[TPIN] Circus Bands

[Nick Mondello]

Keith Greene! Now THERE'S a helluva great trumpet player. Truly one of the most underrated players going. Legendary is right on!

Keith was a contemporary of mine at Berklee and an enormous musical talent then and now. I marveled at his awesome technique and power, even as a young man. 

He joined the Ringling Brothers circus band in the late 60's eventually went on to spend 30 years as musical director of one of the then two Ringling Brothers units.

I believe he's retired now in Florida (think it's the Jupiter area) still playing marvelously. 


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I heard a long time ago that Keith Greene (legendary circus trumpeter 
who could play "double A's" with one hand on the horn while counting off 
the next tune) said that Vinnie Di Martino was the most phenomenal 
circus book sight reader.  I asked Vinnie about it when he came to our 
school for a clinic, and he said he practiced sightreading fast, to 
improve his "circus chops".  Sounds obvious, but few of us would think 
to do it, I think!