Maynard Ferguson (May 4, 1928 in Montreal, Canada - Died August 23, 2006 in Ventura, California) was a jazz trumpet player and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He was noted for being able to play accurately in a remarkably high register, and for his bands, which act as stepping stones for up-and-coming talent.
| Maynard Ferguson |
|---|
| Born |
| May 4, 1928, Montreal, Canada |
| Died |
| August 23, 2006, Ventura, California |
| Occupation |
| Trumpet player, Jazz bandleader, singer |
| Career milestones |
Early life and education
He was born in Verdun, Quebec (now part of Montreal). Encouraged by his mother and father, Maynard was playing piano and violin by the age of four. At nine years old, Maynard heard a cornet for the first time in his local church and asked his parents to purchase him one. He won a scholarship to the French Conservatory of Music where he received formal training and in 1941, at age thirteen, Maynard soloed as a child prodigy with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra. During his teen years, he led a band in Montreal. In 1949, he moved to the United States in hopes of joining Stan Kenton's big band in New York City.
Accomplishments in the US
Ferguson began playing with Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet. In 1950, Stan Kenton formed his new Innovations Orchestra in Los Angeles with Ferguson as his star attraction. After the Innovations experiment proved a commercial failure, Ferguson stayed in the Kenton organization through its shift back into touring as a jazz big band, although he was still too young to travel with the band, and was separately driven by his parents behind the band's bus.
By 1954, Maynard left the Innovations Orchestra to work for Paramount Pictures on film soundtracks in Hollywood. He played lead trumpet on such notable films as The Ten Commandments.
After leaving Paramount, Ferguson had perhaps the most fertile period of his career, leading first the Birdland Dream Band, then his bands which featured the Joe Zawinul, Don Menza, Mike Abene, and Jaki Byard. Ferguson's multi-instrumental skills were much in evidence during this period, as he soloed on virtually all the brass instruments.
Europe
In the mid 1960s, Maynard had a yearning to take his family and his music to England. Maynard's explanation for this move was due to what he perceived as a resistance to musical change in the States. According to a Down Beat interview, Maynard was quoted as saying that if the band did not play Maria or Ole, the fans went home disappointed. Maynard found the Europeans, in particular the British fans, more open to new things musically, in particular the birth of the jazz/rock genre.
Modern Influences
Maynard Ferguson is one of a handful of musician/bandleaders to survive the end of the big band era and Rock and Roll. While never a household name, and with limited popular success, excluding "Gonna Fly Now," he demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt musically. His albums show a progression from big band swing, bebop, cool jazz, latin, jazz/rock, fusion with classical and operatic influences. He enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in the 1970s when he embraced jazz/rock, especially through the album Chameleon. Though this phase is often derided by jazz purists, it attracted a new generation of young school musicians to jazz. Maynard is also often given the credit for popularizing the tune Birdland with his album Carnival.
Ferguson is known for his ability to play in the upper ranges of the trumpet, he can reach a "double-high C". He did develop two unique instruments - a trumpet with both traditional valves (played with the left hand rather than the right) and trombone style slide called the 'Firebird' as well as a trombone with both a slide & valves called 'Superbone.'
He regularly incorporated Indian instruments and influences in albums and concerts, often ending with the ringing of a temple bell.
Ferguson was also bandleader who has been able to maintain jazz-oriented large groups that develop young talent.
Return to the U.S.
After Maynard Ferguson's return to the U.S. in the 1970s, he was able to sustain the big band experience on tour by recruiting talented college musicians, and teaching in high school auditoriums and conducting master classes. Though touring with a lean band of ten musicians, Maynard was a crowd pleaser with dedicated fans and enjoyed a cult-like following. Maynard continued to tour 9 months out of the year with his band, Big Bop Nouveau, over the US and Europe sometimes in Japan, Thailand, South America and Australia. A new, highly-anticipated live album, MF Horn 6 Live at Ronnies, was released March 25th, 2006.
Most Recently
After completing a historic run in July, 2006 at the Blue Note in New York City, Maynard passed away peacefully in the evening of Wednesday, August 23, 2006.
Ojai, CA (August 24, 2006) - Walter "Maynard" Ferguson, one of the most influential musicians and band leaders in the history of Jazz, passed away August 23rd at 8:00 pm Pacific Time at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California. He was 78 years old. His death was the result of kidney and liver failure brought on by an abdominal infection. Mr. Ferguson's four daughters, Kim, Lisa, Corby, and Wilder were at his side when he passed away after this brief illness.