Jay Sollenberger is skilled at improvising both his meals and his music. A professional trumpeter for 40 years, Sollenberger plays jazz, symphony, brass ensemble and musical theater venues.</p><p> When it comes to trumpeting his culinary skills, Sollenberger says nothing replaces time spent in preparation. Patrice, his wife of 30 years, and their grown son, Brandon, enjoy Sollenberger&rsquo;s variations on a tasty theme.</p><p><strong>Residence</strong>: Overland Park</p><p><strong>Special cooking interest</strong>: Soups and stews</p><p><strong>You grew up in McPherson, Kan., but saw the world by playing trumpet with the likes of Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich and Bill Chase. How did years of eating on the road shape your appreciation of food?</strong> I learned a few basics of cooking &mdash; how to fry bacon, how to cut an apple &mdash; from my mom. But I really learned to enjoy food on the road with my bandmates. Often, they knew the best places to eat in every town. Sometimes on the road during the holidays, the guys would chip in to make a meal we would enjoy together.</p><p><strong>Are there similarities between making meals and music?</strong> I&rsquo;d like to say it&rsquo;s always jumping, but you have to be organized and put in the preparation time. It&rsquo;s hard for me to stick to a recipe, but I&rsquo;m lost without one when I first start the process. I have to plan and have all the ingredients I&rsquo;m using available, but then I also have the freedom to experiment.</p><p><strong>Is that why you enjoy making soups?</strong> To me, soups aren&rsquo;t just a cold weather food &mdash; green chili also tastes good during the summer. I like making soups year-round. I like the fact that I can make a big pot of soup and freeze it in individual containers, so we have something to eat when it&rsquo;s crazy here. I like using fresh, in-season vegetables when I can, such as substituting jicama for potatoes. I do like to improvise with ingredients. It doesn&rsquo;t always come out great &mdash; sometimes it&rsquo;s too spicy, sometimes not spicy enough &mdash; but I&rsquo;m always working to perfect a recipe, much like I am trying to perfect my music.</p><p><strong>So why did you choose this soup recipe to share?</strong> This recipe is an example of the kind of cooking I love to do, which is very simple, down-home comfort food. A recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook inspired this soup. I think the key to enjoying music and cooking is to have fun, enjoy the variety, be ready to experiment and don&rsquo;t be afraid to fail.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">Solly&rsquo;s Ingredients O&rsquo;plenty Soup</span></strong></p><p>Makes 10 to 12 servings</p><p>4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</p><p>1 medium onion, diced</p><p>4 cloves garlic, finely minced</p><p>2 stalks celery, cleaned and cut into 1-inch dice</p><p>2 carrots, cleaned and cut into 1-inch dice</p><p>1 medium green pepper, cleaned, seeded and finely diced</p><p>2 medium potatoes, peeled and died into 1-inch pieces</p><p> 1/2 pound smoked or baked ham, cut into 1-inch cubes</p><p> 1/2 pound smoked or baked turkey, cut into 1-inch cubes</p><p> 1/2 pound smoked andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces</p><p>1 teaspoon paprika</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon sugar</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon dried basil</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano</p><p> 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme</p><p> 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves</p><p> 1/4 teaspoon black pepper</p><p> 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</p><p>1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste</p><p>1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes</p><p>2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped</p><p>1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed</p><p>1 (15-ounce) can white hominy, drained and rinsed</p><p>1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained and rinsed