Beyond the numbers

It might be dangerous to ask Jim Margetts to tap out the “Chicken Dance” on his piano.

The non-trumpet half of the band Two Men and a Trumpet played at a German restaurant while in college. Just about every night someone requested the memorable tune.

“That would be on my list,” he said when asked about songs that made him cringe.

But the list is short. For the most part, Margetts and his trumpet-playing partner Adam Lambert enjoy just about every piece of music written for their instruments. Their concert selection includes classical, jazz—even tunes from Hollywood favorites.

The duo visits Sidney on March 21 as part of the High Plains Arts Council concert season. Although Margetts and Lambert have been playing together for the past seven years, it will be their first Nebraska Arts Council performance in the western part of the state.

It’s sort of a short trip for the pair.

“When you live in western Nebraska you get used to driving,” Margetts said. “Going to Sidney is like going to the grocery store.”

Well, not quite. The two began playing together at Chadron State College, where Margetts still teaches in the music department. Lambert has since transferred to Southern Utah University.  

The distance puts some unique pressures on their practice schedule. They tried playing by Skype, but buffering delays upset their timing. So they settled on trading recordings, making changes over the phone and sitting down in the same room whenever possible.

“When you have a good musical relationship time melts away,” Margetts pointed out.

Familiarity with the region helps on this particular trip. They will perform for music students at Bridgeport High School, in part as a tune up for the Sidney appearance and in part a visit to a former student now teaching at the school. Their ring of friends includes Nathan Butler of Sidney and Shawn Oakes, familiar to students at Leyton.

Both will join the band on stage at Sidney High School on March 21 for a few songs. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

Lambert and Margetts decided upon the name Two Men and a Trumpet because it highlighted the forgotten fact that scores of songs have been penned with a single horn in mind. The concept was also different—and honest.

“I’m afraid that would be scary,” Margetts said when asked if two trumpets might make more sense.

He doesn’t mind that the piano goes unmentioned, at least until they take the stage.

“Piano players get stuck in the back,” he pointed out with a laugh. “But we have a good time.”

Of course, the reason most performers play for an audience is to spread that good time. So they select from a range of genres. And they hope to open a few eyes—without resorting to the chicken dance gimmicks.

“People can expect to be entertained, to tap their feet, to sit back and relax,” Margetts said of their show. “But they might be surprised at what a trumpet and piano can do. It’s very energetic and people will be surprised.”