Kenneth Rice is the owner of the Little Shop of Horns in Temecula. The shop celebrated its 20th anniversary, Nov. 5. Courtesy photo
From the time Kenneth Rice was 9 years old, he wanted to play saxophone.“When I was 12, my father took me to the fire station which was the auditorium, and Duke Ellington’s band was playing,” Rice said. “They were having rehearsal and they told me to bring my saxophone, so I actually got to sit in and play with them.”Johnny Hodges, a saxophonist who did some solo work with Duke Ellington’s band, patted Rice on the knee, he said, while they were reading his music chart and told him that he didn’t have it, but to keep rehearsing and someday he would.“Because of them, I continued to play,” Rice said.He started small bands in high school and later playing professionally.“We played all the school parties and stuff like that, and then life went on and I en
