[Dixielandjazz] Maynard Ferguson - a legend, a friend, and the last of an era!

[Vaxtrpts at aol.com]

On Maynard Ferguson's passing last night:
 
 
I just got off the phone with Stan Mark.  (Maynard's lead trumpet  and  road 
manager for about 8 years - sort of my counterpart when I was  with Stan 
Kenton.)  We  have known each other for 40 years, since our  time in the Navy, and 
stayed good  friends 
all these years.
Stan got  to talk to Maynard at 5:15 PM yesterday.  Maynard couldn't really  
talk, 
but was coherent and knew that it was Stan on the phone. His  daughters  were 
with him, and Kim told Stan then, that Maynard would  not make it through  
the 
night.
As you can imagine, Stan Mark and I  laughed, and cried a lot, and we talked 
about 
how Maynard was really  the LAST of the original big band leaders, and an 
IMPORTANT part of  Stan Kenton's legacy and feelings towards jazz  education. 
 
Talk about the end of an era!!!!!
While I never played on his band, I  did consider him a friend and of course, 
one of the biggest influences  in my life as a musician.  I feel  honored 
that 
I got to play  parts on The Stan Kenton Orchestra that had Maynard's name on  
them.
This is a day that will live in my memory as much as the day that  Stan  
Kenton died, and Dick Shearer (Lead trombone on the Kenton band  for 12 
years, and my co-leader of the Kenton Alumni Band until he too  passed away)  and I 
spent a couple of hours on the phone reminiscing  about our time with Kenton.
Mike Vax