Maynard Ferguson Is Dead

by John Seery

Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson died last night, at age 78. His manager Steve Schankman said about Maynard's passing: "Someone just said, 'Gabriel, move over to second trumpet.' He was the last of the greats. That era is closed. There is no Kenton, no Basie, no Ellington, and now, no Ferguson."

Why should there be a tribute to a jazz trumpeter on a website devoted mostly to political commentary?

Here's one possible answer. But I simply must confess that Maynard was one of my heroes, and not merely because he could blow a mean trumpet. He wasn't simply a charismatic stage performer, though he certainly was that. Rather, throughout his 50+ year career he used his musical gifts to help draw together small communities all across America. Call that Tocquevillean.

Hitting that beat perfectly, Schankman explained: "He will be remembered for his soaring high notes, he'll be remembered as Stan Kenton's lead trumpet player and he'll be remembered for movie soundtracks like 'The Ten Commandments.' But what they should remember him for is his work as an educator. He played for students, visiting high schools, to raise money for instruments and music programs. And he left them with an inspiring remark."

That's exactly right, that's exactly how I remember him. Maynard took his big band into high school auditoria and out-of-the-way venues all across this country, year in year out, and he spent a great deal of time conducting teaching clinics with junior high and high school kids. He made jazz dynamic and palpable. His trumpet was a wake-up call for nothing less than life itself.