Julian Priester (born 29 June 1935 in Chicago) is an American jazz tromboni… Read Full Bio ↴Julian Priester (born 29 June 1935 in Chicago) is an American jazz trombonist and composer.
He has played with many artists including Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.

Priester attended Chicago's DuSable High School, where he studied under Walter Dyett. In his teens he played with blues and R&B artists such as Muddy Waters, Dinah Washington, and Bo Diddley, and had the opportunity to jam with jazz players like Max Roach, trumpeter Clifford Brown, and saxophonist Sonny Stitt.

In the early 1950s Priester was a member of Sun Ra's big band, recording several albums with the group before leaving Chicago in 1956 to tour with Lionel Hampton. In 1958 he settled in New York and joined the band of drummer Max Roach. While playing in Roach's group Priester also recorded two albums as a leader, Keep Swingin' and Spiritsville for Riverside, both of which came out in 1960.

In 1961 Priester left the Max Roach band, and between 1961 and 1969 appeared as a sideman on albums by Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Blue Mitchell, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, and Sam Rivers. During that period he also took part in John Coltrane's Africa/Brass ensemble, which played with Coltrane's quartet on the album by the same name recorded in 1961. In 1969 he accepted an offer to play with Duke Ellington's big band, and he stayed with that ensemble for six months before leaving in 1970 to join pianist Herbie Hancock's fusion sextet.

After leaving the Hancock group in 1973, Priester moved to San Francisco, where he recorded two more albums as a leader: Love, Love in 1974 and 1977's Polarization. In 1979 he joined the faculty of Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where he teaches jazz composition, performance, and history. In the 1980s he became a member of the Dave Holland quintet and also returned to Sun Ra's band; the 1990s saw the addition of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra to his schedule. In addition to teaching and touring, Priester continues to record albums under his own name. He released Hints on Light and Shadow (with Sam Rivers and Tucker Martine) in 1997 and followed it up in 2003 with In Deep End Dance.

Because most of his career was spent touring and recording with artists more significant than himself Priester has not received the attention he perhaps deserves. His musical experience spans to the borders of jazz and beyond, encompassing R&B, bebop, hard bop, and progressive and free jazz.

Once in a While
Julian Priester Lyrics

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Once in a while will you try to give
One little thought to me
Though someone else may be
Nearer your heart?

Once in a while will you dream
Of the moments I shared with you
Moments before we two

Drifted apart?

In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
That spark may burn again

I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory
Knowing you think of me
Once in a while

In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
The spark may burn again

I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory

Knowing you think of me
Once in a while

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Julian Priester's song "Once in a While" describe a longing for a past love that has slipped away. The singer is asking their former partner if they ever think of them, even though someone else is now nearer to their heart. The singer remembers moments they shared together before drifting apart and wonders if their former partner thinks of those moments as well. The lyrics express the idea that even though the relationship has ended and the emotions have cooled, there is still the possibility that a spark of love could be rekindled, especially if the memory of love is kept alive.

The use of the metaphor "love's smoldering ember" reinforces the idea that the feelings between the two individuals have not completely extinguished, but are still burning, albeit at a lower intensity. The repetition of the phrase "once in a while" emphasizes that the singer does not expect their former partner to obsess over their memory or to rekindle their love entirely. Rather, the singer simply wants to know if their former partner still thinks of them, and if there is any possibility for the love between them to be reawakened.

Overall, the lyrics of "Once in a While" express a melancholic nostalgia for a past love, while also hinting at the possibility of a second chance.

Line by Line Meaning

Once in a while will you try to give
Can we have a conversation sometimes?

One little thought to me
Can I please occupy a little part of your mind?

Though someone else may be
Though you may be seeing someone else

Nearer your heart?
Who might hold a special place in your heart?

Once in a while will you dream
Can you dream of me sometimes?

Of the moments I shared with you
Recall the moments of our past

Moments before we two
Remembering the time when it was just the two of us

Drifted apart?
When we went our separate ways

In love's smoldering ember
In the fire of love that eventually faded away

One spark may remain
Can we rekindle the flame that once existed?