I've been told by a reliable source that the story was wrong. It never happened. I dissapointed that such a wrong, false rumor would be made up on one of Maynard's greatest collections of CDs..

Maynard says he never fired Bill Chase. It's a bogus story.
I got this from pretty good sources and will share you some links when I have time.

Sorry, for spreading a false story.

rb,
it may be significant for music historians one day, but for the rest of us, we have no REAL way to be in the know unless we are present. Anything "after the fact" is subject to subjectivity and an agenda.

It would also be to our advantage to really investigate anything that we are interested in, whether that be music, politics, good wine or food. The only truly valid decisions are ones that we make with our own personal KNOWLEDGE. Like with politics, the music world will make a player, horn or mouthpiece guilty first until they can prove their innocence.............

Moral of the story: who cares if somebody spread a rumor about Maynard or Bill? They are both in heaven teaching Gabriel how to GROOVE with ledger lines above the staff!

It's a story I've heard more than once and is also the biography written by Chase's then time manager Tommy Martin.

Since both Chase and Maynard are now dead, the "truth" will always be a bit suspect. I've read accounts on both sides of the "firing incident" and they all end well (both players were still successful) so it's one of those things I don't devote too much mental energy to...

If you're going to write about a story, then please include the story, some of us haven't heard it, so your post ends up being nothing but a mystery to us....enlighten us please...

bigtiny

Sorry, bigtiny. You're absolutely right: I was in a hurry and promised another guy I would post a retraction, so I got a little ahead of myself. This story was written up in Maynard's Famous Mosaic CD Collection that was selling about 15 years ago. There is good evidence this story is not true, but here is my original post on this.



A great story about Bill Chase can be found in the included leaflet of Maynard's Mosaic CD Collection (By the way a great, great collection of Maynard's best music) Chase joined Woody Herman's band after he was fired by Maynard. Apparently, Bill Chase was having problems with his chops after trying a new mouthpiece. Maynard warned him that he needed to get rid of that mouthpiece or he would have to let him go. Chase, stubbornly wouldn't do it and Maynard had to fire him. Shortly afterwards, Chase did get a new mouthpiece and was rattling the stage with double-high A's in Woody Herman's band. The band member writing the story says with irony and humor, "Who knows, had Chase listened to Maynard in the first place his career might have taken a different path and he'd still be alive with us today. Moral of the story: When Maynard says get a new mouthpiece you get a new F#$)ing mouthpiece!"