FH: I was approximately 12 years old when I first started playing in public. And that took place at The Presbyterian Church of Teaneck where my mother introduced me to learning about God and religion. I performed hymnals and classical oriented pieces written for trumpet. Later on in life my repertoire expanded into Negro spirituals.
NBJP: What’s your favorite non-jazz tune?
FH: I don’t have a favorite non-jazz tune. I enjoy too much music in general to have a favorite.
NBJP: You are a musician, is there another art in which you’d like to be accomplished?
FH: As a teenager I was a good drawer of superheroes/cartoon characters. But that was another time. I don’t have an interest in being an accomplished drawer/painter type of artist.
NBJP: What’s your favorite (G-rated) non-musical pastime?
FH: I really enjoyed deep sea fishing with my now deceased father and brother when I was a kid! I equally enjoyed being a quite excellent baseball player as well! Baseball was a huge love for me when I was practicing to become an accomplished professional musician.
NBJP: What’s the worst (non musical) job you ever had?
FH: The worst job I ever had was a janitorial job cleaning banks, churches, and schools.
NBJP: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be?
FH: If I could live anywhere in the world, I would want to live in Sardegna because that’s where my wife is from and it’s suppose to be really beautiful there!!!
NBJP: Finish this sentence – I own too many _______________
FH: I own too many clothes that I don’t even wear anymore
PLUS ONE: When did you know that you wanted to be a professional jazz musician?
FH: I knew by my junior year in high school that I was going to become a professional musician because my high school director planted the seed in my mind to begin thinking about it when I was a sophomore.