and learning every day. It’s been an honor to be by your sides for over forty years. I know you know who you are. Much love and respect.
YouTube - Plastico - Willie Colon & Ruben Blades in Caracas
YouTube - Dynamic Flexibility for Trombone - Ozzie Melendez
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