Matthew Wengerd's Weblog

When I was a young boy, I had convinced myself that, if I belly-flopped to the ground, I would not land, but could fly. I could never attain much height but was capable of gliding along the ground, giving my too-young-to-be-weary legs a rest. I had vague memories of actually performing this manoeuvre, but [...]

In light of recent additions to Lakeland traffic safety, I guess it’s time to re-examine my driving style.

I am very reticent to slam on my brakes at any time because, 9 times out of 10, my double bass is in the car when I am driving. I often run yellow lights and [...]

If you are unfamiliar with Tom Harrell’s playing, do yourself a favor and get familiar. Tom is an extraordinary jazz trumpet player who suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia. I saw this interview when it occurred, well before I had any clue what it actually takes to be a jazz musician.

This is not the [...]

My friends have been ribbing me for quite a while now about the fact that I will be attending Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops this year. Yes, I’m going to summer camp at 25.

Thousands of people have played jazz tunes counted off by that inimitable heartland accent of Jamey’s (“One, Two, One, [...]

Some of you may already know that, due to recent damage, I have sent my bass of to Gary at Upton Bass for repairs. Gary runs a well-thought-of business and is an active participant in the Talkbass forums. He also sold me my Revolution Solo pickup with which I am extremely happy.

Once I [...]

Unless you get your butts out to Starbucks on the North side of Lakeland, this will be matthewwengerdtrio’s last night. School obligations prevent me from playing tonight, but I have a faithful and diligent sub.

Please make your way out and let management know that you appreciate what they’ve been doing. Oh, and buy [...]

At the Brecker Concert this Monday, I had the pleasure of conversing with two friends about the nature of blogs.

Saxophonist|composer Rich Van Voorst is returning to USF for his second Masters’ this Autumn. Rich is the reason I am attending USF this year (another story for another occasion). He doesn’t blog and isn’t [...]

Trumpeter Randy Brecker got on a plane for Reno this morning after having spent the weekend in Central Florida, performing with Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge. He flew in from Zurich Saturday morning for the culminate of the USF Center for Jazz Composition’s Jazz Masterworks Series. This program, a tribute to Michael [...]

Jason Heath offered an excellent addition to Drew McManus’ Post-a-Day series for Take a Friend to Orchestra (TAFTO).

Jason makes an excellent point about the effectiveness of conductor rambling in drawing the audience into orchestral programs. I am young and inexperienced enough to still be pretty wide-eyed when a thoughtful, intelligent conductor sheds new (to [...]