RIP Maynard Ferguson

AP obit, via Billboard:

Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, known for his soaring high notes and for his hit recording of "Gonna Fly Now," which lent the musical muscle to the "Rocky" movies, has died. He was 78.

Ferguson, who lived in Ojai, Calif., died last night (Aug. 23) at Community Memorial Hospital of kidney and liver failure due to an abdominal infection, friend and manager Steve Schankman said. Ferguson's four daughters, Kim, Lisa, Corby and Wilder, and other family members were at his side when he died.

While much of Maynard's later output was in questionable taste (at best), his pre-1970's work as a lead player, soloist, and bandleader is never subtle, exactly, but often stunning, and rightly esteemed. I had enormous respect for Maynard for always keeping a working band together and on the road, right up until the very end. And, well... honesty compels me to cop to really digging his band's gloriously over-the-top versions of "Chameleon" and "Birdland" back when I was thirteen years old. His obit notes he stood just 5'9", but everyone knows a double high C adds at least a foot to your apparent height. We'll miss you, big guy.

Carl Abernathy (Cahl's Juke Joint)
John Seery (Huffington Post)
Michael R. Shipma
i'mjustsayin
David Marc Fischer (Blog About Town) (with YouTube clips)
Doug Ramsey (Rifftides)
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Reuters (via WaPo)

Comments

[Robert Gable]

1.

I also had the Ferguson fever in my early teens...

[godoggo]

2.

also from rifftides, a while back: "interesting comments on the Maynard Ferguson dispute or discussion, or whatever it was."