Originally Posted by Jimi Michiel

I'm sorry, I can't get into his playing. By all accounts he is a great person and an incredible trumpet player, but there's just not a whole lot there. It's a beautiful sound, but there's just no style. I find the same thing with a lot of his recordings with the NYP. Phenomenal trumpet playing, but it's almost robotic. In a drop the needle test next to MA, Eklund and Hakan Hardenberger, the only way I could pick out Phil Smith's is by noting the lack of style interpretation.

Sorry, the guy is great role model for young trumpeters, but I've always felt his beautiful sound and near perfect technique were brought down by his failure to present any kind of personality in his playing.

-Jimi