Ferguson, Maynard
Thrilling trumpet players all over the world with his high note acrobatics, Maynard Ferguson was much more than just a flashy performer. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, highly capable improviser, and renowned bandleader, his 50+ year career was filled with highlights that extended beyond mere showmanship.
Born in Montreal in 1928, Ferguson initially showed traits of being a child prodigy on violin before switching to the trumpet at age 9. Taking to his new instrument extremely quickly, he was already performing professionally in his early teens. His talents drew the attention of several American bandleaders during this time, ultimately earning him an invitation to join the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1949. Kenton's stable of arrangers quickly found ways to make use of Ferguson's unprecedented power and control in the trumpet's extreme upper register, quickly making him a highly popular figure in the jazz world.
After spending several years working in the Los Angeles studio scene, Ferguson moved to New York in 1956 to form his "Birdland Dream Band." Although the band was not particularly long-lived, Ferguson took the core of this band on the road for the next decade as his primary musical outlet. This band served as a launching pad for the careers of many highly notable musicians including tenor saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Joe Farrell, trombonist/arranger Slide Hampton, trumpeters Don Ellis and Bill Chase, and pianists Joe Zawinul and Jaki Byard.
After relocating to India and then England in the mid-1960s, Ferguson returned to the United States in 1971 with a new band. This new band featured a much more commercial sound than his previous outlets, oftentimes covering pop tunes such as Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park" and "Gonna Fly Now," the theme from the movie "Rocky." Although this period receives a level of scorn from more traditional jazz fans, it undeniably counts as the most popularly successful period of Ferguson's career.
The 1980s and 1990s saw Ferguson downsize his big band, first to a jazz-rock fusion septet called High Voltage, then to a little big band called Big Bop Nouveau. The latter of these ultimately became the band Ferguson was associated with for most of the rest of his life. Although his own playing began to falter a bit during this time, Ferguson continued to perform for audiences the world over until his passing in 2006.
MAYNARD FERGUSON EIGHT ARRANGEMENT SET
Eight Jazz Big Band Arrangements
Sierra Music
MF-1000
$340.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-419
$55.00
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE [EDITED]
Recorded by the Bob Curnow Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1055
$60.00
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE [PRO VERSION]
Recorded by Maynard Ferguson
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1055PRO
$60.00
Recorded by Maynard Ferguson
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Hal Leonard
HL-7505397
$65.00
Our Price: $61.75
COME BLOW YOUR HORN (EDITED VERSION)
Recorded by Maynard Ferguson
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1295
$50.00
COME BLOW YOUR HORN (PRO VERSION)
Recorded by Maynard Ferguson
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1292
$50.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-416
$50.00
Recorded by Maynard Ferguson
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Hal Leonard
HL-8721571
$65.00
Our Price: $61.75
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-402
$50.00
Recorded by the Bob Curnow Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1048
$55.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1048PRO
$57.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-406
$50.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1058
$60.00
Recorded by the Maynard Ferguson Big Band
Jazz Big Band Arrangement
Sierra Music
SMP-1089
$55.00