Hugh Ragin lives a life of creativity and flow. However, he is not the only one who has been creative with his narrative. Wikipedia claimed that Ragin was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“Somehow, a jazz history book said I was born in Honolulu,” said Ragin, with a bemused smile. “I was born and raised in Houston, Texas.”
This is one of the many stories that the jazz trumpeter shares about a most varied and interesting existence that forms the complex tapestry of his being.
Having melodic roots, Ragin asserts to have started his musical training in his mother’s womb, as she was a teacher from the time before he entered the world.
“She’d be teaching music classes, and I have memories from about three to five years of age going with her while she was teaching students in grades kindergarten to sixth,” recalled Ragin. “I absorbed a lot from the music fundamentals repetition.”
Music was not initially a conscious primary interest for the young Ragin, who had visions of playing football. His trajectory took a major turn in the eighth grade when his seven other football peers all decided they wanted to play the trumpet and joined the school band.
“I didn’t know the mechanics, so I couldn’t really play.” shared Ragin. “I was about 25th chair. I was building myself up to have a strong sense of music by sitting at the bottom and helping other band members.”
When Ragin decided to focus on helping himself, he found out what it would take to become first chair and began to practice every day, taking weekly private lessons. That was the start of a life-long dedication to his art; earning a degree in music education from the University of Houston, a degree in trumpet performance from Colorado State University, and a doctorate in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder.
With a self-proclaimed funk style of playing, Ragin challenges himself to always become his best self, whether by trying to learn an unfamiliar instrument, putting himself in a challenging space, or being a scholar by reading every day on his constant quest for learning – and always seeking the ingredients for magic.
Ragin often discovers that magic in his performances; most apparent when no one rushes off – either the band or the audience. When everyone is soaking in what was just heard and they are too mesmerized to move.
“Magic happens when everybody, the audience and the performers, are breathing together,” explained Ragin. “It happens when there’s audience involvement, when it’s relaxed and like family, and the audience is connected to the experience.”
He has been honored to have experienced and met other musical legends, including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herb Albert; and he has gained pearls of wisdom from each of them.
When Ragin saw Louis Armstrong perform, segregation was in full force with African Americans being required to sit in the back of the auditorium.
“That smile of Louis’, that warmth – you could feel it all the way in the back,” marveled Ragin. “It made me realize how much it is about the love of the instrument.”
“Dizzy Gillespie was more clown than trumpet player,” remembered Ragin. “But then in all seriousness, he gave me words that stick with me to this day. He said, ‘I want to show you something, but first you have to know how it feels. Put your horn down and practice rhythm…Know how it feels, and put your own thing on it.’”
Denver’s own Charles Burrell gave Ragin more unforgettable advice.
“He told me to ‘take the technical ingredients, mix them with love, and then you’ll get what you want out of it.’”
The accomplished Colorado jazz musician has a worldwide scope, having given workshops at the Paris Conservatory of Music and working on a current goal of a full orchestra work in progress project to perform at the Savoy. Cultural vibration is another important rhythm for Ragin.
Outside of the musical realm, he is a proud Omega, echoing the principles of manhood, scholarship, uplift, and perseverance. Education is always at Ragin’s life and heart center as he leads a variety of ensembles, music classes, and workshops, primarily at CU Boulder.
The talented performer and composer currently has nine CDs, as a leader or co-leader.
On most first Friday evenings of any month, Ragin can be found playing his improvisational jazz with the Joe Bonner Legacy Jam Session at brother jeff’s Cultural Center on Welton Street in Five Points.
“Dr. Hugh Ragin isn’t just a master of the trumpet,” described brother jeff, “he’s a master of expression. His sound speaks truth, soul, and freedom. His impact in everything he does is immeasurable.”
“Metaphorically speaking, we are all in this cloud,” concluded Ragin. “It’s about being aware of what comes and goes like a passing cloud; a spirit of consciousness, with everyone adding what is uniquely their own – Just like being in a flow of magic.”
Author’s note: Wikipedia has been corrected since the article interview with Hugh Ragin.)
