For 9 years, Stan Mark was the quarterback of The Maynard Ferguson Orchestra. One nighters, tour buses, flea bag motels and Stan came out blasting... night after night. He came out of retirement and poured his heart out here. Rest in peace, Stan, you earned your stripes!
9 years late or not, I believe Stan's playing was supreme... he did this as a memorial service for a man he respected deeply, coming out of retirement to play at this show... All of the people insulting Stan can just leave, Maynard would've hated the energy you gave off... just my two cents. It's a beautiful, tear jerking performance for the boss, on an amazing song.
Trumpet players can be some of the most critical musicians! I takes alot to come out of retirement and play before hundreds of critical trumpet players. He loved the Boss and it shows. My props to Stan giving it all for the Boss and not the critics!!
I don't know how he got through it....Raw emotion...Raw playing at its best.......Stan was with MF longer than any other trumpet player on the stage that night......He is a gifted player and teacher......Thanks for the tribute Stan.......You played what we all were feeling that night! How many of us would have given anything to have been a regular player in that great band back in the day? Many fill called but few were chosen to play with Boss!
It all came crashing down for Stan. I believe he had a real deep respect for the BOSS. His emotions all came out during this epic rendition of the Way we Were.....it took guts to perform. Kudos to him.
Stan Mark proves that sometimes, the feelings and emotions you put through the horn are more important than hitting every single right note. The quality of playing may have not been his prime, but the pure soul and emotion he put into playing was phenomenally greater than what most people can ever put into their lives.
I forgot about this...was fortunate to be able to see this live in my home town of St. Louis. I watch this now and realize how difficult it must have been for Stan to put on a show and maintain composure as he payed tribute to his long time friend. I need to go back and re-watch this whole concert. It was nothing short of amazing.
This was maynard's funeral service and Stan was very emotional just as many others that night. It's his tribute to his hero however played! Great Stan!
Nothing less than the re-invention of playing the trumpet....when I first heard it .. I could not get out of my head that buttery smooth sound Stan gets out of the lower register.. and when he plays in the middle/upper register. Wow ....the power so bright.... that sound is unmistakable ..Stan and Mayard... the best make it look sooo easy .. Cheers ! ..
I had the pleasure of attending this concert, and this was in many ways the highlight of the entire concert. The raw emotion in this performance can't even be described. This is the moment of the concert that I remember more than any other part.
Stan has ghosts in his past, but he loved Maynard. He was clearly emotional, for Maynard meant everything to him. Heck, I am getting emotional just seeing Stan playing and living through all that was going through his mind. I am happy to say Stan is still around and still has all those stories to share.
I thought he played it with so much passion as he was obviously so upset! Not only did he lose a dear friend but the tune itself is poetic to this time and so would of been even harder to play. I'm doing this number over here in good old Blighty at the same range MF played it but obviously not to his awe! Stan had not played for a long time before this and to anyone serious trumpet player out there you miss a week and it shows if you play lead a few days and it shows give the guy a break brilliant Stan respect and at the end of the day you've recorded with the BOSS there endith!
Well done Stan Mark that was an emotional performance and all the negative critics here should be ashamed ,I bet most of are not fit to wear your shoes ,you done it all at the highest level and got the T-shirt
Stan Mark. Great Cat! one of my favorite players. i was there that night. i think he was playing one of MF'shorns for this beartiful memorial concert! I saw Maynard 68 times from 1977-2005 i believe. i as never disappointed but rather in awe each and every time i had the pleasure of seeing him! he was a Force! love him. and was fortunate to get one of his horns. MF horn with the engraved discs inside the bell, that he played a tour with !! great piece!!
Stan was the consummate lead player. His sound enveloped the whole trumpet section before it went into the audience. It took a lot guts to play that tune for the BOSS. He knew why he was in that band because he was supposed to make The Fox look good. I think that is one of the reasons he stayed so long. He was in the band he was supposed to be and doing what he was hired to do. If you listen to his lead playing you will constantly be amazed at his talent and the way he took over the band. He did what a lead player is supposed to do. He and I had great phone conversations and I heard some great stories. I miss that man so much. There is so much I wanted to ask him. He was a giant in the world of trumpet playing. RIP my good friend.
While I was in high school in the late 1970's, after a concert, I found out that Maynard's band was staying at a particular hotel in Akron, Ohio. I drove over to the hotel to see if I could spot anyone in the band and Stan Mark was standing outside. I just walked up to him and said hello. I told him I was a big fan and that I played lead trumpet in my high school jazz ensemble. I figured he would just brush me off but he didn't. We started a conversation and he talked to me for over 30 minutes. What a great person! I am 59 years old now and I will never forget it. Thank you Stan!
There's also a video of Stan and people chatting about traveling with the band and reminiscences. I talked to Stan before a Maynard concert in southern minnesota back in the the 70s, very nice and congenial. I loved Stan for years and this had to take more guts than anything to play for his great friend.
Classic lead trumpet sound. i can see why Maynard had him on the band so long. And yes I hear him struggle a bit with the tune. Hey it happens. Stan is a classic forward jaw playing trumpet. Reinhardt called this kind "type IVa" and they do make for good lead players. a strong, natural projection.
Listen everyone, Mr. Stan Mark did his time playing the best there are. And he is and still one of the best trumpet players of our time, so give him some credit. HE DOESNT HAVE TO PROVE ANY... he's done it, hes been there and done that. He's a retired Senior Trumpet Master. Thats how we all should address him...
Stan Mark played while standing on a folding chair no more than 6 feet away from me at a show at the Eagles' Club in Milwaukee in 78' during the legendary finish to "Hey Jude". His work on "As Time Goes By" on the "Storm" album is the best non-Maynard trumpet stuff I've heard. It's amazing and fantastic that after 40 some-odd years he has still got game.
Brings back memories of Maynard and Stan Mark and the band in Toronto at Minkler Auditorium and Ontario Place.Thirty years ago and it seems like yesterday.Brought tears to my eyes.
Stan and I were very close. I took lessons from Stan since I was young and was offered an apprenticeship by him. I was in highschool and foolishly didn't take my playing serious and let my talent carry me instead. Stan Mark is the best teacher and has more love for music than anyone I know. His horn played here is indeed the Holton MF horn Maynard used in the album Chameleon. Well done old friend these losers on here act like they there opinion matters but there resume could never compare!
It’s always the people who haven’t done shit who are the most critical. There aren’t a lot of guys out there who have done what Stan Mark did. He was a world class player during his heyday and was a real warrior to come out and do what he did here.
Really beautiful sound and control. And, I saw him with Maynard several times. He was a phenomenal trumpet player. But eeegads, here he is a quarter tone sharp! That is incredibly distracting from an otherwise perfect sound.
Yeah stan mark in his days when with MF was a FANTASTIC LEAD player..In fact one of MFS BEST....i saw STAN MARK in UK live with MF and he played FANTASTIC...
@Greg Waits Man listen I'm tired of people throwing shade and dissing maynard ferguson and just people in general. If you're going to say something, then say it right. Nothing else.
Bro. You’ve genuinely left like 12 comments on this post. Chill. He played from the heart and as a jazzer myself you have to respect that. No need to leave that comment ever.
just delete this comment. can YOU play in front of at least a thousand people, while emotionally crippled by the death of a great friend and coming out of retirement, in his range? in his style? i guarantee not, this comment is misplaced, and you shouldn't even rear your head around here again.
Stan Mark isn't and never was a great player - he could play loud and high consistently which made him useful to have in the section and did a fair job of copying Maynard's sound. He wasn't in the same universe as in-his-prime Maynard or any number of other players.
Agreed. While guys came and went, Stan held the trumpet section together for 9&1/2 years. He was to Maynard what Steve Marcus was to Buddy... the glue!
