Kansas City Trumpeter Daniel Dissmore is a restless soul. He found our time with COVID-19 a comforting time, a time to slow it all down.
“Don't get me wrong, it was a difficult time (and) it was a blessing in disguise for me.” said Dissmore, “I was able to take advantage of stepping away from performing and the hustle and bustle of modern life. I was able to get back to myself.”
Dissmore was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. The family lived there for two years. And then they moved on, which became the norm his life. His father was in the military. So, for Daniel various cities across the country became his home until he landed here in Kansas City.
“I'm not entirely sure how jazz became a part of my life. It's one of those funny things, I just knew that I always wanted to play the trumpet,” said Dissmore, “not sure where that came from. I picked up the trumpet and was introduced to jazz through school. Once I found out what a vehicle it was for expression, I just fell in love with it.”
Dissmore arrived in Kansas City about five years ago. He called it, “a negative that led to a positive”. Dissmore stopped by the BAC Horn Shop, owned by Mike Corrigan. Corrigan immediately recognized Daniel’s talents. “Mike heard me playing and allowed me to try out some of his horns. Then, he invited me to get lunch with him and trombonist Trevor Turla,” explained Dissmore, “Trevor invited me to the jam session that night at The Blue Room, and (from there) I just kept going, a call, led to a call, led to a call.”
These days, Dissmore plays plenty of gigs. Many of them center around his now, good friend Trevor Turla. They play in a variety of settings. Lately, Dissmore has been playing with the Relativity Brass Band, modeled after the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. This seems to bring Dissmore a great sence of pride.
While he notes that Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong were early influences, it was another more meteoric artist that made Dissmore do what he’s doing today.“One of my primary influences to get into music was Tupac Shakur,” explained Dissmore, “feeling the gravity of what he was able to do through his art, the way he spoke to me, and my soul, in my life.”
The first live jazz show Dissmore attended was a concert by the Airmen of Note, the United States Air Forces’ top jazz band. This was during his time as a student at K-State in Manhattan. “You don't know why you gravitate towards something or why something clicks,” said Dissmore, “(that concert) just sparked a fire in me.”
That fire turned Dissmore into a talented young in demand musician and led him to Kansas City.
“There's a great spirit here, not a whole lot of ego, everyone accepts where everyone (else) is at.” said Dissmore. “We all take care of each other and guide each other to be better.” He’s performing practically every day now, and he’s found his purpose in playing the trumpet.
“To be able to touch people in a positive manner,” said Dissmore, “to bring them something that lifts up their spirits, and their day.” This gives him purpose. His restless soul may still be searching, but his playing and the interest he generates with his horn are getting notice.
“I'm (still) trying to figure things out. I’m also realizing it's a lifelong search. We are always discovering new parts of ourselves and shedding parts of ourselves. It's nature,” said Dissmore. “It's always a circle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. The tree at one point was an acorn, then a sapling, and it kept growing and growing.”
by Joe Dimino
Listen to the complete Neon Jazz Interview - https://youtu.be/Wms7sdKXcEI
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