bigtiny

Maynard Ferguson apparently passed away yesterday of kidney and liver failure due to an abdominal infection. See his website for an obit.

bigtiny

Spitty

I heard about this today from Alan Colin - very sad and tragic. A great loss to our world.

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Spitty
Bach 43* ML
Bach 1 1/4 C

eric m berlin

I posted this on TPIN yesterday. If any of Maynard's bandmates are interested in participating in a tribute at ITG 2007, please contact me off list.


Posted to TPIN Thu, 24 Aug 2006 22:22:56 -0400

Dear friends,


The message that I received this morning hit me like a ton of bricks and nearly brought me to tears. I guess I just assumed that he would be out there forever playing for every new generation. What a terrible shame that it had to end. From my earliest days, Maynard has always been one of my biggest heroes. I remember when my uncle gave me my first Maynard album. The album "Hot" was strange to me as a elementary school kid, but that playing intrigued me enough to make me look for everything of Maynard's that I could get my hands on. In college I found a used record store in Boston (Looney Tunes by Berklee) and was able to find the precious early stuff with Kenton and his early band that had eluded me. Maynard now occupies more space on my record shelf than any single artist. I am listening to MF Horn II in tribute as I write this and am reminded how many times listening to him inspired me to practice or go for it just one more time. How many of us had a walkman playing Maynard before a concert? I sure did! I remember my whole high school marching band getting fired up in the bus before competitions to my boombox blaring Primal Scream, Conquistador, Chameleon etc.


Has there ever been an better model for fearless playing on the trumpet? And what a physical talent on the horn! I believe that Arnold Jacobs once said that Maynard Ferguson was the greatest brass player alive. If you watch that old video of him on the Ed Sullivan Show with Stan Kenton, you will see what appears to be inhuman playing. Live and in person, even in his later years, the ease with which he approached the upper register was astounding. For the countless hours of enjoyment and inspiration he has given me, I can not thank him enough.


I think it is important that people are aware that his contribution has not gone unnoticed. Last spring I nominated Maynard for the ITG Honorary Award and the ITG Board voted to approve it at the last conference. From the ITG site: "The ITG Honorary Award will be given to those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the art of trumpet playing." This award was well deserved and I only wish he could hear the deafening ovation at its presentation. In May of 2007, I will be hosting the ITG conference at UMASS. I was working with his management to have Maynard and his band play at the conference in addition to accepting the award there. To pay tribute to him at the conference would have been a fitting gift for a man who has given us his heart and soul through performance and education. I am so sorry that it will not come to pass. If anyone from any of Maynard's bands would like to participate in a tribute, please contact me off list at berlin@music.umass.edu.


Maynard is probably at this moment giving Gabriel a heart attack in the great beyond and that just makes me smile.


Au Revoir Maynard, we will miss you.


Eric Berlin



Eric M. Berlin
Yamaha Performing Artist
Artist - Teacher of Trumpet, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Host of the 2007 International Trumpet Guild Conference (May 29 - June 2)
Principal Trumpet - Albany Symphony
Majestic Brass Quintet http://www.majesticbrass.com

__________________
Eric M. Berlin
Yamaha Performing Artist
Artist - Teacher of Trumpet, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Host of the 2007 International Trumpet Guild Conference May 29 - June 2
Principal Trumpet - Albany Symphony, Boston Philharmonic
Majestic Brass Quintet http://www.majesticbrass.com