: : Trombonist Bryan Hooten has been an active musician in Richmond's jazz community for more than a decade and a half. A longstanding member of No BS Brass, during the pandemic he has released a new solo EP while taking on the roles of sole performer, recording engineer and producer. Photo by Anna-Claire Fourness. Our series Checking in returns with an interview featuring trombonist and educator Bryan Hooten. Bryan has been a member of many popular Richmond bands, including Bio Ritmo and Fight the Big Bull and he is currently a member of No BS Brass. In this segment, Bryan discusses the influence of avant garde musicians Ray Anderson and Tim Berne on his playing and composing. We hear samples of Ombak - an experimental jazz ensemble he led in the early 2000’s - and we hear excerpts from his new EP,