According to my dad (a jazz trombonist) who saw Ferguson live in the late 1950's, Maynard didn't use the slide much at all.
Posted on 08/24/2006 11:55:51 AM PDT by lunarbicep
I don't know Wagner and Brahms too well, but I would definitely consider "The Ride of the Valkyries" to be classical.
According to my dad (a jazz trombonist) who saw Ferguson live in the late 1950's, Maynard didn't use the slide much at all.
They're all available on CD now! All those links!
Rest in peace. Prayers for his family.
Sad news. I saw him live, right after "New Vintage" was released; awesome show.
Back in the late 70's, you were ultra cool if you had a Jet Tone mouthpiece, made famous by Maynard.
I lost interest in his later music, as he became more commercialized. However, no one could hit the high notes like Maynard.
A friend at NAS Jax knew the performing center's manager and got us invited to a pre-performance wine and cheese reception. At the function I shook Maynard's hand and told him how much I enjoy his albumns and especially his performance the previous Friday in Austin. He stopped, looked at me and my thinning grey hair (I was not in uniform) and said: ''You were at the show last Friday in Austin and in Jacksonville three days later to see the same road show?'' I answered: ''Yes I certainly am happy to hear you and the band again.'' Maynard took a sip of his diet cola, gave the four of us in this short conversation a curious look and said: '' Hey man, you've got to be the world's oldest groupie.'' He introduced me as such to several of the band members. What a gas!
I'll miss Maynard very much. Just the other day, I was listening to my 'bootleg' CD of his appearance on Billy Taylor's "Jazz at the Kennedy Center" from a few years ago. (I recorded it off the air.)
The first time I saw Maynard and his band was around 1974 at Rock Island (IL) High School. The last time was perhaps 8 or 10 years ago at Marshalltown (IA) High School. He was always a big supporter of youth music. He also seemed to be a "regular guy," as he stayed around to sign autographs and chat with all who wanted him to. It was a thrill I'll never forget.
Guess I'll have to put on his albums tonight. No two ways about it, Maynard had the chops!
We went to see him in high school with all my band friends. It remains one of my highlight memories of high school. RIP.
yea - I thought he played flugel as well, didn't know about him blowin jazz baritone ...I'll have to get it - (related: was it Taj Mahal who once released an album with a blues tuba quartet?)
We did a fair amount of current MF in high school jazz band. Kerry McKillop could hit a bit of the high stuff (now plays with Woody Herman off and on), but Tony D'Aveni was the high notes specialist although without a lot of control. Listening to Birdland now.
holy shiite! I never knew he played a valve slide - now that I have to hear!
Well, "back in the day," I was no church lady myself.
I can only hope there won't be some d*ckhead waiting around to remind everyone about it decades later when my last breath is barely gone.
I was very fortunate in my time at college to have met several of the jazz greats: Woody Herman, B.B.King, Buddy Rich. I never got to meet Maynard but he will be missed. I'm sure we'll be hearing some nice tributes from the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Doc Severnson.
A lot of them were. I was the stage manager when Buddy Rich and his band came and played our college. I'm not sure if there was a one of them on stage that wasn't "toked up or coked up", and I don't leave Buddy out of that list.
The Screamer rests.
"Gabriel, go have a smoke... you can sit out the next set."
BkMar for Ferguson chat.
RIP Man...wail away...
He played flugelhorn for sure. I heard him play it live at least twice. And if I think hard enough, I'll remember a track or two on a recording which featured Maynard on flugelhorn.
Yes indeedy it was...
Taj Mahal - The REAL THING
"Personnel: Taj Mahal (vocals, National steel guitar, 5-string guitar, harmonica, fife); John Hall (electric guitar); Howard Johnson (baritone saxophone, flugelhorn, tuba); Bob Stewart (trumpet, flugelhorn, tuba); Joseph Daley (valve trombone, tuba); Earle McIntyre (bass trombone, tuba); John Simon (piano, electric piano); Greg Thomas (drums); Kwasi "Rocky" DziDzournu (congas). Producer: David Rubinson. Reissue producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded live at Fillmore East, New York, New York on February 13, 1971. Includes liner notes by Stanley Crouch. Digitally remastered by Vic Anesini (Sony Music, New York, New York). Taj Mahal's talent for bringing a mix-and-match sensibility to the raw materials of the blues is on full display on this 1971 live recording. In addition to his ease with solo country blues (the opener here, the traditional "Fishin' Blues," is a great example), Taj Mahal has a backing band that includes electric guitar, piano, bass, drums, a conga player, and a full brass section. Rather than "corrupting" the blues, Taj Mahal manages to draw a straight line through 20th-century music, incorporating parade themes, jazz, R&B, rock, and funk, while throwing some curveballs along the way (note his use of the six-holed fife on "Ain't Gwine to Whistle Dixie [Any Mo']"). The overall vibe of THE REAL THING is that of a good-time party, both uptown and downtown, backwoods and sophisticated. "Tom and Sally Drake," which features a duet between banjo and tuba, draws these two worlds together most explicitly. Taj Mahal's folk roots are evident throughout (especially on conversational story-songs, including "Big Kneed Gal"), but the band pulls out all the stops on driving boogie grooves like "Diving Duck Blues." Remastered sound, vintage photos, and liner notes by Stanley Crouch complete this fine package.
1971 Filmore Performance"
Some sound clips here:
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,124755,00.html
LOL! Great story. Gotta love it!
I know it sounds crazy, but Ferguson's recordings are my #1 favorite music to listen to when I'm housecleaning and just doing stuff around the house. Gets me literally "in the groove" and revved up. Must indeed be a very direct form of "music therapy" of which I'm a believer.
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