what an animal!!! if you walked in front of him during that performance it would probably feel like you were getting hit by a freight train of sound. and shockingly right in the center of every pitch including those Gs As and Bs. what a fantastic musician Wayne is - especially in his prime.
Our high school went to play in Kingsville, Tx. MF WAS the guest artist. When the bus got there from Houston, they had the sections separated for Clinics. We walk in on the saxes playing “Nice ‘n Juicy”. I was absolutely blown away. We got back to Houston. I went to Cactus Records. I got M F IV And V. Then I bought a Bari, Bruce Johnstone was my hero.
Trombone Summit, Frankfurt Radio Big Band, Trombones Unlimited...Kai was Big in Germany in the 70/80. Every week on air when, Jazz Radio was the mainsource for us jazzkids. Great times.
Everyone standing on that stage owes a piece of their soul to Maynard Ferguson. It took all of their collective and colossal talents to equal who Stan Mark called..."The Greatest Trumpet Player in the World!" No - there is no way to choose the greatest, because there were so many greatest - all of whom we trumpeters idolize for each of their unique gifts and contributions to the music world and trumpeting in particular. Still - what we hear in this amazing tribute is all the love generated for The Boss... and all the love he poured out of that horn and from his heart to all of us. May his legacy as exemplified by all these wonderful players live on for eternity!
I love this music and recording. Thanks to all the musicians, everyone. I played this beautiful instrument. myself, of course not at this level, but I also played in smaller competitions. I still have my trumpet.
Maynard and the MF Horns meant so much to me in my late teenage years and early twenties. That power, that chutzpah. In my fifties I had the chance to meet him after a performance. I knew our meeting would be very brief, so what do I want to say to the man?? "Maynard, you're the only person in the world who could get me to enjoy 'MacArthur Park' again." He smiled.
Wayne Bergeron is my over-all favorite trumpet player of all time. Vizzutti is the best technical playing trumpet player. Doc Severinsen is the best entertaining trumpet player. Jerry Hey is also a great writer and player (with Chuck Findley right behind him). Commercially, Herb Alpert and Maynard win.
I am grateful to my high school music teachers who nurtured my interest in jazz and helped me to develop a love and appreciation of this music!!! My band teacher would bring in albums and everyday, during the last few minutes of class he play cuts of his favorite albums. Maynard was at the top of his list. Wayne and the others are carrying the torch on!!!!
I have played this arrangement with college and high school Jazz Festivals. As long as there is a mic to play into this chart, it really isn't any more demanding than say....."Little Minor Booze" by Willie Maiden which my big band plays in concert. We had Wayne as a guest soloist in a Jazz Arts Band that I played lead tpt in. Wayne was not kind to me during the concert (we played "Maynard and Waynard") or after. As a lasting measure, he wrote back to the artistic director of the band saying I was upstaging him. Also taking endings as were written which were high, (during rehearsal the same day I was saving my chops and soft-pedaled everything including playing the ends of shout choruses down 8va) then took them "as written" during the concert. Needless to say out of 20 years as lead trumpet with a Jazz Arts Big Band bringing in countless national and international soloists, Wayne acted like some junior high student whose ego was dented?? No offense to anyone, but stating facts that happened for real to me!
I trained under him because of Bobby Shew, Small World, amazing Men of Jazz, several times times just because of a great University. Maynard Ferguson was there as well, now you know the rest of the Story.
