This came to me from my friend, Mike Stroup, and I reprint with permission:

Some of us follow the careers of fantastic athletes. Others admire movie superstars. “Different” people like me admire incredible jazz musicians. Maynard Ferguson, jazz trumpeter extraordinaire, died this week. He was 78.

I cannot condone his typical sixties “experimental” lifestyle. Nor can I really relate to his devotion to Far Eastern religious beliefs. However, I can certainly embrace his tremendous talent as a band leader, jazz arranger and amazing trumpet player. Maynard also selflessly supported music education in High Schools, giving many free seminars for disadvantaged student musicians and raising money for supplying musical instruments to poorer public schools.

Back when I was playing saxophone in High School jazz band, I remember laying on my bed and playing Maynard’s LPs on my stereo. I would stare at the ceiling, enjoying the wonderful artistry of Maynard’s band and marveling over the incredibly high notes that he projected over his entire orchestra. Maynard effortlessly reached these high notes with such force that no other contemporary trumpet player could touch him. To play this instrument so strongly at those lofty heights takes tremendous breathing control techniques that he attributed to his ardent devotion to yoga.

Have you heard of the Stan Kenton jazz orchestra? This popular band of the late fifties and early sixties toured world-wide to great critical acclaim. Maynard got his start there, playing lead trumpet (Yes, LEAD!) at age 15—a mere teenager! Despite Ferguson’s young age, Stan Kenton called him the best trumpeter in the world. I have to agree.

In his early 20s, Maynard finally broke out with his own jazz orchestra, putting together some amazing jazz talents that you’ve probably heard of: names like Chuck Mangione, Bob James, and Chick Corea. Just like Kenton gave Maynard his shot, Ferguson’s band also gave these fellow musicians their footholds in the jazz world before they each became jazz greats in their own right. In the sixties, Maynard’s jazz orchestra was a showcase for his superb talent when he was at the peak of his form. From that point on, however, his career would take a gradual, downhill slide from that lofty peak. Yet, he would still remain a great musician throughout his career.

When jazz became less and less popular in the 70s (remember the rise of disco as a music genre? many of us are trying to forget it…), Maynard felt financial pressure to become more commercial. He sought mainstream recognition in order to retain record contracts with the big name recording studios. The jazz purists howled, but what is a starving musician to do? Do you remember the screaming trumpet on the jazzy version of the song “Gonna Fly Now,” which was the theme song from Sylvester Stallone’s movie “Rocky,”? That was Maynard’s trumpet screaming at you. He earned a Grammy nomination for that song. Soulless and overtly commercial, perhaps, but it still showcased his awesome talents. And the tune was darn catchy, too. Guilty pleasures, I suppose.

He later returned to the pure jazz scene, touring the world with small combos into the 80s and 90s. He then fell into relative obscurity during this past decade. I saw him in concert once during that twilight time, late in his career. I longed for the tight control and ultra-high notes that once emanated from his horn, but it was just not there. The spirit remained but the chops were too old. Once in a while, a few of his solos briefly warbled into the stratosphere and brought a smile to my face. For at that moment in time I was transported back to my old bedroom, all filled with high school angst and a tremendous admiration for this magnificent trumpet player. He played a large part in instilling in me a love for jazz at an early stage of my life.

Goodbye, Maynard. The world of jazz will sorely miss you.