Touching Listener’s Soul is Key

Trumpeter Joey Sommerville realizes just how lucky he is. He is one of the relatively few musicians who makes a living playing his instrument. Recording, commercials and the occasional voiceover are his bread and butter. Playing to a live audience, however, is when Sommerville’s incredible talent ignites a room.

“I have no complaints,” said the affable Johns Creek resident in a recent interview. “I do what I love.”

When asked how many years he has been playing his horn, Sommerville laughed and replied, “Longer than some people have been alive!”

His long experience and dedication have obviously paid off for Sommerville as his career is lately on the upswing. He has been signed by Three Keys Music, a company headed by Marcus Johnson and distributed by Koch Distribution.

“Like You Mean It” will be released worldwide on May 12. The CD’s title track is an infectious Latin flavored party jam that catapulted Joey to number seven on the smooth jazz Indie charts, catching the attention of industry insiders like Marcus Johnson, head of Three Keys Music. Aside from being wildly talented, Johnson considers Sommerville to be a humble and hardworking trumpet player.

"Joey is entrepreneurial and he understands the new music business model. His talent and creative flexibility allow him to play with a great project, spinning it into something truly incredible," said Johnson.

Trumpeter extraordinaire Joey Sommerville amazes an audience with his unique mix of be-bop jazz and melodic soul. Roots in the Baptist church inspired him to pursue playing the trumpet, but Sommerville didn’t stop there.

To the soul and melodic fire of gospel music, Sommerville added a generous helping of be-bop, a dollop of rhythm and blues, and a sprinkle of hip-hop for a truly original musical concoction.

Detroit native Somerville explains his passion, “If you aren’t touching the listener’s soul, you aren’t really playing music”, he says. “Soul communication is the key”.

His talent for communing with listeners reveals itself in his eclectic combination of classic styles with the newer influences of R&B and hip-hop. His previous CD “Ride to This” is laden with head-nodding, hip-hop-influenced, rhythm-and-blues-infused jazz tunes showcasing amazing and blazing trumpet sounds.

“Like You Mean It” features twelve hot, smooth and mellow tunes featuring cuts with Wayman Tisdale, Marion Meadows, Phil Perry, Bob Baldwin, Rhonda Smith and Mike Phillips. Sommerville channels a perfect mix of bouncy grooves, Latin vibes and House Beats, all infused with the melodic soul of this incredible talent.

Atlanta’s Smooth Jazz 107.5 WJZZ has placed “Like You Mean It” in heavy radio rotation and they broadcast Sommerville’s Live Performances every Thursday night at Sambuca Jazz Café. Nationally known artists such as the legendary Ronnie Laws, Marion Meadows, keyboard legend and producer Jeff Lorber make special guest appearances each week (www.joeysommerville.com).

“Like You Mean It” is not only an album title; the phrase also applies to Sommerville’s personal philosophy of working, playing and living authentically.

“I play at Sambuca down in Buckhead a lot,” said Sommerville. “But there’s a new place on Old Milton Parkway called Pisces Seafood and Jazz where they have live music every night. I’ve played there a handful of times and the audience is really in tune with my kind of music.”

A self-professed “car nut,” Sommerville also drives his high-performance Corvette like he means it. “When I’m not working, I spend a lot of time on my car. I take it up to the Road Atlanta track and drive it,” he said. Although he has “a laundry list” of dream cars, his next goal is a Ferrari F355 or F430.

Sommerville originally met his wife, Jean, at a voiceover for a jingle. They moved to metro Atlanta in 1997 and have made their home in Johns Creek for five years. This family man enjoys hanging out with Jean and their college-age children, Lenny and Alexandra. With no specific agenda, the Sommervilles like to “go with the flow.”

“Alex plays the flute recreationally,” he said. “Occasionally, they’ll come see me play if they’re in town, but they grew up going to shows. It’s old hat to them.”

Intrigued by music from different cultures and countries, Sommerville explained, “I listen to a lot of stuff I don’t play. It’s always great to hear music played in a way I’ve never heard before,” he said.

“I’ve had so much fun playing over the years that I couldn’t possibly single out one moment or gig as the most exciting,”