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Re: Maynard Ferguson

Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2006-08-27 01:54

I graduated high school in 1974. Maynard Ferguson had more influence than all other professional musicians combined. His band played many Top 40 songs from the 1960's and 1970's. As a result, his music was contemporary, and had strong melodies and a good beat. This was affirmed in 1977 when his version of Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") made the Top 40. Even his clothing and hair styles belonged to the 1970's, rather than to an earlier era.

Maynard Ferguson had an incredibly big, rich sound. He was a trumpet player even for those of us who did not normally care for the sound of trumpets. At one concert, he played the beginning of Hey Jude on a soprano sax, and sounded better than the soprano sax player in his band!

In addition to playing several concerts in my area during the 1970's, he spoke at a jazz seminar at the University of Akron. He explained that his trumpet was identical to the MF Horns sold by Holton. In fact, before one of his concerts, the parents of a boy with an MF Horn told Maynard Ferguson they were unhappy with this trumpet. Maynard swapped his well-used trumpet for the boy's new shiny trumpet and played the concert on it. The problem was with the boy, not the trumpet. After the concert, the boy's parents wanted their trumpet back. Maynard played a few notes at the clinic, which was enough to tell me his sound really was that good, and not electronically enhanced.

None of the trumpet players in high school used an MF Horn, however. I think the huge 0.468" bore scared them away.

I noticed about 8 years ago that Maynard Ferguson was 70 years old, and still performing and touring. I had been wondering lately if he still played at his age, and saw in his obituary that he was performing, touring, and recording up until his death from an abdominal infection. What a wonderful life he had; to love playing and be able to do it right up until death!

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx

Post Edited (2006-08-27 01:57)

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