Eric Jacobson: A Renowned Jazz Trumpeter and Dedicated Teacher

Eric Jacobson: Passion for Performing and Teaching Music

Eric Jacobson has earned a reputation as a highly demanded trumpeter, an excellent performer who moves the listeners from the first notes with his soulful playing, and a talented teacher who awakens a great passion for music in his students. In this article, we will tell you a bit about this great and multifaceted personality.

Who is Eric Jacobson?

Eric Jacobson is a professional trumpeter based in the USA, known for his exceptional talent. His trumpet performances won the hearts of listeners across the country from East to West. With a professional career spanning over 25 years, Eric has performed on the stages of the best jazz clubs in the country, including venues The Green Mill in Chicago, The Django in New York City, and many more, where he delivered the same intense performance combining great skills and artistry.

His concerts with his quintet have left audiences deeply impressed, evoking a real fountain of emotions. What draws attention to Eric is how he pours his soul and heart into the music which he plays. He constantly pushes the boundaries, offering a high level of emotionality, expressiveness, and innovation. That was what made Eric Jacobson’s performances unforgettable emotional journeys for everyone who was lucky to see them.

What also draws attention to Eric’s music is versatility, since his repertoire isn’t limited to specific genres. Listening to his performances, you can hear the elements of traditional jazz blended perfectly with contemporary styles. That earned him a reputation as a very dynamic musician in the jazz scene.

Eric shared the stage with many famous musicians and ensembles, including Grammy winners. He has performed with Brian Lynch, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Tito Puente Jr., and Eric Benet. He also participated in numerous high-profile events in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Madison. Eric performed at the stages of the Green Mill, Jazz Showcase, Winter’s Jazz Club, and Andy's Jazz Club with the best groups of Chicago, such as Chicago Yestet, Mark Colby’s Quintet, The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and more. In 2019 and 2021, he worked on the CD released by the Brian Lynch's jazz label Holistic MusicWorks. In addition to active studio work, Eric Jacobson has also intensively toured with his group, playing concerts in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., Philly, and New York.

Eric Jacobson Teaching Jazz

With the same deep passion he has for playing the trumpet, Eric enjoys teaching others how to play it. He finds great pleasure in sharing his knowledge and experience in the instrument, for which he has a passion.

Eric shared his knowledge with students of Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, MYSO Jazz Studies, and the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. He was a member of the Jazz Education Network, as well as held jazz workshops at colleges and high schools in various cities of the United States as a guest artist.

In 2024-2025, Eric Jacobson is serving as a temporary adjunct professor at the prestigious School of Music at DePaul University, where he offers courses in the jazz trumpet studio, jazz improvisation, and jazz combo.

Eric Jacobson also offers private lessons in his studio located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. They vary in duration, from half-hour to one-hour lessons. Since 2020, Eric has also been specializing in online lessons, through a variety of platforms such as Facetime, Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Online lessons help him connect with students from different parts of the world and, as he says, they do excellent jobs during this type of interaction. You can learn more about his lessons and sign up for what fits you best on his website, in Eric Jacobson - Lessons section .

Eric shares his knowledge with people of various ages and abilities, combining a respectful attitude, strong work ethic, and the love for practice. Many of his students attend major music schools or have already become professional musicians. What Eric likes about his teaching process is that his lessons aren’t just about the instrument but also about life skills such as responsibility, motivation, and self-discipline.

In his trumpet studio and during online lessons, he focuses on a variety of important topics such as techniques, sight-reading, scales, music and jazz theory, preparing music, and more.

He treats every student individually, considering their needs as an interesting challenge. He devotes enough time to each of them to refine their skills, no matter if they need to work on their embouchure or improve reading skills. He not only teaches them but also coaches them. His students talk about Eric as a world-class jazz trumpeter who inspires and motivates them on their way to impressive results.

You can also enrich your knowledge by checking out his Youtube Channel, where Eric offers beginners and advanced players interesting material on jazz improvisation, jazz vocabulary, and theory. His Youtube Channel is a place where he teaches jazz, shares tips and instructions that he has experienced and tested during his career of 25 + years as a professional trumpeter.

Eric Jacobson’s Books

To teach others, Eric not only uses books that he had collected over 20 years, but also his own books, including “Patterns: a Systematic Approach to True Internalization”. This book contains all the concepts that Eric has discovered and collected and which made him who he is today. That is actually the book of Eric's experience about practicing and performing jazz improvisation, which he uses to train his students to help them become excellent improvisors.

His other books include a practice guide “Jazz Improvisation 2-5-1 Workout", "How To Play Bebop" focusing on developing the bebop language, and others. Many of them include backing tracks, allowing students to play with the music. You can learn more about his work in this field in the section devoted to jazz method books on his website.

Conclusion

Eric Jacobson is a talented musician who achieved great success as a performer and teacher. With a career of more than 25 years, he shared the stage with many renowned ensembles, gained rich experience and developed his own concepts of how to perform jazz. Nowadays he shares his secrets and knowledge as a guest artist, offering workshops at various schools and colleges, as well as motivating and encouraging students through his studio and online lessons. Eric is an author of several jazz method books, designed to develop and refine students' skills regardless of their age and level.

By the way, Eric Jacobson is using a trumpet gig bag from MGLeatherWork, which he values for style, top-notch craftsmanship, and color.