Trombonist Jermaine Bryson: Making The Spiritual Connection Through Music
The spiritual connection Jermaine Bryson has with music goes back to his earliest memories. Family and friends commented on his love of music, even dubbing him a human jukebox. At age four, he started playing trumpet, studying the instrument through high school, and receiving accolades and awards — and then he became intrigued by the trombone.
Today, he’s a globetrotting professional musician, and for seven years, has been showcasing his skills as a trombonist with the legendary Kool and the Gang band. He continues to chart a path as a musical trendsetter independently and as the dynamic bandleader of Mozaic Flow, which features his musically talented brothers: co-founder Travien Bryson aka “Pockets,” and Damon Bryson aka “Tuba Gooding, Jr.” from the Legendary Roots Crew.
“It’s starting to come full circle, as far as the Bryson Boys doing something on their own and with their own influences,” says Jermaine as he reflects on the brother’s evolution from pretending instruments to genuine players.
“We all grew up in the church. We were always doing something collectively like, even as young kids, we were making music organically, but we didn’t aspire to become professional musicians — I equated being a musician with being broke, and Damon wanted to be an actor — and we all put ourselves into these positions because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. This was the gift that we were given, and now it’s time for us to start doing what we need to do musically to get out a positive message. We just kind of fell into two of the greatest groups on the hip hop and funk side (The Roots and Kool & the Gang). We played in the church, but God said, ‘I got something else for you, so when it’s time for me to speak through you, the masses will hear it.’ Hey, I’m a believer now…We’re creating amongst each other and putting it out there in the universe.”
To date, Jermaine has shared his musical voice with a variety of accomplished artists in the musical field, from gospel greats such as The Dixie Hummingbirds to hip hop’s Jay Z, Public Enemy, Musiq Soulchild, Mos Def, and Q-Tip to R&B’s Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Chuck Brown, Kindred The Family Soul, Earth Wind & Fire, Michael McDonald, and Eddie Levert.
In the quest to discover his own musical voice, Jermaine attended Howard University and graduated from Temple University with a degree in Jazz Performance — and credits Lovett Hines and the music education programming of the Philadelphia Clef Club for putting him on the path to success.
“Lovett has touched so many people’s lives, and he was very instrumental regarding my musical career. He was the reason I was able to get into Howard University. I was an athlete with football and music scholarships and wanted to play football and put music on the back burner. But Lovett, my grandparents, and parents said, ‘Man, you have a gift’…He has always pushed me, telling me I was a trombone player even though I played trumpet and only trombone by ear,” laughing uproariously at the memory, adding: “But that’s a whole story in itself.”
Inspired, Jermaine dove into the trombone, eventually transitioning to it becoming his primary instrument. As he developed his skills, so did his creative outlook on musical arrangement and performance. It also helped him build business acumen, an intense zeal for success, and a desire to produce material that engages diverse audiences.
“Before every solo, I go in a corner, and I pray to be able to express with my God-given talent through the music and to reach out and touch people’s souls while understanding there is a higher being,” allows Jermain humbly. “I’m just a vessel; a conduit that’s reached that vertical current as [the Creator] is flowing through me.”