Trumpet Talk

Flying, Flow, and the Inner Game

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:41:09 GMT

Learning to Fly

The best ideas are often the simplest. So blindingly obvious, in fact, that we dismiss them – convinced someone else must have already thought of it, patented it, sold it, become disgustingly rich on the profits, and retired to a tropical island where they are currently sat on a deserted beach sipping Piña Colada from a coconut shell.

Take flying, for example.

Here's what The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has to say on the subject:

“There is an art, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

It goes on to explain that you must hurl yourself forward with all your weight and “the willingness not to mind that it’s going to hurt.” The trick is to miss the ground accidentally. Because deliberately trying to miss it doesn’t work.

You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else mid-fall, so completely that you forget about falling, the ground, or how much it’s going to hurt if you don’t miss. You must ignore your own weight and simply let yourself waft higher, and whatever you do, don’t listen to the people shouting, “Good God, man, you can’t possibly be flying!” It is vitally important not to believe them, or they will suddenly be right, and you will find yourself failing to miss the ground once again.

Douglas Adams’ whimsical take on flight is less about physics and more about mindset, and oddly enough it aligns with what Tim Gallwey wrote in The Inner Game of Tennis.

Gallwey describes two selves: Self-1 , the conscious, critical voice that overthinks and judges, and Self-2 , the subconscious, intuitive self that knows what to do and would jolly well get on and do it if only Self-1 would get out of the way. The real game, he says, isn’t against your opponent across the net, but against that inner critic.

To perform at your best, you must trust Self-2 . Be present in the moment; feel what’s happening; let go of control and just let it happen. Trust that Self-2 already knows how to perform the task and then let it happen without excessive, conscious control.

Flying on Stage

I was reminded of this recently when I took a last-minute dep gig with a function band. The setlist was familiar, but the keys and arrangements were different, and I hadn’t had time to prep. I figured as long as the sax player was solid, knew the band, knew the charts and was used to section work, I’d lock in with them and we’d be fine.

Then I arrived.

The sax player had never played with the band before and usually did big band or jazz improv stuff. The trombone player was a classically trained, orchestral musician sight-reading the charts. And both of them said they were relieved that I was there - my “reputation preceded me.” They were relying on me to be the glue that held it all together. I knew I had to be on top of my game.

No pressure there then.

Cue Self-1 .

Mistakes crept in during the first couple of songs. Self-1 pounced: “ You’re blowing it. “Concentrate harder”. “Stop sweating”. “Stop messing up”. “These people are looking at you to be in control”. “Remember what your music teacher said!”

Then I caught myself.

I’d done hundreds of gigs like this. Nothing I was being asked to play was beyond me. I just needed to shut Self-1 up, allow Self-2 to take over and let the music flow. In The Inner Game, Gallwey suggests focusing on the seam of the tennis ball. For me, it was the feel of the horn in my hands, the mouthpiece on my lips, the audience’s reaction.

I got distracted, in the best possible way and entirely forgot the apparent impossibility of what I was asking myself to do. I forgot to hit the ground.

And just like that, I was flying.

The Crash Landing

It hasn’t always gone that way.

Early in my career, I took a session job on a solo album for a major artist. We were already nervous, and when he showed up in the control room, it got worse. He spoke to the producer in French, presumably so we wouldn’t understand. It didn’t feel encouraging.

The session fell apart. First, I messed up, then the trombone player, then the sax. Timing and intonation were off. The poor arrangements and inappropriate choice of voicings didn’t help, but we should’ve handled it.

I tried to take control. Self-1 took over—barking orders, demanding more effort, berating every mistake.

The result? I hit the ground. Hard!

Nothing we recorded made the final cut. I was gutted. I vowed never to let that happen again.

A Final Word

Just to be clear, (and my lawyers are keen for me to stress this point!), ignoring Self-1 and trusting Self-2 does not mean you should throw yourself off a tall building and hope to get distracted on the way down. That’s not flying. That’s physics.

But in music, in performance, in life, sometimes the best way to soar is to stop trying so hard. Let go. Trust yourself and forget to hit the ground.

My First Love

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:26:53 GMT

Bitten by the brass bug

I’d taken violin lessons when I was at primary school. I’d passed the musical ear test you had to take to be allowed to sign up and my parents had bought me a violin.

I sucked at it!

The sound I made was painful and I hated it. At every available opportunity I held it like a guitar and played Rolling Stones songs on it.

When I moved on to secondary school I gave it up and thanks to encouragement from a friend I decided I’d join the brass band.

Now, they could have given me a trombone (never trust anyone whose instrument changes shape while they play it) or worse, a tuba; but they gave me a cornet, an aging and slightly battered Besson in a black hard case with a red velvet lining.

Once I’d been shown the basics, I discovered I could instantly get a pleasing sound out of it, and the love affair began.

There was something about the way it looked. Those curves and swells, the way it felt in my hands - sensuous and willing. The soft red lining of the case was like a deep, sumptuous bed. And the smell, oh my God the smell. A heady mixture of aging, slightly musty velvet, valve oil and Brasso. I was hooked. I played it at school, I played it at home. Whenever any relatives came around, I played it to them, I took it back to my old primary school teacher and played it to him, I went around to friends’ houses and stood outside the (firmly locked, bolted and barred) back doors and played it to them. When I wasn’t playing it, I was taking it apart and cleaning it, gently applying oil and grease to lubricate it, softly buffing and polishing the silver plate until it gleamed and sparkled. Sometimes I just sat and stared at it.

Over the subsequent six decades I’ve moved on to better and more expensive horns (nothing comes close to either of my Taylor trumpets I can assure you). I’ve added numerous trumpets, flugel horns and piccolo trumpets to my collection, played on TV, at incredible venues all around the world and featured on countless records, but I’ll never forget my first true love.

Fat Pop - Another Weller number 1 album

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:19:19 GMT

Stone Foundation Horns top the charts again.

What do you do when you've just had a number 1 album and you're in lockdown? In the case of Paul Weller, the answer is to write and record another number 1 album!

'Fat Pop (Volume 1)' is Paul's 16th studio album and like its predecessor, 'On Sunset' this one has gone straight in at the top of the UK album charts. 'Fat Pop' extends Paul's run of Number 1 success across five decades, first topping the chart in 1982 with The Jam before landing solo Number 1s in the 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s, and once again, Paul has enlisted the services of the Stone Foundation horn section.

The CD and vinyl formats of the album feature the SF Horns on 4 tracks: 'True'; 'Glad Times'; 'Moving Canvas' and 'Still Glides the Stream', and Steve was credited with arranging the horns for all 4 tracks. The bonus CD included in the Deluxe box set also features the boys on a 16 minute workout - 'Fat Mix'.

A Little Bit of 'Later'

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:10:19 GMT

PW on Jools

A Little Bit of ‘Later’

When my phone pings in the early hours, it’s either the kids asking for money—or it’s Paul Weller, who’s pretty much nocturnal. A few weeks ago, it was Paul. It still freaks me out that I get random texts from one of my musical heroes. Sometimes he wants me to do a gig, arrange horns for a new track, or just chat about clothes, music, or football.

This time the message was more specific: “Do you want to do 'Later… with Jools Holland' with us? It's on 23 April in London.”
I had to reread it several times to let it sink in. Later… is the last bastion of proper music shows on TV—BBC2 primetime. Everyone who’s anyone has played it.
Do I want to do it? I think so!

We were to perform two songs from Paul’s new album, 66. I knew them well—I'd played them live with him before, and wrote and arranged the horn parts for the album. The last big gig we did together was at Wembley Stadium last summer. Not sure that one’s sunk in yet either.

The night before the recording, we stayed in a Surrey hotel. The next day a driver picked us up for the trip to Alexandra Palace.

'Ally Pally' is a labyrinth—corridors, staircases everywhere. We were met by Paul’s tour manager, handed our artist passes, and the crew whisked our instruments off to the stage area. The rest of the band were relaxing in the dressing room.

Paul arrived shortly after and greeted me with, *“Hello General”—*a nickname I picked up in Spain that’s somehow stuck. He gave me a big hug, complimented my outfit (always a bonus from the Modfather), and shared an update on his new granddaughter.

I skipped the trip to hair and makeup (a couple of the lads indulged), and soon we were called to the stage for a camera, lighting, and sound run-through.

We met Jools briefly, and also Mark Knopfler, who was promoting his new album. After running both songs a few times while the crew worked their camera angles, it was off to catering for dinner.

More hanging about. Then a photo call just before filming began. We were opening the show with Jumble Queen, co-written by Paul and Noel Gallagher. Then came time to watch the other acts. I hadn’t heard of any of them, but my daughter had—so I suppose there’s some credibility in that!
Nadine Shah, Bob Vylan, Katherine Priddy, Rachel Chinouriri? Nope, me neither.

During the show, Jools interviewed Mark Knopfler and kept referring to a video we had to applaud—even though we couldn’t see it. It was being dropped in during editing.
It’s strange to see what really happens when filming a show that airs “as live.” The audience started by being filmed applauding, in case they needed that footage elsewhere. Several interview bits were reshot due to lighting glitches or fluffed lines. It’s all stitched together later—you’d never know.
All the music performances, though, were live. No miming. No edits. One take.

We closed the show with Soul Wandering—the first single from 66, co-written with Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream.
The producer called out, “That’s a wrap – thanks everyone!”

After a quick photo call with Jools and the band, we headed outside to where our driver was waiting.
Back at the hotel just in time for last orders—thankfully.
I was still pinching myself. Had that really just happened?

One more tick off the bucket list

66 Not Out

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:06:30 GMT

From here to modernity

November 7 ^th , 1980 – I parked my Lambretta outside Bracknell Sport Centre and made my way inside to witness one of the best gigs I had ever been to – ‘the best band in the fucking world’ live and dangerous. Fast-forward to December 3 ^rd , 1982, and I’m stood, broken-hearted as I watch the same band take a final bow at Wembley Arena.

Fast-forward again to April 23 ^rd , 2024, and I’m getting ready, as the cameras roll, to perform two songs from the new Weller album 66 for a select audience as part of the new series of ‘Later with Jools Holland’.

Back track to January 2022, to Black Barn studios where I’d just finished recording the last few horn parts for ‘In A Silent World’ and was just about to pack up when Paul asked us to play a short, simple riff that he wanted to drop into a new song the we hadn’t actually hear. It was just a few chords at that point – it turned out to be ‘Rise Up Singing’ – two album tracks in the bag and we never knew it.

It was a year further on before we were back at Black Barn – February 2023. This time to lay down ‘Gotta Get On’ and ‘Jumble Queen’ (the latter being a Noel Gallagher co-write). Working on a few basic ideas that Paul had hummed to me. I multi-layered saxes and trumpets and even added a bit of piccolo trumpet for good measure. Luckily, my efforts met with the Weller seal of approval, and we celebrated with a nice cup of tea.

Another year on and by now we knew the album was happening and it was sounding amazing. This time we were laying down ‘Soul Wandering’ and ‘Nothing’ - probably my two favourite tracks. Paul at his most mellow and introspective, so I channeled my inner Burt Bacharach and came up with twin flugelhorn parts, courtesy of myself and fellow Stone Foundation brasser, Dave Boraston.

If you’d have told the scrawny little mod peering up in awe at The Jam back in 1980 that one day he’d be helping Paul Weller celebrate his 66 ^th birthday with what may well be his best, and certainly his most personal set of songs for years I’d have laughed at you. I am honoured, blessed, grateful, disbelieving and just a bit smug. all in equal measure.

Guesting with the Guv'nor

steve.trigg@blueyonder.co.uk (Steve Trigg) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:31:50 GMT

You don't ask - you don't get!

Well, that will teach me to be cheeky I suppose! Having checked out the dates for Paul Weller's much delayed tour and making sure I could find a night that was a) not a clash with a Stone Foundation gig and b) fairly local I sent him a brief message to ask if there was any chance of a couple of tickets, His response was fairly prompt; "yes man, I'll sort you a couple of passes - oh and bring your trumpet with you". Gulp!

He wanted me to play on a couple of numbers, possibly 'Ever Changing Moods' and something else. In the end we settled on 'Shout to the Top' and 'More'. "Just turn up man - no need to soundcheck if you don't want to". Gulp (again).

I thought I'd best give Jacko Peake a quick courtesy call to bring him up to speed and let him know I was gate-crashing the set which I duly did. We chatted through what the arrangements for each song was, what he was playing and where I'd be taking solos. Also, very helpfully, Paul had sent me through recordings of the band in rehearsal for the two numbers in question so I could hear how they were treating them live.

I decided I would try to make soundcheck anyway, partly because it would be a great opportunity for my mate Dave, who I was taking along with me to meet Paul and the band and partly because given the chance to soundcheck, make sure I had a microphone and some monitoring and figure out how each song started and ended live or just wing it I thought it sensible to err on the side of caution (even I'm not that stupid!).

So at 4:00 on the dot I rocked up at the Bath Forum. It's a magnificent venue; a converted art deco cinema built in 1934. I played there with Stone Foundation a few years ago when we supported Mavis Staples on her UK tour (another 'pinch me' moment).

The band had just started sound checking when I walked into the auditorium but immediately all the guys came over to say hello when they saw me. It's a strange feeling, being greeted like a long lost brother by a man I've held in such high esteem and awe for so many years; I don't think I'll ever get used to it.

Soundcheck was a breeze. I had plenty of monitoring via the side fill speaker next to me and felt very confident about what I was playing. Playing alongside Jacko was a real privilege and he made it very easy for me to slot right in. The secret is in the eye contact I always think - as long as I can see the eyes of whoever I'm following for cues I can tell when to come in (and more importantly, when to stop playing!).

After soundcheck, Dave and I slipped out to grab a bite to eat and to leave the band to get themselves ready for the gig.

We slipped back in via the side door just before the main doors opened and made our way backstage.

Everyone was buzzing and chatty and made both of us extremely welcome and at ease - in fact when I turned to Dave he was being quizzed by Paul about where he had bought his shoes from and where he had gotten his trousers made.

In due course and with fist bumps all around, the band went on and Dave headed out front to catch the set while I stayed backstage to warm up and wait for my cue to go on.

Paul announced me (couldn't quite catch what he said - something about being a local lad I think) and on I went. 'Shout to the Top' went great and Jacko and I traded solos at the end. The crowd were very appreciative. Paul then gave me another shout out and said something I couldn't quite make out. Turns out he was telling me to say something - "Speak to your people Triggs". No idea what to say so I came out with "it's a privilege to be playing back in the West Country - ooh ar, ooh ar aye" - twat!

'More' was over in a flash and I even got to play a spacey solo over the end section. It was good to be playing this one live as I'd written the horn arrangements for it and played on the track for the 'On Sunset' album with the SF horns.

Having done my little cameo section I joined Dave out front for the remainder of the set and then went backstage to catch up with everyone after the gig had finished before heading off into the cool Bath air in search of a late night drinking establishment. We found a nice, quiet little pub as it happens that sold good beer and also informed us that they didn't shut until 3:00 am (very civilised on a Wednesday night).

I think it is fair to say that the band were as good, if not better than I've ever seen them. Paul's obvious delight at being back playing live was totally infectious too. A big shout out to Josh McClorey, standing in on bass for Andy Crofts - he did a great job, and a more likeable chap you won't meet (even if, as Steve Pilgrim delighted in telling me - he was only born in 1995).

Great to share the occasion with one of my oldest and closest friends too

Stone Foundation announce new album release

steve.trigg@blueyonder.co.uk (Steve Trigg) — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 15:23:12 GMT

"Is Love Enough?" will be released via 100% Records on 11th September

We are delighted to announce the brand new Stone Foundation album "Is Love Enough?" will be released via 100% Records on 11th September

The album consists of 17 brand new Stone Foundation tracks which feature collaborators such as Paul Weller, Durand Jones, Laville, Peter Capaldi, Steve White and Mick Talbot - and of course the SF Horns feature throughout with the usual killer horn lines arranged by Steve Trigg.

The new single Deeper Love (feat. Paul Weller) is out today. Watch the video here .

The album will be released on 11th September 2020 via 100% Records on the following formats:

CD / 2CD / 2LP / 2LP (Turquoise Vinyl) / Cassette / Digital.

Money saving bundles and signed copies are available from the Stone Foundation webstore .

Learn more about the album at www.stonefoundation.co.uk

Pre-order the album here: 100percent.it/IsLoveEnough

On Sunset charts at Number 1

steve.trigg@blueyonder.co.uk (Steve Trigg) — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 15:01:36 GMT

New Paul Weller album features the Stone Foundation horn section!

Saturday - July 11th 2020

On Friday July 10th, Paul Weller's new album 'On Sunset' stormed straight into the UK album charts at number 1 and the SF Horns feature on two tracks - 'More' and 'Old Father Tyme' - Steve is credited with writing the horn arrangements too!

Paul has now had chart-topping albums across five consecutive decades, in three different incarnations: as a solo artist (in 1995, 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2020), in 1982 with The Jam and 1985 with the Style Council.

A real honour to share horn section duties on the record with Chris Storr, Phil Veacock and especially the mighty John Thirkell (apparently this racks up his 24th number 1 album!). Thanks to Paul for trusting in our ability. The Stone Foundation Horn Section are: Steve Trigg - Trumpet / Flugel Horn Dave Boraston - Trumpet / Flugel Horn, Anthony Gaylard - Tenor and Alto Saxes and Paul Speare - Baritone Sax and Flute.

Welcome to my new website

steve.trigg@blueyonder.co.uk (Steve Trigg) — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 12:56:41 GMT

Thanks for popping along

It's taken me a while but I've finally revamped my tired old website. Please pop along, take a look and say hello. I'll be adding new blogs and articles very soon. Steve