"Kansas" Jim Maxwell...

Gregory Gilmore · Veteran Member Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 128

Does anyone have any information about "Kansas" Jim Maxwell?
I remember that he came out to Colorado State University's summer music camp in the early '70s and directed the top jazz band and was featured with an adult big band, as well. He was a big, burly, brusque guy with a sound to match. Any information would be greatly appreciated...

oxleyk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 4180

Do you mean Jimmy Maxwell?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Maxwell_(trumpeter)

Gregory Gilmore · Veteran Member Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 128

Thank you for your response, oxleyk...
No, I know about Jimmy Maxwell...I want to know about a different trumpet player also named Jim Maxwell. I have heard him referred to as "Kansas" and I know that I heard him play when I was 12-13 years old...

R. Dale Olson · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:52 am Post subject: "Kansas" Jim Maxwell

Jim Maxwell and I were both in the UNT Lab Band trumpet section in the 1950s, with Jim playing lead in a totally memorable manner.

Jim was from Hayes Kansas and joined the Sauter-Finnegan Band after he left school. Jim probably left UNT circa 1956 or so. I remained until 1957 and obtained a Masters in Trumpet Performance. I don't recall seeing Jim after he left UNT.

I have been told, over the years, that he eventually returned to Hayes, Kansas, possibly having taught at Hayes State, but this is not corroborated.

There are recordings of both of us, with composer Fisher ("Mickey") Tull also in the section. Access to these may be somewhat problematic at this point as mine were passed on to eventually land in the Music Library at UNT. Bob Morgan, of Houston, placed some of these early Lab Band recordings on UTube. If any from 1953-1955 are available, it may be assumed that Jim is playing lead. Although personnel changed from year to year, Jim, Mickey and I were rather constant, with Karl Lassey and/or Bob Ferguson included from time to time. Ferguson, incidentally, later became trumpet soloist for the U.S. Army Band in Washington from about 1957 - 1980 or so, a marvelous player.

Somewhere I still have pictures of the trumpet section at that time, with Jim and Mickey.

Memories!

Gregory Gilmore · Veteran Member Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 128

R. Dale Olson!
Thank you for your response...this is what I've been looking for...
To the best of your knowledge, is Jim Maxwell still with us?

cjl · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: "Kansas" Jim Maxwell

huntman10 · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:08 pm Post subject:

As I recall, Jim Maxwell was often seen in the trumpet line in NBC's Tonight Show band under Doc Severinsen. He was easy to see, a really large guy and often mentioned by Doc when the section was featured.
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Gregory Gilmore · Veteran Member Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 128

Hey, huntman10...
Yes, that's New York Jimmy Maxwell...studio musician, jazz player, played with Duke Ellington, played the bagpipes as well...I'm looking for info on the other Jim Maxwell...

jkirkpa380 · Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 9:53 am Post subject:

A couple of anecdotes about "Kansas" Jim Maxwell. He was my junior high school band director's brother-in-law. Around 1962, he performed with us, in Junction City, Ks, playing "Come Back to Sorrento" and I was, to say the least, blown away. I think he was the one who told us the figure of speech of "feeling like you're standing one foot above the ground." I've remembered the expression all this time and experienced the feeling after hearing many a classical and jazz performance.

In the summer of '62, with the band director driving, Mr. Maxwell riding shotgun, and three sax-playing 8th-9th graders in the back seat, we drove to Bloomington, IN, for a one-week Stan Kenton Clinic. The first night there, the Kenton band, mellophoniums and all, performed. The house was packed with wannabe teenage jazz players. I think we all felt like we were standing a foot off the ground.

Fast forward to the early 2000s (Mr. Maxwell passed away in 1999), I called the Hays State College Registrar's office to obtain my mother's transcript. (She attended a couple of years in the 1920s). The last name of the lady I spoke to was Maxwell--she was Jim Maxwell's niece! And she remembered him especially at his farm, outside of his house, playing his trumpet.

By the way, I believe Jim Maxwell played at least a year with Ray McKinley's New Glenn Miller orchestra in the late '50s

kehaulani · Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 11:07 am Post subject: Re: "Kansas" Jim Maxwell

jkirkpa380 · Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 10:44 am Post subject:

Marv Stamm directed the band I was in at the Kenton clinic. I was on Bari sax--Yusef Lateef worked the sax sectional. I rummaged through my vinyl LPs and found the McKinley Glenn Miller record with the band on the cover. Jim Maxwell is there.The liner notes say, "Fern Caron and Jim Maxwell split trumpet lead."

Thank you all for this thread. I have searched for years for information about Kansas Jim. All that ever came up was New York Jimmy.