Happy Cinco de Mayo! Or, as I like to refer to it: Happy Thaddeus Moves To Texas Day!!! Wow, can’t believe its been 10 YEARS ALREADY! So much has happened since then. In many ways, my life has never been better. I get asked so often (from New Orleanians AND Dallas musicians) why would I leave New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz, where a trumpeter is king, to move to N. Texas? Well, truth be told, I’m STILL trying to figure that out! But seriously, the answer is two-fold: I felt that I had my fill of NOLA (at that time) and I was chasing love.
At that time (in NOLA), I had played with everyone and everywhere I wanted to. The last band that I had before I left was called “The New Orleans Young Legacy Ensemble”, which featured musicians who were a part of musical families or had extensive musical ties to the city. Allen L. Dejan Jr., Troy Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews & Orleans Avenue (just the trombonist/trumpeter, not the band!), Davell Crawford and others. We played music from all of the legendary NOLA musicians…from Fats Domino, The Meters, Clyde Rudolph Kerr Jr., etc. After a very public (on the gig) verbal altercation between me, the venue owner and one of the band mates, I felt it was time for me to see and do some new things. Plus, the woman I was dating at the time decided to move to Plano, TX. I had never even heard of such a place and the division between she and I made it seem like the WACKEST place on Earth! I tried to convince her not to move but she decided to anyway, Dec. 2003. A few months passed, a couple of drives to Addison, TX (where she eventually settled) I decided to take a 2 wk vacation from everything and come and hang in N. Texas. May 5, 2004, I drive in and meet her at a festival in Fair Park. Had my first taste of guacamole! I’m not sure if it was the culture, the guac or true love but my 2 wk holiday turned into 10 YEARS! We eventually got married (and divorced) and had a beautiful daughter.
Gigs were slow going at first. Initially, it just seemed like every gig here was background music at restaurants…which was a culture shock to me. I was like, you mean to tell me that people go to eat at places because there’s “jazz”, but don’t really want to actually listen to and support the band playing?!? I eventually fell into a good scene though. I decided to look in the Observer, to see where the jazz was happening. Each week, I kept seeing The Balcony in the paper and hearing it on KNTU 88.1. I remember I called the club and Todd Buckley answered the phone. I asked him what was the dress code? He kinda chuckled and said none. So, me and my ex-wife went down there, trumpet in the car, and sat at the bar. We got into an argument and I sat fuming. I immediately left, got my trumpet and jumped in on a Bb blues…did my New Orleans thang, hand plunger and growling were involved! Crowd went bonkers! Charles Nugent then calls off rhythm changes at some god awful, break neck speed and I’m like whoa, hanging on for dear life! Afterwards, Art Riddles pulls me over and says, “We NEVER play that fast!”. I met Lincoln Apeland that night too…he had on a blue blazer, white t-shirt and torn jeans. He looked like some kinda smooth jazz cat playing tenor. He walked up to me and said, here’s my card, you SHOULD gimme a call! My first gig didn’t come until a few months later when Shelley Carrol invited me to play in his big band at the now defunct D’Jango’s in Addison, TX. I used to go watch him play every Wednesday with Red Young, Freddie Jones. LeMark Gulley and Yashi Vaughn. It was sort of embarrassing because I was late and the whole big band had on all black and I had on some crazy funky shirt, a denim blazer and mustard colored jeans! Thanks to the many people I sat in with at The Balcony, I was eventually able to put my own band together and play all over the Metroplex, from Kirby’s Steakhouse, The House of Blues, Dallas Museum of Arts and everything in between! A BIG thank you to Jeffrey Liles for letting me play at The Kessler, which is still my fav place to play in Dallas…it reminds me of Tipitina’s! My last scheduled gig was last Oct 8 at Tuesday Nite Jazz (thank you Robert Swann )…which, never happened due to that little incident called a heart attack that kind of got in the way!
Although I’ve been blessed to be able to perform in Texas, the most substantial thing that has changed my life is the family of friends that have embraced and edified me in the last 3 1/2 years. Between the two cornerstones of a divorce and a heart attack, I’ve seen the lowest of lows, to the highest of highs. 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you said I’d have gotten a divorce, slept in a car, called a hotel my residence for 8 months, drove a rental for the same amount of time, worked as a manager in a beauty store, sweat bullets before a child support judge, have a bi-racial son named after me and my father, etc. The funny and amazing thing is that God wasn’t surprised by any of this…from leaving NOLA to today as I type. Truth be told, He was gently nudging me out of my city…I knew my whole life that although I am New Orleans, there was much more for me to see. do, experience that NOLA couldn’t provide me. My life’s testimony is that all good things work together for them that love the Lord and are called to His purpose. Through the tragedy and division of divorce, I came to the end of the Thaddeus that most of you knew…including myself. Truthfully, I never knew myself. I was merely acting the way I thought I was supposed to act…to get what I wanted…be it professionally or personally. My life centered around me and my wants/desires…gigs, nightlife, self-promotion, travel, general debauchery and tom-foolery…basically, just a life filled with vices. The shock and sting and embarrassment of divorce showed me the futility of my existence. Literally, I thought my life was over…I actually wanted it to be over, literally. Through an uncle married to my mom’s sister, God brought a man into my life…a spiritual father, who helped me understand who I was and the terrible state of my existence and who I was actually created to be. I began the process of dying to myself. On the surface, it was to recapture my wife and daughter. He ultimately stressed to me though that regardless of if that happened or not, my life still mattered and that I was loved by many people. And I was…by him ( Bryon Wiebold and his lovely wife Misty) and a cast of characters including the Lumberson’s, Adams family, the Curry’s, the Burk’s and many more. I met several gentleman who I consider to be my brothers…Chris Church, Jeremy Scott Tammaro, Jackson Reap and more. Obviously, the divorce went through and it hurt like crazy. God used that process to bring me closer to Him. I’ve learned so much about love…real love, by being broken. My heart was broken into so many pieces after losing my ex-wife and daughter. But when God rebuilds, no man/woman can tear it down.
Through fellowship with my new family and having a new heart filled with love, God saw fit that I give that love away…to a new woman. On paper, it was never supposed to be: she’s 10 years my junior, she was one of my employees, different racial/cultural backgrounds, etc. But God had a different plan! He loves to take opposites and make them work for His purpose. We started off as friends…slowly, secretively (workplace romance/fraternization was a no-no). I remember I was so nervous I called Bryon and asked if he thought it was a good idea for me to meet her for coffee! You gotta remember, I wasn’t the same charismatic, full of myself Thad I had been before…this was a humble, broken me! Lunch break dates at Wendy’s turned into late night dates at Turkish restaurants and hookah bars…which eventually lead to her being my number one fan at my gigs at The Balcony, Free Man, Kessler, etc. Eventually, Heather and I were surprised with the news of her being pregnant. Although we were excited for new life, we would have preferred it to come in a different way. Knowing that God doesn’t make mistakes and that life is a gift, we embraced the idea of bringing our little boy into the world! T3 was born in McKinney, TX on 1-12-13. With my new found love and family, I felt that God had truly restored me and that I was invincible…until.
On Oct. 7, 2013, while driving to Hunter Hendrickson’s for my rehearsal, I suffered a heart attack. I didn’t think it was a heart attack though…just some sort of anxiety attack. But when my left arm went numb, vision blurred, sweating bullets, puking in a Tom Thumb parking lot, I knew something was wrong. After about 20 minutes I drove back to Heather’s and laid on the floor asking for water, still wanting to make my rehearsal that night (smh). The warrior spirit in her wasn’t having it and she convinced me that I needed to go to the hospital (which, if you’ve dated me, you know I NEVER do/did!). She drove me to the ER, got hooked to an EKG, was informed that I was having a heart attack and that if I waited another hour, I wouldn’t have been here any longer. They inserted a stent into a 100% blocked artery. Heather saved my life…in more ways than she knows. There are not enough life times for me to repay her for who and what she is to me.
So, here I am today. I have no gigs lined up. You don’t see me on anybody’s scene…anywhere, sitting in, showing off, poking my chest out, flirting, etc. I am borrowing a friends trumpet, an intermediate Holton because my little Chinese trumpet I bought in Shanghai is broken and I have no desire to get it fixed! (on a side note Jason Harrelson of Harrelson Trumpets and I are collaborating on building a one of a kind trumpet with a build date set for July and he is sprucing up my father’s old Bach, fitting it with his new AGR design, which I’ll be playing until the custom horn is finished). About a month ago, I just started practicing again…totally committing myself to re-learning the instrument in a new way. I can honestly say, I haven’t “wowed” an audience in months but it feels so refreshing to just play for me, my son and my God…and my daddy and Grandpa Clarence, if they’re listening! The trumpet feels natural to me again…like an extension of my spirit, soul and body. I’m not afraid of what will come out of the bell because I’m no longer “trying” to be somebody for other people. I’m actually excited about what is and will come out now. Coming to the end of my rope forced me to address my character and not all of the external ornamentation, like I had been for all of my life. So now, if you hear me play, you’re not hearing what my grandpa or father taught me on Galvez or Gallier St., you’re not hearing what Clyde Kerr showed me, you’re DEFINITELY not hearing me try and imitate Wynton Marsalis or Irvin Mayfield anymore!!! Hopefully, you’ll hear a man who has reached the end of himself and is allowing a resurrected life to flow through him and the end of his trumpet bell. God is truly doing a work in me…quietly whispering things to my spirit. I find myself in a good place today…FAR, FAR from where I thought I’d be at this age. I’ve never been more at peace. I can’t promise you that you’re gonna see me playing at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro or The Balcony Club or The Kessler anytime soon. Although I loved performing in Istanbul, Shanghai, Italy, Switzerland, etc., not sure if/when I’ll get back. Yea, the stage at S.O.B’s, Tramp’s and The Apollo Theater in New York were professional highlights but I may never get there again. For the first time in my life, the struggle to get to all of that doesn’t exist…and I’m ok with that.
I truly hope that in some way, my life can be a testimony that blesses people; through my writings, my music, a conversation, etc. Today, there is nothing more important to me than yielding my life as His vessel. Thank you to friends, family and fans from New Orleans to Dallas, from Shanghai to Fribourg, and ESPECIALLY in lil’ ol’ McKinney, TX for showing me how to receive AND give love…true love. Honestly, that’s all I have to give you. Thanks for receiving it.
Thaddeus Ford
Thaddeus Ford 