Introducing Trumpeter Kal Ferretti

This article first appeared in Jersey Jazz Magazine.

When she was attending the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, Kal Ferretti rode the subway to Manhattan from her home in Staten Island. The music on her phone was Art Blakey's Moanin' (Blue Note, 1958). "I would wear that out every train ride," she said. The 22-year-old Ferretti always wanted to play the trumpet, but she soon became bored with performing in a classical setting. "I ended up not totally digging just sitting there in the orchestra," she explained, "so I got into the idea of playing jazz. To me, music is fun, and it was more fun."

To learn more about jazz, she attended Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Academy, studying with such faculty members as multi-reedist Ted Nash, trumpeters Tatum Greenblatt and Kenny Rampton, trombonist Corey Wallace and pianist Willerm Delisfort. Greenblatt was also one of Ferretti's trumpet teachers when she attended the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School in New York. At the Jazz Academy, he remembered, "She stood out as someone with tremendous musical intellect and an unshakable dedication. As my student while at The New School, Kal most impressed me with her willingness to address her weaknesses and with her patience in trusting the process. Though she has no shortage of talent, it is her work ethic that is her greatest strength. As a player, she has one foot in the history and one in the future, building upon a well-developed knowledge of the tradition to forge new pathways in the music."

Another key influence on Ferretti at The New School was saxophonist David Glasser. "He became my main mentor," she recalled. "I studied extensively with him. He took me under his wing and really showed me what music was about. I'm forever grateful for everything he has done for me." Glasser, echoing Greenblatt, described Ferretti as "a prime example of what can be attained when talent and work ethic converge. She followed my suggestions and worked tirelessly. She was a pleasure to teach and is clearly on her way to making a name for herself as a jazz trumpeter. Her ability and potential are unlimited."

Other mentors at The New School included trumpeter Bruce Harris, bassists Reggie Workman and Buster Williams, along with drummer Matt Wilson. "David Glasser and Bruce Harris," Ferretti added, "felt that one of the best ways to teach harmony to young people was by not forcing bebop down their throats but, instead, teaching them harmony on the most basic level."

Ferretti graduated from The New School last year and is pursuing her masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM), studying with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, who is MSM's Dean and Director of Jazz Arts. "Studying with Ingrid Jensen," she said, "has opened my ears to much more music than I would have imagined. She's such an amazing mentor. She's really opened me up to exploring different kinds of music. I couldn't be more grateful to be here and playing with her." For Jensen, Ferretti is "a dream student to watch and listen to. She is filled with a deep sense of musicality and a wonderful positive spirit that is both infectious and inspiring. I am thrilled to be traveling in Kal's orbit, getting the opportunity to listen to her play in both small group and big band settings."

Ferretti has led her big band during Dizzy's Club's late-night sessions and is "looking forward to continuing that project in the future.." On April 5, she performed with the JALC Future of Jazz Orchestra at the "Who is Gerry Mulligan?" Family Concert, and on April 21 she played with a group Workman put together for a gig at the New Amsterdam Musical Association (NAMA) in Harlem. This month, she'll be part of the Cameron Shave Big Band during Dizzy's late-night set.

The passion Ferretti has for jazz came through clearly in our interview. "I love the trumpet, and I love this music so much," she said. "It's my life honor to study people like Kenny Dorham and Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard. Those are my guys. I've worn out Quiet Kenny (Dorham's 1960 New Jazz release). The same thing with Clifford's Live at the Beehive (Columbia, 1955) and Freddie Hubbard's Hubtones (Blue Note, 1963). It's like playing the trumpet at the highest level, and it's an honor being around people who have been on these records. I'm lucky to call Reggie Workman a mentor of mine. He played on so many of those records with Freddie Hubbard. I've asked him so many questions about that. What was it like being around him? It's so cool."

In March, Ferretti was part of a Kenny Dorham Trumpet Summit at Dizzy's Club. She was selected to play his composition, "La Mesha," named after his daughter. "My feature was on the final night," Ferretti said. "La Mesha was his youngest daughter. She was there, and she was crying. She looks just like Kenny Dorham. I felt chills in my body."

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