Trumpeter Scotty Barnhart will never forget the call that altered his reality. At 27 years old in Tallahassee, he picked up the phone, shaking and incredulous that Frank Foster was on the other line.

The former director of the Count Basie Orchestra assured him that it was no joke and that Barnhart had come highly recommended. It was a wish come true that he hadn’t even dared to dream.

He packed his bags and joined the ranks of the most esteemed and disciplined jazz musicians in the country, and marveled as he witnessed them warming up with the same meticulous fundamentals he learned in primary school.

As a student, Barnhart was grateful for the foundations laid down by his mentor and professor, Lindsey B. Sarjeant, who gave him access to a stereo system and thousands of records. While attending Florida A& M University, he played gigs around town accompanying his professor until the roles reversed and Barnhart garnered enough of a reputation to headline on his own with Sarjeant as his accompanying keyboardist.

“From my experience, jazz musicians are the most giving,” said Barnhart. “It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, if you want to learn some music, the elders will tell you what you need to do, but then it’s just up to you to do the work. If you do that work, you’ll become a part of something that’s way greater than yourself.”

First instrument

A drum set was Barnhart’s first instrument until age 9 when his 5th-grade class gave him the opportunity to join the band. He eagerly took home his permission slip to his parents who went out to purchase the violin he requested. Barnhart distinctly remembers that September day in 1974 when his mother pulled up the driveway and produced a black case from the trunk. Inside wasn’t the stringed body of a violin, but a silver, shiny, new trumpet.

Nearly 40 years later, Barnhart is still in love with the instrument that has taken him around the world to an array of countries and all 50 states. A two-time Grammy Award winner, he’s worked with greats like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and Ray Charles. He doesn’t see his 23 years playing with the Count Basie Orchestra as work, and continually feels fortunate to have found his home in jazz.

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