Terry has been at the forefront of jazz through most of his six-decade career. Along the way, he has exerted great influence on a whole generation of musicians, most notably trumpet players Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. In the foreword to Seeing Jazz: Artists and Writers on Jazz,

Clark Terry at a UNH jam session. Photo by Gary Samson

As Seiler says, everybody calls Terry. Every time a jazz festival or a significant recording session is scheduled, someone suggests asking Clark Terry to play. Chesky Records posts Terry's appearances on its Web site. In the first half of this year alone, he was to perform at three dozen events, ranging from the Louis Armstrong Celebration at Carnegie Hall to dates with the Summit Jazz Orchestra in Germany and Switzerland. Terry's yearly visits to Durham are whirlwind tours as well. He insists on making the most of his visits, reaching out to both the university and the surrounding community.

In the week preceding the jazz festival, Terry works with the UNH Jazz Band, spends time with a trumpet master class and visits professor John Ernest's African American history class. In between official gigs, he finds time to reminisce and discuss music with Seiler, professor emeritus Paul Verrette '52 and Bill Ross, head of UNH Special Collections.

The four get together while Terry has a quick lunch, courtesy of his friend Seiler. Because of Terry's diabetes, Seiler makes sure the musician pauses long enough to eat. "He takes very good care of me," Terry says with a smile.