[Trombone-l] sight reading in jazz

[George Carr]

> I know some great players who might not be "perfect" sightreaders. [We
> all make mistakes!!] but they improve with every performance of a piece
> and keep that process going because the always listen.

I first heard that said about Don Butterfield - one of my college
professors, Ray, went to NYC and took a tuba lesson with Don, after
which Don immediately starting passing along work to Ray.  Ray felt
great about his playing, and whenever he got a chance to work with
Don, Ray was always pleased that he sight read better than his
teacher.  But by the second or third run-through, Don Butterfield
always sounded better than Ray, every time.    And that's why the
calls always went to Don first: he's on hundreds of great jazz,
classical, and show recordings, because he never quit listening, and
thought hard about how to improve what he was about to play over what
he had just played.

George