The Boss was smiling down on Patrick and Glenn Kostur after Patrick played Glenn's arrangement of ANGEL EYES with the house big band at the ITG conference. Patrick was completely OFF MIC - he played acoustically just filling the hall with sound... and the audience loved it.
This is a chart Glenn had wanted to write for MF for years, but it never fully materialized until a few weeks before the convention. We got special permission to video the tune, with the camera at the sound booth out in the middle of the hall about 80 feet from the stage. Yes, Patrick took the optional high D on the shout! Be sure to listen for the audience member who summed up the performance in one word before the chart ended, right after the four-octave glissando just past the four minute mark. You can clearly hear someone exclaim, "DAMN!" ...and then you hear the audience crack up!
Here's a side story about this performance that the audience was not aware of at the time. Patrick came out on stage expecting to find his music on the stand, but in the confusion of multiple soloists and lots going on, there was NO STAND AND NO MUSIC! So when the band kicked off the tune he just shrugged his shoulders, picked up his horn and started playing! No one ever knew the difference and Patrick nailed it.
PATRICK HESSION PLAYS PREMIER OF GLENN KOSTUR'S "ANGEL EYES"
Patrick plays the MF STC trumpet we designed specifically for him a few years ago. This is one of our most popular models, designed for extreme lead trumpet playing but also great for all around work too. This is the lightest Monette Bb trumpet we have ever made, but you will notice Patrick's sound - as recorded way out in the hall and completely off mic - is as big as a house!
Patrick is available for clinics and concerts, and he has an excellent website with videos, pictures, schedule information and more. Congratulations on the amazing job at the ITG conference Patrick!