Rod McGaha to Take Center Stage in Nashville Jazz Workshop Stream

Trumpeter Rod McGaha has been a vital force in and prolific contributor to the Music City improvisational scene in multiple ways for many years. Throughout the Nashville Jazz Workshop's tenure he's been both a busy instructor and consistent performer, doing concerts and serving as a mentor and inspiration to aspiring players. Currently he's building another career as an outstanding photographer, operating in the tradition of other jazz mainstays like bassist Milt Hinton. McGaha brings a sharp eye and the astute sense of detail, scope and context necessary for excellence in jazz to his work behind the camera. On Wednesday, April 14, you’ll have what’s become an all-too-rare opportunity these days to see him take center stage as a performer, courtesy of the NJW.

A native of Chicago, McGaha recalls the lessons he received from legendary Windy City saxophonist Von Freeman in his early days, and the guidance of other greats like drummer Max Roach and fellow trumpeters Clark Terry and Wynton Marsalis. They all stressed the necessity for stylistic versatility as well as developing a distinctive personal approach to playing — and, most importantly, a passion for the music. 

Throughout his career McGaha has played everything from hard bop to R&B, rock, country and gospel. He's worked with luminaries from Kenny Rogers to Shelby Lynne, Bebe and Cece Winans to Take 6, Lou Rawls to The O'Jays. At one point, he headed the 22-piece United for Peace Orchestra, an all-star aggregation consisting of great musicians from an array of backgrounds doing concerts around the world.

All those experiences have enabled McGaha to become one of the nation's premier jazz artists, and his idiomatic flexibility has been evident in the six albums he's made as a bandleader. When the pandemic began last year, McGaha was among the first artists who offered their services to perform in the Workshop's Jazz From Home online series. Wednesday, he's returning to that setting for another streaming concert. The show at 7 p.m., and tickets are $10 via Eventbrite.