Roy Okutani

I've played a lot of trumpets over the years and I've fantasized that someday I'd find a trumpet that was easy to play and sounded great. Up until now, it was just a fantasy though as deep down, I knew that it was more about me than the instrument. Nevertheless, I searched and hoped. Upon entering the Eclipse shop, I experienced a warm and caring vibe surrounded by lots of bells, valve casings, leadpipes and trumpets with a scent of valve oil and coffee in the air. Leigh and Carl warmly greeted me and invited me to try out their trumpets. In all honesty, I had no intention of purchasing a trumpet. I was curious but skeptical as I had never played an instrument that lived up to my fantasy. After a couple of hours playing all the trumpets, I found myself playing mostly the Large Red. The timbre is dark, warm and round but can also be focused and bright. The interchangable leadpipes also makes the playing and sound characteristics extremely variable. While my intention was to just try out the trumpets, I ended up leaving with the Large Red. With this Large Red Eclipse Enigma, I've found an instrument that is easy to play and sounds great. Thank you Eclipse!

Roy Okutani is currently the director of jazz studies at Birka Folkhögskola in Östersund, Sweden He is from Hilo, Hawaii but has spent many years in Boston, Massachusetts as a very active freelance musician and professor at Berklee College of Music. Since moving to Sweden in 1994, he has been very active as a jazz artist as well as educator. He has been on the faculty at the music conservatory in Trondheim, Norway and at the music conservatories in Malmö, Sweden and Piteå, Sweden.