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Arjuna Veteran Member
Joined: 11 Oct 2016 Posts: 240 Location: So Cal
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 12:11 pm Post subject: Maynard Ferguson |
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Maynard Ferguson had a gift from above with a clarion sound that was like Gabriel and his trumpet.
Maynard Ferguson was the greatest and unrivaled artist of the upper register.
Maynard Ferguson was one of the most underrated jazz players of all time.
Maynard Ferguson was my hero and a hero to everyone. |
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trumpet.sanity Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Oct 2016 Posts: 763
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Maynard Ferguson |
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Arjuna wrote: | Maynard Ferguson had a gift from above with a clarion sound that was like Gabriel and his trumpet.
Maynard Ferguson was the greatest and unrivaled artist of the upper register.
Maynard Ferguson was one of the most underrated jazz players of all time.
Maynard Ferguson was my hero and a hero to everyone. |
Maynard was a special guy, that's for sure. "Most underrated jazz players of all time"??
I don't know about that. In his earlier days he at least made honest attempts at playing lines and changes instead of just lip trill patterns and recycled blues riffs of his later days.
But "one of the most underrated"?? I wouldn't go that far.
I sure liked his ballads and swing stuff from the 60s. The "Rocky era" rock stuff from the 70s was obviously very influential to many of us, but I really haven't listed to that era since high school.
As a featured trumpeter during the Kenton days was probably his most memorable and amazing for me. Just insane, powerful energy coming from his horn in those days. |
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Winghorn Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 2164 Location: Olympia, Washington
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Maynard was amazing and was called the greatest trumpeter of the 20th century by Adolf Herseth. Any questions?
But he was NOT a jazz innovator like Clifford, Miles, Dizzy, Louis, etc., and as far as I know, never claimed to be.
So if the OP means that Maynard was not always given credit for his ability to play good, tasty jazz, I have to somewhat agree. But one of the most underrated jazz players of all time? Hardly.
Steve |
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cheiden Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8914 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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Maynard occupied a space that was all his own. And I don't think there's any shortage of great jazz players that have been under-recognized. But Maynard was one of the most known trumpet players ever so I rarely consider him under-recognized in any aspect of the craft. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
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MF Fan Veteran Member
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 Posts: 397 Location: The Great White North
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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Maynard was more recognized for his jazz playing earlier in his career.The fact he won the 1950, 1951, and 1952 Down Beat Readers' Poll as best trumpeter says something, considering guys like Roy, Pops, Miles, and Diz were also on those lists. Granted, winning a reader's poll, or any poll for that matter doesn't mean anything other than a measure of popularity. I imagine Maynard, while proud, had to be a little sheepish when he crossed paths with these other legends on the occasions he topped the poll. _________________ MF Fan
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L.A. Benge 5x
Holton MF3
Lead Trumpet - My Basement Jazz Orchestra |
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JoseLindE4 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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I love Maynard. That said, the underrated aspect of his jazz chops could be a function of how lowly we rate his abilities. Meaning that since he could get around changes but many of us associate him with the (spectacular) cheese of the 70s or his lips trills in his later years, then he probably qualifies highly underrated. |
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falado Heavyweight Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 Posts: 942 Location: Eastern NC
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:13 am Post subject: |
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Hi, I do believe he was greatly underrated. Listen to the pre 70's stuff he did. Back in the late 70's I was in Japan (3rd Marine Division Band) and in a record store I found and bought these albums: Message From Newport, Ole, and the third I don't remember the name of the album, but it feature Maynard, Clifford Brown, and Clark Terry. These albums are not all peel the paint off the wall commercial stuff, there's some great playing and arrangements in all 3 and I'm sure there are more out there.
Dave _________________ FA LA DO (Ab: V/ii) MUCS, USN (Ret.)
Stomvi VR (Reeves) with VR II Bell
Bach 239 25A C, Blueprinted
Bach 37, Early Elkhart, Blueprinted
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Getzen 4 valve Pic.
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trickg Heavyweight Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2002 Posts: 5677 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:39 am Post subject: |
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On some of his earlier recordings, Maynard could bebop as well as anyone. I think that saying that he could "get around changes" is an understatement.
With that said, I think Maynard saw the writing on the wall, and made a conscious choice to feature his abilities as a high note artist rather than a true "jazz" player. That's what kept him touring, selling scads of records, and what paid the bills. _________________ Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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JoseLindE4 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:46 am Post subject: |
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trickg wrote: | On some of his earlier recordings, Maynard could bebop as well as anyone. I think that saying that he could "get around changes" is an understatement. |
There I go underrating him again. |
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MF Fan Veteran Member
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 Posts: 397 Location: The Great White North
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:58 am Post subject: |
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Interestingly Maynard played changes by ear, though I expect he had a general understanding of the theory, which notes fit in the more common progressions. That said, he was never one to carve his way through a complex series of changes....but so what? He was a complete package as a player, a very strong technical player that could sight read as good as anyone in the business. _________________ MF Fan
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L.A. Benge 5x
Holton MF3
Lead Trumpet - My Basement Jazz Orchestra |
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RussellDDixon Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 832 Location: Mason, OH
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:07 am Post subject: |
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All BEFORE the age of 15 - From Wikipedia ...
"Ferguson was born in Verdun (now part of Montreal), Quebec. Encouraged by his mother and father (both musicians), Maynard was playing piano and violin by the age of four. Newsreel footage exists of Ferguson as a child prodigy violinist. At nine years old, he heard a cornet for the first time in his local church and asked his parents to purchase one for him. At age thirteen, Ferguson first soloed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra. He was heard frequently on the CBC, notably featured on a "Serenade for Trumpet in Jazz" written for him by Morris Davis. Ferguson won a scholarship to the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal where he studied from 1943 through 1948 with Bernard Baker.
Ferguson dropped out of Montreal High School at age 15 to more actively pursue a music career, performing in dance bands led by Stan Wood, Roland David, and Johnny Holmes. While trumpet was his primary instrument, Ferguson also performed on other brass and reed instruments. Ferguson later took over the dance band formed by his saxophonist brother Percy, playing dates in the Montreal area and serving as an opening act for touring bands from Canada and the USA. During this period, Ferguson came to the attention of numerous American bandleaders and began receiving offers to come to the United States."
Maynard played plenty of jazz in his early years on trumpet, valve trombone and occasionally baritone. he was indeed called "the greatest BRASS player of the 20th Century by Adolf Herseth." I remember reading the "Instrumentalist" magazine where Herseth stated this.
He was a child prodigy and accomplished much before he was even 15 years of age!
Maynard exuded pure JOY when he performed and I never once observed or even heard of him giving off a negative vibe to his players or audience. _________________ Schilke X3 Bb trumpet
Yamaha 631g Flugelhorn
Nicholson Monette Prana Resonance LT mouthpiece
Kanstul Claude Gordon Personal mouthpiece |
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jazzpro33 Regular Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2017 Posts: 19
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Maynard Ferguson |
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Arjuna wrote: | Maynard Ferguson had a gift from above with a clarion sound that was like Gabriel and his trumpet.
Maynard Ferguson was the greatest and unrivaled artist of the upper register.
Maynard Ferguson was one of the most underrated jazz players of all time.
Maynard Ferguson was my hero and a hero to everyone. |
Those assertions would all be understating his influence and inspiration to many, if not all, trumpet players. When you want to feel energized and happy, put on some Maynard ! Works, every time. |
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trickg Heavyweight Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2002 Posts: 5677 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Maynard Ferguson |
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jazzpro33 wrote: | Those assertions would all be understating his influence and inspiration to many, if not all, trumpet players. When you want to feel energized and happy, put on some Maynard ! Works, every time. |
When I was at the Armed Forces School of Music at the Littlecreek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, VA in 1989/90, I'd use Maynard to the benefit of all. Let me explain.
The drill sergeants when I was at the SOM were musicians selected out of the US Army Band program, and probably the most intense of these was a guy named SSG Bill Shumsky, who happened to be a trumpet player.
When we were doing our morning routine, getting ready for class, "Drill Bill," as we liked to call him, would come up on some mornings in total "nuke mode" - As soon as he came into the hallway from the stairwell, you could hear him chewing into anyone who was near.
On those mornings, I'd pop one of my Maynard cassettes into the small stereo setup I had in my room, I'd turn up the volume a bit, and then I'd open the door.
The next thing you knew, Drill Sergeant Shumsky was standing there by our door, totally chilled out, taking in some Maynard - he might yell at the random person who might happen to be walking by, but otherwise, it completely calmed the storm.
I'm pretty sure he caught on to what I was doing after the 2nd or 3rd time, but neither one of us really cared because Maynard. _________________ Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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trumpet.sanity Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Oct 2016 Posts: 763
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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Yo trickg
Cool post, Maynard soothes the soul of even the toughest drill sgt!!
Talking about cassettes blasted me back to memories of the 80s, and what a good time those days were. Record stores? Talking to humans, actually touching albums? Good times.
For nostalgia, I'm listening to some rock era Maynard. Nothing past the MF Horn records, just the really good stuff
Waves of good memories, otherworldly 1970s Maynard, some good coffee, and a little toke. It's gonna be a good day I think |
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highnotefan Regular Member
Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 19 Location: Kansas City, KS
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:18 am Post subject: |
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/531888077007360/
"Maynardology" is now 813 members! All Maynard - all the time. Fun. Intelligent. Thoughful. Historical. Analytical.
Your Resident Maynardologist (that's me ) wants EVERY MAYNARD FAN ON PLANET EARTH TO JOIN, SO SPREAD THE WORD!
Every new member makes "Maynard Lives..." a reality.
Compare us to the other MF groups on FB, you'll see the difference. _________________ Jack Taylor
New Vintage Big Band
bigbandjazz.com |
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marieritac@gmail.com New Member
Joined: 31 Mar 2017 Posts: 5
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Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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There are certain people in all walks of life that are unique, special and carry themselves with a degree of charisma above all others. The Boss was just that! |
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