25/08/06 - Maynard Ferguson,
whose soaring trumpeting reached the instrument¹s highest ranges and
propelled a musical career of more than 60 years, died Wednesday
23rd Aug 2006, in Ventura, California
Dear Fred
I was very sorry to hear about the death of Maynard Ferguson. For a
good few months in the 1960s, he was very much a member of the
Manchester Jazz Scene (largely for the Club 43 gigs that were held
temporarily there). He formed about three big bands, one or two
consisting of purely local musicians, playing at the Manchester
Sports Guild regularly and other gigs, and a touring band made up of
mostly London musicians. Because of his commitment to local
musicians for quite an extended period, teaching them so much for no
remuneration at all except gigs (I mean in the big-bands), he is
mentioned in my Rolls of Honour and the book about the Manchester
Jazz Scene. He was one of us for a long while.
Maynard lived here in Heaton Moor (Stockport) above a shop with his
family, who he brought over. Eric Scriven and Ernie Garside fixed
the accommodation up for him. He was a quiet, friendly and
unassuming man, who wasn't too proud to sit in with the other side
of the coin, semi-professional, small combo Traditional or Dixieland
bands. He sat in with one of my bands that Randy Colville was also
in, at the Warren Bulkeley, Stockport, about 1968 I think. Even
after a serious and recent stroke, his playing was immaculate.
Needless to say, another great and sad loss in the world of Jazz.
May the Lord look after him.