Maynard Mourning Mayhem

This post is about a week late, but I just didn't have time to get it squeezed in last week. Last wednesday, the super trumpet of the world, the greatest lead player to ever step upon this earth passed from existence into nonexistence. I believe Maynard Ferguson had been teetering on the precipice of existence and nonexistence for quite some time, but old Gabriel got tired and asked The Fox to sit in on lead for a bit in that big band in the sky.

For those of you who know me, you know that I very much enjoy the madness of Maynard Fergusonn and that I have MF Horns 1, 2, 3, and 4/5 as well as the Blues Roar vinyls hanging on my wall in cherry condition only to be listened to a few times a year. The day Maynard passed, I got 3 phone calls, one from my sister, then my dad, and then my old roomie from UIUC, CTP. My dad told me that the albums I had hanging on my wall have just gone up in value (which I highly doubt). The biggest nut shot, though, is that CTP was supposed to go on tour with Maynard, whom just recorded an album over the summer, to promote the new album. In fact, CTP was scheduled to hit the roadin a week or so, but not now.... Sucks, so now he's on cruise ship.

I acknowledged the passing of MF by making a CD that I lovingly call M^3 or Maynard Mourning Mayhem. It is a collection of some of my favorite Maynard tracks both from CDs, vinyls, and boot legs of live recordings. As I listened to the CD with an Old Style in my hand, my neighbor Charlie came out of the building and heard the live cut of "Hey Jude" Maynard did in '73 for the Live at the Great American Music Festival album. He looked at me and says, "This is the version the Beatles should have recorded," and to that I say, "YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR!"

Furthermore I have been thinking about the times I did see Maynard live. The time he played with Bobby Shew at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival back in 1999 when it was Me, LP, and Maragener. The next time I saw Maynard was in Springfield, IL and he opened up the orchestra pit for swing dancing back when that was "the thing". That time I was in row 2, dead center and when MF went to do the hand shake thing during the greatest hits medley, I jumped of 30 people and stepped on feet and got dirty dirty looks, but I shook his hand. Then after that we waited for him by his bus. We say Alfonso Aldolfo Acosta (uber bad dude).

But, the time is no more....jazz can stop...the death of MF is like the death of an Era. They define the time period of Baroque music using Bach's birth and death (1685-1750). I think we should define the jazz era with the birth and death of MF.

Rest in Peace, Maynard.